It’s more important to understand someone than to judge them. We think the first step to understanding someone is asking them the fundamental questions about who they are and how they became the person they are today. Understanding and empathy are essential building blocks for a better, more compassionate world. We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to ask these questions each week through our interview series. Below you’ll find inspiring interviews from throughout Virginia.
KURT SCHNEID 
Background and Experience My name is Kurt Schneid, and as the Production Lead and Director at Axcess Studios, my real value proposition isn’t just selling you a video—it’s being one trusted partner who makes the whole night work and makes the room come alive. Read more>>
Essence Scott 
My journey has been anything but linear, but I think that’s part of what makes it meaningful. I’ve always been interested in understanding people, what shapes us, how we navigate difficult experiences, and what it takes to create meaningful change in our lives. Read more>>
Pae-tai Tositrakul 
My journey in the hospitality industry started from the ground up. Over the course of eight years working inside restaurants, I took the time to learn every layer of the business firsthand—from the fast-paced realities of the kitchen line to inventory, operations, and front-of-house management. Read more>>
Bill Dillon 
Having been raised in Norfolk and then moving to Va. Beach at 21, I moved for a year to South Florida for at age 23. While there, I bussed tables for six months before moving back to Va. Beach. Having no server experience I got a job at a restaurant that would train me to be a waiter. Read more>>
Samantha Fehling 
I’ve been behind a camera for as long as I can remember! I graduated from UMass Dartmouth in 2007 with a Bachelors in Fine Arts in Photography and Design, but my career and life definitely hasn’t followed a straight line. I’m originally from Massachusetts, spent some time living in San Diego, and eventually landed in Virginia Beach thanks to my husband’s military career. Read more>>
Kimberly Evering 
I used to play records. Now I play bowls. Music came first. As an only child, I filled the quiet with a little record player, and it became my whole world. I went on to be an alt-rock DJ, worked at record stores and interned at PolyGram Records. Those years taught me rhythm, seamless transitions and how to read the energy of a room. Read more>>
Morgan Province 
I was raised in a family full of business owners. My grandparents on my dad’s side owned a couple funeral homes, while the grandparents on my mom’s side owned coal mines at one point, then later on a dairy, as well as raising cattle and show horses. Their work ethic most certainly trinkled down to my parents. Read more>>
Kruti Naik 
I never really planned on becoming a Professional Organizer. In fact, if you had asked me 15 years ago what I’d be doing today, I’m pretty sure this wouldn’t have been my answer! I started my career as a research scientist in the pharmaceutical industry, where I spent close to 10 years before making a transition into information technology. Read more>>
Morgan Kraybill Gross 
I, Morgan (Kraybill) Gross, am a Harrisonburg native, a licensed clinical social worker by profession and newly an entrepreneur. Read more>>
Lori Briscoe 
Appalachian Teas & Botanicals was born from a passion for place. As a child, I wanted to be an Anthropologist and writer, sharing the beauty of the world and its cultures. Not far onto that path, I re-discovered my own place–Southern Appalachia-with fresh eyes. Read more>>
Alex Kelly 
As a child, I was incredibly lucky to have experiences that widened my palate, but I think baking has always been baked into my DNA. Read more>>
Jennifer Nguyen 
I have always loved fashion and how it can be used to express oneself & define eras. When social media was starting to become prominent during my secondary school years, I became interested in social media marketing and fashion merchandising. My appreciation for these fields have led me to follow content creators and love how they curate their own aesthetics & personalities. Read more>>
Chyna Te’Aira 
Before I ever learned how to support other people through what they were carrying, I was a little girl trying to understand what to do with her own hurt. I’m originally from Poughkeepsie, New York, but Virginia has been home since I was about seven or eight. I was born to a teen mother, and my sperm donor spent most of my life in prison. Read more>>
Che’Won Bell 
I started my career as a Dental Technician when I was offered an opportunity in High school to attend a trade school. Initially, I was suppose to enroll in Fire 1st responders, or EMT. However, my application was taking forever to get a response, so I had my mother call to check on my application and all she remembered was Dental (my 3rd choice). Read more>>
