Owner, CEO

Sarah Vogl

Sarah started self-teaching herself in graphic design and photography in high school. In college, she began working with clients while studying religion at Roanoke College in Salem, VA. In 2019, Sarah and her partner Chris opened Bear Dance Market & CBD Cafe in Christiansburg, VA, doubling as Gray Matters HQ. In 2022 they opened the Happy Skunk room, a space for events, co-working, and media productions. As the founder of Gray Matters, Sarah creates identities, captures personalities, and develops business solutions for new and small-to-medium-sized businesses. 

Sarah’s experience as an adoptee and her major in religious studies led her over and over again to the idea that nothing in life is black and white. She believes navigating the murky middle ground is crucial — she applies this idea to her life and business daily.

Sarah gets immense satisfaction from seeing small businesses grow and thrive. She loves working for herself and empowering other entrepreneurs to do the same.

Collaboration has always been a big priority for Sarah, so through Gray Matters, she creates space for the many brilliant people she works with daily. Outsourcing pieces of projects to the appropriate artist/specialist helps make her high expectations a reality so that Gray Matters can provide incredible quality at fair rates.

Co-Owner, CFO

Chris Reese

Chris is a musician, a record-breaking event planner, and a marketing aficionado with the uncanny ability to perceive and analyze the big picture. He’s been throwing events in the area for almost a decade as DJ Pyrite and Technicolor Entertainment. He’s my assistant, my second shooter, and my other half.

Illustrator

Berkeley Oglesby

Berkeley is a college student and artist specializing in digital art and graphic design. She has an illustrative style and has worked part-time as a tattoo designer and produced numerous logo designs for companies. She enjoys playing Overwatch, reading in bed, and watching Hulu with her dog in her spare time.

Filmmaker, Writer

Cory Snider

Cornelius Edward Snider is a filmmaker, writer, and entrepreneur passionate about storytelling and world-building. As the owner and operator of Everscope Multimedia, he is focused on funding, creating, and planning the films and series he has written throughout his life. He has Snide Studios, a production sandbox for lo-fi, irreverent comedy – including stand-up specials, podcasts, and web shorts. Additionally, he has begun offering his video production services to the community via Everscope’s Contract Services to network and sharpen his skills, including Gray Matters. Cornelius is committed to participating in and fostering a new culture of artists, entrepreneurs, and community members through his work at Gray Matters and the Bear Dance Market's Happy Skunk Room.

Director of Business Solutions

Lea Wall

Lea Wall is a networking specialist in agriculture and small business. She has years of experience in local hospitality, tourism, and sales. If you’ve got a problem, she can help you solve it!

To the leaders and business owners of the NRV: You are incredible, resilient problem-solvers! Isn’t it time someone helped you customize solutions to meet your unique needs? Enjoy the comfort and freedom of focusing on what you do best while our team creates a tailored plan for you. From big projects to small, Lea can help create a strategy and provide the support needed to accomplish your goals.

1. “The gray area matters.” A reverence for nuance is core to my belief system and my work.

2. “Gray matter” or brain matter. Brains matter. Brain matters matter. Understanding how and why our brain works the way it does is crucial to good graphic design and customer service.

3. The importance that shades of gray play in design.

Uniqueness, Adaptability

Despite their relative size, owls have many unique characteristics that make them specialized predators. Their eyes are immobile, but they have binocular vision, which helps them focus on prey, and their heads can turn 270 degrees. Owls are believed to have the best night vision and very sensitive hearing, and their flight is silent due to their unique wings.

Wisdom, Bravery

While some societies have deemed owls bad omens, the owl represents wisdom, learning, and bravery to others. The symbol of the owl reminds me to be curious and bold.

Family

My last name (Vogl) means bird in German.