The Positively West Virginia Podcast

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 […]

Ahmed Abdelrehim graduated from the school of Pharmacy and Biotechnology in 2008 at the German University in Cairo, Egypt, and started his first business, a retail pharmacy, in 2009. He spent eight years running the pharmacy. During the last years of Ahmed's pharmacy life, he became super bored with what he was doing. Ahmed wanted […]

Steven L. Webb, born in 1957 in Beckley, West Virginia, attended local schools until graduation. Steve attended West Virginia University and finished his degree in History and English at the University of Charleston. After graduation, Steve mainly worked in family businesses and operated several nightclubs in the Beckley area until 1987, when he moved to […]

Max Knapp grew up in Jackson County, West Virginia, where he graduated from Ravenswood High School. Upon graduation, he attended West Virginia Wesleyan College on a golf scholarship and obtained his bachelor's degree in accounting. After finishing at Wesleyan, Max decided to further his education by attending Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, where […]

Brody Prudnick is the owner of Ray's Seasonings, LLC based out of Morgantown, West Virginia. Ray's Seasonings is a small business that specializes in wholesale/retail distribution of their widely recognized product, Ray's Rub. The company is only a little over two years old and has seen a large growth in recent months. The emphasis here […]

  Ashton Critchley is the founder of Wolverstone Development Company and is the owner of Bessie's Floral Designs in Oak Hill, WV. She is a 2009 graduate of Concord University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a 2020 graduate of WVU with a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications. Ashton has […]

Sky Forge Metalworks has brought an element of creativity to homes and businesses of the DMV area since 2014. Andrew Rice, the owner, knew the moment he took his first class in Blacksmithing, that it brought something to his life that was missing before. He fell in love with the Romance of the age-old artistry, […]

Johnny McFadden co-founded Mountaineer Integrated Care (MIC) which won permits to grow, process and dispense medical cannabis in West Virginia. He serves as their community outreach coordinator as the company prepares to open its grow/processor facility in Fort Ashby, WV, and its dispensary in Ravenswood, WV. Johnny's goal is to educate the public about the […]

  Roberts Corrosion Services, LLC provides corrosion support and remediation for natural gas piping with a primary focus in the Appalachian Basin area. Since their inception in 2011, they have grown steadily and offer a wide range of services and turn-key solutions for their clients. Their combined experience and qualifications allow them to function effectively […]

  Dick Bonnet is an independent contractor for TorcUP of WV selling Hydraulic Pneumatic and Battery bolting tools (torque wrenches) to the industry in West Virginia. Dick's job is to locate prospects and demonstrate the tools on the application and then follow up with training and service once the sale is made. He works out […]

  Caitlin Furbee is the owner of Remarkable Windows and Blinds in Morgantown, West Virginia. After earning her Interior Design Degree from WVU, Caitlin jumped right into her dream career of helping clients turn their house into a home. Previously working for a design firm in Northern Virginia, she moved back to Morgantown in 2015 […]