Rodtranece Mumpfield 
My story really starts in education. I have spent most of my career as an elementary educator and have also served as a grade-level leader. Earlier in my education career, I held a separate position as a technology coordinator, where I introduced new tools and helped teachers and staff use technology more effectively. Across those experiences, I recognized a common thread in my work. Read more>>
Gracie Parker 
Being born into the industry and growing up in the construction and design world really shaped who I am today. My mom was a cabinet designer, and my dad owns Lynmark Construction, which operates as a residential and commercial custom builder. The home office was always full of sample books and plans. Read more>>
Chris Fitzner 
I took a nontraditional path into entrepreneurship. After two years of community college, I worked as an electrician and later at a crab restaurant before moving into marketing roles with companies including Amazon, Appian, AWS, and Gartner. Read more>>
Colleen Quintana 
Colleen Founder & Owner, Woodhouse Spa — Gainesville, VA Colleen is the founder and owner of Woodhouse Spa in Gainesville, Virginia, a 7,000-square-foot luxury day spa built around a simple idea: self-care and preventative care should be part of everyone’s routine, not an occasional indulgence. Her path there, however, started nowhere near the spa industry — it started in a courtroom. Read more>>
Denise Cagan 
I grew up in a rural part of New York State. Interestingly enough, people always think the city when I share I’m from New York. In this case, it is a part of the state with cows, corn, and beautiful lakes. My family was large and poor. We honestly didn’t always have enough and had to rely on local churches or pantries regularly. Read more>>
Branden Lee 
In 2006, I came to the United States from South Korea by myself with just $200 in my pocket as a Taekwondo major, driven by a passion to promote and teach Taekwondo in the right and authentic way. After many challenges and unexpected turns along the way, I eventually settled in Richmond, Virginia, where I opened the doors of Dynamic Taekwondo in April 2011. Read more>>
Patric Gutu 
My journey into hospitality began unexpectedly in West Palm Beach, Florida, where I moved in 2013 to support my aunt during her battle with cancer. While there, I took an overnight janitor position at the Four Seasons Palm Beach. What started as a way to help my family quickly sparked a deep curiosity about the industry. Read more>>
Becky Morrison Gleed 
As many of us know all too well, maternal health in the U.S. is not well protected at a basic level, which means we often fail to offer support to mothers in the early stages before a full-blown crisis develops. In the U.S., doing an “all clear” from OB/GYN is an ongoing standard. Read more>>
Cheikh Ndoye 
I’m from Senegal, and music has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My musical journey started through the rhythms, traditions, and sounds of West Africa. Read more>>
Adam Bolt 
I am a songwriter, storyteller, and the Events and Marketing Coordinator for the Town of Abingdon, Virginia. More importantly, I’m a devoted husband and father who believes that investing in your community is one of the most meaningful things you can do. Read more>>
Darius House 
Darius House, professionally known as IamDerby or Derby for short, is an American rapper, producer, audio engineer, drummer, and entrepreneur from Portsmouth, Virginia. He is associated with the 757/Hampton Roads music scene and is the founder of Royal 7 Entertainment. Derby began pursuing music at a young age, developing experience as both a rapper and drummer. Read more>>
Huma Sikandar Fatakia, LPC 
My path to where I am today—as a therapist and the founder and CEO of two mental health practices—actually began in the Fortune 500 world. Early in my career, I worked in marketing and brand strategy for Heinz across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Read more>>
Braden Shackelford 
I began my Tae Kwon Do training under Masters Chun Rhee and Manuel Bonilla at the Jhoon Rhee school in Falls Church, VA at the age of 3. When my father, Master Barry Shackelford, opened the school in Arlington, VA in 2005, I continued my training there under him and Jhoon Rhee Head Instructor, Master Francis Pineda. Read more>>
Alvin Petitt 
I was laid off from a large technology company back in 2001. Once that happened, I knew that I didn’t want to work for somebody else again. So I started A & S Technology Solutions in early 2003 and that’s still going today. Back in approximately 2019, I got my life insurance license. Read more>>
Noelle Parent 
