The Positively West Virginia Podcast

Retired Air Force Colonel, Sean Frisbee, was on a mission to help the U.S. Air Force and the economic state of West Virginia. Last year, he founded Vertx Partners, a collaborative effort alongside Parallax Advanced Research , to support the development of science and technology innovation in Appalachia.

Clay Elkins is a quintessential food and wine guy who strives to deliver world-class dining and entertainment experiences. He earned a BS in Computer Information Systems from Appalachian State University but quickly learned that the cubicle life was not for him; deciding, instead, to pursue his long-time passion for food and beverage. Clay went on to earn a degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson and...

Stephanie Bender is the owner and operator of S&T's Bees in downtown Elkins. S&T's Bees sells all supplies needed for beekeeping, as well as honey, lip balm, lotions, soaps and other items made from honey. Wood, country, primitive, and crocheted items are among the several other items you can find at the eccentric downtown Elkins […]

Patty Showers Ryan became President of Your Community Foundation of North Central West Virginia, Inc. (YCF) in June 2016.  Ms. Ryan holds a bachelor's degree in business management from Colorado State University and returned home to Morgantown in 2002. Her career includes corporate and nonprofit work in Colorado, Maryland and West Virginia. Prior to joining […]

Byrd's House of Donuts was started by Issac Thomas Byrd, Sr. (Tommy) and his son, Issac Thomas Byrd, Jr (Thomas). Mr. Byrd had a longstanding career of 25 years in the woodworking industry managing dimension mills, cabinet factories, and moulding factories. His son, Thomas, had some prior experience in fast food management, however neither had […]

Married for 48 years (c. 1973), Ron and Matilda Fowler are owners of French Creek Christmas Trees. They have one son, two lovely grandchildren, and their number one farm greeter, Gus the Dog. Ron graduated from WVU with a degree in Forestry. After working for the WV Division of Forestry, and self-employment with Consulting Forester, […]

Christina Entenmann-Edwards, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Hashtag WV City Paper, has been a Lewisburg, WV resident since September of 2008. She is a first-generation American, was born and raised in Fairfield County (Connecticut) and is no stranger to hard work with an entrepreneurial spirit. In 2006, she graduated from Quinnipiac University (in Hamden, CT) Cum Laude, with […]

As CEO of CentralApp, Todd Cope strives to connect companies in need of tech talent with qualified workers from throughout the Appalachian region. A native West Virginian with a coal-miner grandfather, Todd is deeply committed to promoting equal economic opportunity through the expansion of tech jobs in rural areas. He cut his professional teeth in […]

Rene Jorge is a professional Chef and owner of Sauté by Rene'. She is the mother of two teenage boys. Born in Asbury Park, NJ and moved to NYC after high school where she attended culinary school. After moving to MN, she had her first son, moved to WV where she had her second son; […]

Ellen and Daniel Lubuguin were both born in the Philippines. Daniel's career started out working for Pepsi where he remained for 10 years, while Ellen worked as a hairdresser. The two of them decided to start Philippines Best as a food truck, dedicated to serving on Saturdays when Daniel was off. However, when Daniel hurt […]

General Manager of Sirianni's Cafe in Davis, West Virginia, Mike Goss operates the in's and out's of the Italian Cafe. Siranni's name originates from the family's ancestral journey during the mass Italian immigration. Today, the restaurant continues to flourish at two locations.  Fun fact: The unique cafe was formerly established in June of 1988 during […]

Born and raised in Calhoun County, Crystal graduated with a degree in Chemistry and was shortly after forced to leave her home state in order to find employment. Forty years later, Crystal has returned to WV in an effort to revitalize Calhoun County.  Her plan for revitalization revolves around the generosity of The 1982 Foundation […]

Samuel Bonasso is the founder and head roaster of Quantum Bean Coffee in Morgantown, WV. He's been married for 7 years and has 2 young children. Samuel has a vision for cultivating a specialty coffee culture in the state of West Virginia. Quantum Bean Coffee is a Micro Roaster of specialty coffee in the hills […]

Matthew Byrd grew up in Ritchie County, WV. Always having a fascination with wildlife, Matthew graduated from WVU with a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Resource Management. It was when a local extension office in Ritchie County offered a beginners beekeeping class that Matthew's journey began with the bee community. Currently, Matthew has 15 beehives […]

Evans Knob Farm is owned by Kathy and Reid Evans. Fourth generation operators of Reid's family farm, they took over stewardship of the farm in 1994. In 2002, Reid lost his job with IBM, and Kathy knew it was time to get down to business and take the farm from personal sustenance to an actual […]

A&K Clothing is a locally owned business based out of the mountain state of West Virginia. The business opened up in February 2021 & has grown exponentially. The name of the store originated from them & their kids' names.  Amanda went to school for fashion merchandising with a background in business. She has always been passionate about […]

Amanda McDaniel is a stay-at-home mom turned Lumber Lady! She and her father have built their business together as a combined retirement project and entrepreneurial dream. Shenandoah Planing Mill is a full-service lumber mill offering dimensional hardwoods, flooring, trims, moulding, and interior finishes. They act as a hub for woodworkers and consumers to network, get supplies, and […]

Jon was born and raised in Wheeling, WV. He graduated from West Liberty University with a degree in Business Administration. After his graduation, he moved to Fort Collins, CO where he lived for 2 years. While living in the Denver metro area and traveling the West, Jon was inspired by the vibrant small business communities […]

Stephen Mann, born in Takoma Park Maryland, commuted regularly to Weston, WV where his parents purchased and maintained a 450-acre farm, spending almost all of his summers there. The summer prior to entering 6th grade, his parents moved to WV and Stephen started school in Lewis County, now living full-time there. In a high school science […]

Samantha Haddix co-owns Haddix Liquidations alongside her husband, Jason. Haddix Liquidations sells pallets of merchandise from all types of major retailers. The liquidation merchandise can be overstocked items, customer returns, discontinued items, etc. They sell to people who resell which includes eBay sellers, small stores, and flea market sellers. Samantha bought a few pallets to sell as a hob...

Max Hammer has been on a bike since he was a toddler. He came of age on the trails surrounding Phoenix, Arizona, in the 1980s just as mountain biking was sweeping the western United States. Max raced several disciplines through the late 80s and early 90s, including dual slalom, which took him to the 1990 […]

Frank and Elizabeth are co-owners of Kirkwood Winery and Isaiah Morgan Distillery. Kirkwood has been in business for 30 years, and the distillery has been in production since 2004. They purchased the winery and distillery four years ago. Frank and Elizabeth manage the day-to-day operations of the winery and distillery. Elizabeth specializes in the paperwork, […]

Dean Six graduated from WVU several times and has written numerous books, articles and scholarly monographs. Published materials and recognized work include WVU Published Guide to Art and completed architecture on WVU Campuses. In addition, Dean is an avid long-time glass collector, lecturer and consultant. Dean owns and manages America's Oldest Five and Dime store, as well as being […]