Meet the Team
Founder, Creative Director
Sarah Vogl
Sarah Vogl first started teaching herself graphic design and photography in high school, and by the time she was studying religion at Roanoke College, she was already working with clients. She launched Gray Matters in 2013, building it alongside her education, early professional life, and later her experience as a small business owner.
In 2019, Sarah and her partner Chris opened Bear Dance Hemp Company in Christiansburg, VA, which also became the home base for Gray Matters for seven years. Sarah brought that firsthand experience — the messy, practical, very real work of running a business — into Gray Matters full-time.
Today, Sarah helps small and mid-sized businesses untangle creative, technical, and organizational challenges. Her work spans brand identity, website design, graphic design, marketing support, and practical systems that make running a business feel more manageable.
Rather than chasing trends or surface-level polish, Sarah focuses on clarity, usability, and solutions that actually get used.
Sarah’s background as an adoptee and her studies in religion shaped her belief that most meaningful work happens in the gray areas — where things aren’t fully defined yet, and easy answers don’t exist.
That perspective carries through in her approach to client work:
meeting people where they are,
helping them name the real problem,
and building thoughtful, flexible solutions rather than one-size-fits-all packages.
Collaboration is central to how Gray Matters operates. Sarah regularly works alongside other agencies and specialists when projects call for it, helping clients get the right expertise without unnecessary communication bloat.
This approach allows Gray Matters to stay adaptable, community-focused, and grounded, delivering comprehensive marketing solutions at fair, transparent rates while supporting entrepreneurs as they build sustainable businesses.
Client Experience & Communications Manager
Chris Reese
Chris brings a mix of creative instinct, big-picture thinking, and people-centered problem solving to Gray Matters. With a background in music, event planning, retail, and small business operations, he has a strong sense for what makes people pay attention, feel welcome, and stay engaged.
As DJ Pyrite, Chris spent over a decade booking and performing alongside nationally touring artists, releasing his own music, and playing major festivals. Along the way, he sold out shows, helped venues set sales records, built promotional teams, and developed a sharp instinct for what resonates with people — and why.
Chris later brought that same energy into Bear Dance Hemp Company, where he helped shape the customer experience, community relationships, retail operations, and day-to-day communication that kept the business moving.
At Gray Matters, Chris plays a growing role in client experience, communications, project coordination, and operations. From first touchpoints to ongoing follow-up, he helps make sure clients feel informed, supported, and confident throughout the process.
While Sarah leads the creative and strategic direction, Chris helps keep projects organized, conversations moving, and the bigger picture in focus. His ability to anticipate needs, notice gaps, and translate ideas into practical next steps has become an essential part of how Gray Matters supports clients.
When he’s not working, you’ll find him with Sugar Magnolia, obsessing over sneakers, catching up on One Piece, cheering for the Washington Commanders, or lamenting the state of Hokie football.
Graphic Designer
Kendra Poff
Kendra’s passion for graphic design grew out of her love of photography. In high school, she photographed everything from animals and landscapes to portraits for friends and family. During her senior year, a yearbook class helped her see how photography, layout, typography, and storytelling could work together — and her interest in design grew from there.
Kendra earned her associate degree in Visual Design from Virginia Western Community College in 2020 and has continued building her creative experience through commercial photography, lifestyle photography, and professional graphic design work while completing her bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design at Liberty University.
Today, Kendra works part-time as a graphic designer for Virginia Tech and provides contract graphic design support through Gray Matters. Her work brings a thoughtful visual eye, attention to detail, and a strong sense of purpose to client projects.
Kendra believes good design should feel intentional, memorable, and useful — creating work that supports the message long after the first impression.
Gray Matters Means…
Gray Matters has layers of meaning for me—it’s about nuance, creativity, and design itself.
The gray area matters. Life isn’t black and white, and neither is running a business. I believe nuance, empathy, and flexibility are everything—both in design and in how I work with clients.
Gray matter matters. Our brains are where creativity and strategy meet. Understanding how people think, feel, and make decisions is at the core of great design and meaningful branding.
Gray in design matters. Design lives in the details. Sometimes the smallest shift in tone, balance, or shade can completely change how something feels. Paying attention to those subtleties is what takes work from “good enough” to “this really works.”
The Gray Matters owl symbolizes…
Uniqueness + Adaptability: Owls are small but mighty, with sharp vision, the ability to turn their heads almost all the way around, and the stealth to fly silently through the dark. That adaptability—being able to see clearly, move quickly, and adjust to what’s around them—is exactly how I approach design and strategy.
Wisdom + Bravery: Owls have long symbolized wisdom and learning. To me, they also represent the courage to explore new ideas, take creative risks, and step into the unknown. That combination—being thoughtful and bold—is at the heart of Gray Matters.
Family + Identity: The owl is also personal. My last name, Vogl, means “bird” in German, so the owl ties directly back to my roots. It’s a reminder that the work I do isn’t just professional—it’s personal, connected, and grounded in who I am.