I actually started my wedding industry journey in the kitchen! Fresh out of high school, I became a pastry chef, and from there I’ve worn just about every wedding hat. Venue Coordinator, Food & Beverage Director, Wedding Planner, bridal stylist and now a bridal shop owner! Read more>>
Chelsea Nwasike 
I’ve always had a difficult time answering the question, “What do you do?” because I’ve never really done just one thing. I’m a writer and filmmaker, but I’ve also worked as a creative director, designer, artist, and entrepreneur. And honestly for a long time, I thought I needed to choose one. Be one. Read more>>
Kristina Holmes 
My path into design started at Virginia Tech, where I was searching for a major that would speak to both sides of me: the creative side that loved design and the problem-solving side that wanted to understand how things actually worked. I came across a flyer for Residential Environments and Design and was immediately intrigued. It wasn’t simply interior design. Read more>>
Georgia Obenaus 
We lost our home in the economic crash of 2011 and our dogs (fosters & personal) had nowhere safe to go. I signed a lease on an old garage and created that safe place, became state approved and non profit. In 2018 GO RESCUE moved to a 4,300 square ft facility and operated there for another 5 years. Read more>>
Tigist Delay 
I’ve always been drawn to photography and to finding beauty in ordinary things, the small moments, the imperfections, and the things we often overlook in ourselves. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve also realized how much more valuable photographs become with time. I cherish old photographs of my family, especially the ones that let me see pieces of their lives before I was even here. Read more>>
CORY TAYLOR 
I am a Virginia-born music and entertainment executive whose career has been defined by one thing above all else: believing in people and knowing how to turn talent, relationships, and opportunity into something bigger. For more than two decades, I believe I have built a reputation as a trusted manager, artist advocate, entertainment strategist, producer, talent developer, and connector within the music and television industries. Read more>>
Britni Horton 
Born and raised in Virginia, I’ve been an animal lover my whole life, and dogs have always held a special place in my heart. Murphy, my beloved Goldendoodle (7/2016–10/2025), was truly my soul dog and the inspiration behind Paws & Fuzzy Butts. Today, I share my life with Norman, our Mini Aussiedoodle, our two bunnies, Henry and Peppy, and my wonderful supportive husband. Read more>>
Brandi Rose 
when I was 16, I knew that I didn’t want a normal 9 to 5 job. I went with a friend to a local tattoo shop and just kind of knew This was my home. Read more>>
Cailey Dawson 
I came by my love of mysteries quite honestly, through my mom, Kathleen, or Kat. She is a die hard mystery fan: cozy mystery novels, classic 70s shows like Nancy Drew, Columbo, McMillan and Wife, mystery movies from the 20’s to today, Clue the boardgame and the movie, all manner of mystery novels, and of course, the Queen of the Mystery, Agatha Christie. Read more>>
Raven Jae 
I started writing songs before I knew I could sing them. I was about 8 or 9 starting one of many songs books. I was incredibly shy. I witnessed a lot growing up, and the one place of safety was with a pen and paper. I had a great childhood but my perception of love was distorted. Read more>>
Lauryn Kelley 
I started interning for a local-to-me wedding planner when I was in college, who I continue to assist to this day. After I graduated with a communications degree, I worked as an event coordinator at a vineyard until COVID put a halt to events. I took a personal step back from hospitality as my full time job, and took a job in healthcare. Read more>>
Tangee Augustin 
Melanin & Manuscripts started in 2018 with a pretty simple idea: I wanted to create a space where women of color could come together, read books by Black authors, and build genuine connections around the stories we were reading. So much of my professional life has centered around people, connection, creating safe spaces, and building community. Read more>>
Darla Bishop
I’ve been thinking about money, opportunity, and what families need to thrive for most of my life, long before I knew it would become my work. I grew up in Detroit in a family where money was often tight. Read more>>
Mitchell Fleisher MD DHT
Brief Professional Autobio: Mitchell A. Fleisher, M.D., M.D.(H), D.Ht., D.A.B.F.M., Dc.A.B.C.T., F.S.S.R.P. Dr. Mitch Fleisher is a double board-certified, licensed, Family Physician specializing in anti-aging, regenerative medicine, peptide therapy, exosome and stem cell therapy, advanced musculoskeletal injection therapy, constitutional homeopathy, nutritional and botanical medicine, I.V. Read more>>
