2020 Entrepreneur of the Year

Chris Bender is a proud graduate of Williamstown High School and Glenville State College, with a BS in Business Management. She started as a server at DaVinci’s while in college, eventually becoming the General Manager. Like many MOV kids, Chris intended to leave this area and pursue a career in the big world. But her love for DV kept pulling her back, and she purchased the restaurant in 2012. She has expanded the business to a seating capacity of 600, cementing it as a mainstay in the area. She maintains her love of travel, but through all the chaos of this year, she has realized she is most content at her restaurant, right here at home.

Denise Headlee is an accomplished business owner, esthetician, artist, educator, and licensed practical nurse. The founder and owner of ONE. Skin Care Studio, a mother of three, a fiancé, and a lover of nature, yoga, festivals, tap dance, chocolate, and naps, Denise embodies her business’ mantra of beauty from within. Driven by her passion to help women see their own beauty, Denise uses her 16 years of experience and extensive post-graduate training to meet women where they are in their skincare journey and offers every client a unique and customized experience. Denise’s generous spirit and inner beauty shine through in her relationships with others and in her support of local causes, spanning work in domestic violence support, hunger relief, Secret Santa, and community wellness

Your Proper Pooch Dog Training and Grooming is owned and run by Marilyn Pence and Amanda Fulton. Marilyn is a former school teacher and has groomed dogs in both WV and VA.  She is a self-taught dog trainer and has worked with many humane societies and rescues in various states. Amanda is a self-taught dog trainer who learned to train dogs due to a need her handicapped daughter had. She worked with a Service Dog Training program in California and over the years developed her skills to be able to contribute to the needs of our local community. Both ladies pride themselves on being leading professionals in the Mid Ohio Valley.  

Larry Sloter, a life-long resident of Marietta, Ohio, is the owner of the award-winning Busy Bee Restaurant since 2016. Holding a bachelor’s degree from Marietta College and an MBA from Franklin University, Larry previously worked as an executive in retail, banking, and higher education, but his passion has always been food. This passion led to a meticulously cultivated menu through regional sourcing. Larry believes that partnerships with regional farms and small businesses is vital to the strength of local commerce. His enthusiasm for entrepreneurship is evident through his work with Marietta College’s Entrepreneurship program and his time spent volunteering to mentor emerging entrepreneurs.

Anthony Williams is the owner/operator of Anthony’s Express Mobile Detailing, serving public and private vehicle owners in the MOV, by caring for their vehicle detailing needs. Anthony believes everyone should drive a pristine vehicle at an affordable price, without the inconvenience of visiting a traditional detail shop. Anthony has supported local businesses such as: Red Lobster, Antero, and Enterprise, through fleet contracts or strategic marketing partnerships. Anthony contributes to the efforts of the HSOP, Boys and Girls Club, MW Baseball, Knights of Columbus, Lions Club, WV Breast Health Initiative, Vietnam Vets, and local drug recovery programs to name a few. Anthony holds a detail technician certificate from Detail King and an associate’s degree in business management from West Liberty University.

Jen Wright is an accidental entrepreneur who stumbled into a business adventure after holding a decade-long dream in her heart. Jen’s degree is in education but her passion is missions. While spending almost eight years living in Honduras, Jen’s life was indelibly marked by five brothers whose father was a coffee farmer. Their story and struggle changed her completely. A dream was planted there for a fair-trade coffee shop someday. A decade later, Jen took a chance and opened The Bodega, her coffee shop dream come true. She is passionate about using that space to create true community and amplify goodness. Jen dreams big, loves big, and is still crazy enough to believe that if we do good work together it really can change the world.