Libby Callaway is a native of East Tennessee and a long-time Nashville journalist-turned-stylist-turned-media consultant and principal at The Callaway - who also sits on the board of the Nashville Fashion Alliance. These days, she’s helping shape the way Music City is viewed through the stories she writes for The Callaway Report, which offers biweekly dispatches about the city, and by offering consulting work for designers and other creatives.
With a milestone 39th birthday in front of him, Brooklyn native Marcus Whitney reassessed his career path last year. Reflecting on his own youthful wanderlust (dropping out of college and forgoing education to be in a band), he pledged to find ways to show those who are struggling with job searches that entrepreneurship is an option for them. His new firm, The Unlikely Company, helps make that happen, while Jumpstart Foundry, where he is president, helps startups find funding and expand.
Wedgewood-Houston's Thirty Tigers markets and manages some of the leading indie musicians on the scene. Artist manager Traci Thomas is one of the people who makes it happen. The Nashville native's client list includes favorites, such as St. Paul & The Broken Bones and Jason Isbell. Music wasn't her first career choice, though. An MTSU grad, she actually studied interior design and public relations. She's been an artist manager for seven years, and, she says, "I always get excited when I am able to get something great for my artists."
Brothers and Nashville natives Ben and Max Goldberg are owners of Strategic Hospitality. In just nine years, they’ve become the go-to team for all things eclectic foodie. From the exclusive, innovative Catbird Seat to the $6 pitcher-slinging Paradise Park, their restaurants reflect the weird and wonderful gamut of food in Nashville.
Ryan Pruitt joined the ever-expanding Frothy Monkey coffee shop firm about a year-and-a-half after it was founded. Frothy Monkey just turned 12 years old, and Pruitt, now managing partner, says the coffee shop has grown up with Nashville. It's been intertwined with the momentum of the city. The growth within the company - and within the city - was unexpected on all fronts, but Pruitt's not complaining.
