Who are our Black and Brown Businesses?

This page is dedicated to the places, spaces, and faces that we've been honored to meet along our journey! Please check out their stories and learn more about how you can support their work in our community!

Take One Imaging

Before starting TakeOne Imaging, Carlton Melton worked as an audio engineer.

His work included collaborating with names that music fans would easily recognize.

When he returned to his hometown in Staunton, VA, Melton opened up a music studio.

As more musicians started creating home studios, he switched his business model.

Melton shut down Studio C and focused more on creating visual content for musicians.

“Bottom line I thought to myself, ‘I can go from audio to video because the technology is similar,’” Melton said. “I always loved photography, so I started shooting anything and everything.”

Check out his website at https://TakeOneImaging.com

Island Wheels

Eric Vasson has been a chef in five-star restaurants, as well as a chef for the New York Jets and New York Giants.

As much success as he's had in the kitchen, however, he believes he's only the second best cook in his family.

The No. 1 spot went to his grandmother in St. Lucia.

During the pandemic, Vasson found himself stuck in middle-of-nowhere Virginia. He was visiting friends when he was closed out of New Jersey. Watching the movie Chef with that group of friends, the idea for a food truck emerged.

Literally days later, Island Wheels was birthed.

Vasson has cooked all his life - literally since following his grandmother around the kitchen in St. Lucia - but the food truck is his first entrepreneurial endeavor.

Sanaa Designs

As a professionally trained pastry chef, Sarah Jones always viewed her culinary masterpieces as works of art.

During the pandemic, however, Jones began to focus on a different type of art.

The owner of Sanaa Design in downtown Staunton, her amazing artwork speaks for itself.

Jones realized that mise en place – the French culinary term for gathering all the right ingredients – could serve as a philosophy for art as well.

The results are stunning.

Here are some ways that as a community we can support Sarah.

Follow her Facebook page, Sanaa Design

DJ L3D

I’ve gone from watching Tony Davenport haul around go-go cassette tapes to hauling around DJ equipment as DJ L3D

https://djl3d.com

Tony is a great example of entrepreneurship.

He’s taking one of his great passions, music, and turned it into an LLC.

When we the whole world was forced to shelter in place for a year, Tony took the time to perfect a new craft.

He studied.

And he practiced.

And he’s really good at dee-jaying.

If you have a big event that needs music to set the perfect mood, please consider him. Another way to support is by simply sharing this post so that people looking for a dee-jay know about Tony’s business.

And as good as he is on the turntables, he’s even a better person.

Honey's Sweet Face and Body LLC

It started as a way to bond. It turned into a business.

At first, making a skin care scrub was Nadia Ware’s way of spending time with her niece.

As people kept encouraging her, however, Nadia eventually turned her unique talent into a business, Honey's Sweet Face and Body LLC.

While she continues to work in the corporate world, Nadia realized that to accomplish her goals it would take multiple streams of income.

After purchasing property in a community where her family has deep roots, she’s also exploring property management.

Brisket Taco Co.

Justin McBride took a leap of faith and opened a Black-owned brick-and-mortar restaurant in our community, Brisket Taco Co. I hope our whole community supports him, and this community proves to be a place where minority-owned businesses can thrive alongside every other business together.