Building businesses can be a valuable workforce skillset.
When is a cup of coffee more than just a cup of coffee? When the place that sells it is the brainchild of an entrepreneur who’s figured out how to juggle multiple jobs at once.
Meet Anna Grace Maples. On weekdays, she’s the full-time member specialist for the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance. On weeknights, weekends, holidays and just about every other time, she’s the owner and boss of Campfire Roasters Coffee in Madisonville, Kentucky, and Brewvita Coffee on the campus of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Oh, and she’s only 25. While most people that age are still getting their feet wet in the workforce, Maples is entering her second decade as an entrepreneur. “I started my first business, Campfire Roasters, at age 16 while in high school,” says Maples, who graduated from LU with a degree in business in 2022 and who, along with her sisters, owns 60% of the business. “While in college, I managed remotely and worked with our store manager to ensure all locations operated smoothly. The second business, Brewvita, which is partnered with Liberty, was started in 2023, a year after I graduated. Brewvita was in the works during my time as a student but did not launch until after I graduated.”
Balancing many ventures is old hat for Maples. “I majored in business administration with a focus in entrepreneurship and minored in accounting,” she says. “My accounting professor encouraged me to minor in it and I did. I chose coffee over chemistry. It was the best fit.”
Like many businesses, hers was born of product scarcity. “The first business sprung from the fact that the closest good coffee shop was about an hour away from Madisonville,” a town of 20,000 people in Western Kentucky. “We went to Cabin Fever in Georgia. The owner taught us how to roast coffee on an air-pop machine. So, we went big and bought a roaster. There was no fresh coffee around.”
Today, that roasting facility is located in Evington, Virginia, just south of Lynchburg, and roasts the coffee that is brewed and served at Campfire Roasters locations in Kentucky.
Anna Grace Maples is founder and owner of Campfire Roasters in Madisonville, Kentucky, and Brewvita Coffee Co. in Lynchburg, Virginia.
All photos courtesy of Anna Grace Maples
Turning Skeptics into Employees
Like many young entrepreneurs, Maples faced initial doubters. “My favorite story was when we rented office space from a church member who had an event rentals business in a big warehouse,” she says. “He was not using his front office. He thought we would not make it past three months. He later worked for us as a sales rep. A lot of my early experience was learning how to deal with other businesspeople.”
Ten years later, she’s still putting those lessons to good use. When the student-led Brewvita needed capital, Maples and her sisters came on board with financial backing. “It was started by the Entrepreneurs Club at Liberty,” she says. “They wanted to have a student-run coffee shop on campus. I was a senior at LU when I was invited to join the venture as an investor. Today, we not only roast coffee. We can be your coffee supplier.”
Under Maples’ leadership, the students figured out their cost of goods and determined the best location on campus for the business. “It was really eight years in the making,” she says. “The students did all the research. Today, we have a really good team.”
“A lot of my early experience was learning how to deal with other businesspeople.”
— Anna Grace Maples, entrepreneur and economic developer, Lynchburg, Virginia
The Kentucky business started small too. “Campfire Roasters began as a food truck,” says Maples. “We started out in the parking lot of a bowling alley. We ran it as a drive-through. We eventually set up shop two blocks away.”
Like many entrepreneurs, Maples figured out how to block out naysayers and overcome obstacles, and she’s done this while pursuing a career in economic development.
Beating the Odds Twice
Census data show that 20% of all new businesses fail within their first two years. Taxes, zoning laws and licensing requirements post a constant headache for most entrepreneurs. Maples has beaten those odds twice.
According to research conducted by WalletHub, “where you start your business is one of the most essential pieces of the puzzle.” When WalletHub produced its 2025 ranking of the Best States to Start a Business, considering factors such as business climate, business costs and access to capital, Florida placed first, followed by Georgia, Utah, Texas and Idaho. Kentucky ranked No. 10, and Virginia ranked No. 38.
Campfire Roasters Coffee is entering its 10th year as a successful, home-grown business in Madisonville, Kentucky.
WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo, said, “Around half of all new businesses don’t survive five years, so the idea of becoming a business owner can be daunting, especially with the current high cost of living. That’s why it’s crucial to establish your business in a state that will maximize your chances of success. The best states have low corporate tax rates, strong economies, an abundance of reliable workers, easy access to financing and affordable real estate. On top of that, you’ll need to make sure you start in a place with an engaged customer base, if you’re operating locally.”
Campfire Roasters is a family-run business in Kentucky.
For Maples, becoming an entrepreneur was a byproduct of being raised in an entrepreneurial family that moved around during her childhood. She learned how to adapt in both a big city like Atlanta and a small town like Madisonville.
Not All Career Paths Are Linear
Her path to successful business owner is a reminder to other employers that sound business acumen is not just the domain of seasoned executives. It can be found and nurtured in an ambitious teenager.
It is also a reminder that not all entrepreneurs’ pathways are linear. In some cases, like that of Maples, a budding career professional may choose to pursue multiple paths at once.
When I asked Maples to list her ultimate career goals, she said, “Simply put, it is to be my boss, Megan Lucas [president and CEO of LRBA]. Megan moves mountains. When she asks people to do things, they do it. That is a great leadership character trait to have. She leads well and serves people well. She is a woman of her word. I am learning economic development under her.”
Is her educational and career path replicable with other students?
“It is definitely something that can be replicated,” Maples says. “My advice to other students today is: Take advantage of your professors. They have been running businesses. Take advantage of those resources. Get connected to the community you are in. It does not hurt to ask to shadow someone.”
