Bryan Bunch
Dealinked
If Bryan Bunch could turn back time, he says he would have started helping Chattanooga drivers navigate the car-buying process much sooner.
“I spent over 20 years in the auto industry,” Bunch shared. “A lot of that was within a dealership, but the last seven years was selling products and services to dealers and training [them] across the country.”
While the opportunity allowed him to gain valuable experience and industry insight, the extensive travel eventually became difficult to sustain. In 2024, Bunch returned to working inside a dealership, hoping it might offer a better balance and renewed sense of purpose. But after about ten months, he realized the frustrations that had pushed him away from dealership life in the first place still remained.
It was ultimately his wife, Jamie, who encouraged him to take a leap of faith and build something of his own. Together, they founded Dealinked, an auto concierge service designed to simplify the car-buying experience and advocate directly for customers.
“She basically said I needed to do this for people, that way I’m not handcuffed to inventory, and I can do the process my way,” Bunch said.
That freedom has become one of the biggest differences for both Bunch and his clients. Through Dealinked, he is able to help individuals and families find vehicles that truly fit their needs without the pressure often associated with traditional dealership experiences.
“It’s really enjoyable when you have somebody who’s in a tough spot, or having to buy a vehicle within a short amount of time but not knowing exactly what they want,” he explained. “Using my skill set to be able to locate and negotiate it within a [reasonable] time.”
Bunch prides himself on making the process easier and less stressful for the people he serves, and he credits Chattanooga’s collaborative business community for helping make that possible.
“The people within the community and the business owners that I’ve met through networking, it’s just really neat how Chattanooga is growing, but there’s still a core group of people that are willing to help, offer advice, or point you in the right direction,” he said.
That same sense of connection has inspired Bunch to give back through donations, silent auctions, and supporting local organizations throughout the area. He sees investing in the community as an important part of helping Chattanooga continue to flourish.
For anyone considering taking a leap into something new, Bunch’s advice is simple but meaningful: “Just do it.”
And when reflecting on his own journey into entrepreneurship, he admits there’s only one thing he would change.
“I wish I would have done it sooner.”
Jeffrey Wells
Opera Singer & Parkinson’s Ambassador
With a professional opera career spanning 37 years, Jeffrey Wells is no stranger to the spotlight or to the discipline required to perform at the highest level. “I sang all over the world—literally all over the world,” Wells recalled fondly. “From Australia to Japan and all over Europe.”
Twenty-five of those years were spent performing with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, fulfilling what many singers only dream of achieving. “I had a great career,” he said, reflecting on decades spent on one of the world’s most prestigious stages.
Throughout his career, Wells also developed a deep passion for arts education and sharing music with others. “I’m a big believer in arts education,” he said. In his final professional role before retirement, Wells served as Artistic Director for a performing arts organization in a resort community outside Atlanta. There, he not only continued performing himself, but also brought internationally recognized singers and dancers to audiences in the region.
His career provided extraordinary opportunities and unforgettable experiences, but more than anything, music gave Wells a sense of purpose. That purpose became even more meaningful after he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2017. Rather than allowing the diagnosis to define or limit him, Wells chose to continue doing what he loved, even if it looked different than before.
With the support of his wife of 51 years, Jo Ellen, he has continued performing and sharing his gift with others. “In fact, I’m singing more now than I ever have,” Wells said. “My voice, for some reason, is kind of still there.”
His perseverance recently earned him the title of Morning Pointe’s Seniors Got Talent winner, an accomplishment he describes as “a big deal.” Yet for Wells, the recognition itself is secondary to the deeper appreciation he has gained for both music and life throughout his Parkinson’s journey.
Now living in Chattanooga following his retirement in 2020, Wells has become a passionate advocate for Parkinson’s research and awareness. Using his award-winning bass-baritone voice, he performs at events and fundraisers supporting several organizations throughout the area. Earlier this year, Wells helped raise $10,000 for Parkinson’s advocacy through the Ooltewah Tulip Festival.
“We just traveled to Knoxville [to the Cole Center for Parkinson’s & Movement Disorders], where I participated in presenting this check and had a nice photoshoot,” he shared.
Though the stages may look different these days, Wells continues to find joy and purpose in performing, advocating, and connecting with others through music. As he simply puts it, “I’m doing good.”
Hal Bowling
LAUNCH, Co-Founder & Co-CEO
Long before LAUNCH, its co-founder and CEO, Hal Bowling, understood the importance of entrepreneurship on a deeply personal level. Much of that inspiration came from watching his father persevere through extraordinary circumstances.
“My dad was an entrepreneur out of necessity,” Bowling shared. “He had a rare eye disease and was legally blind most of his life, which prevented him from being hired most places.”
In the 1950s, Bowling’s father underwent one of the first successful cornea transplants in the United States, a life-changing surgery that restored his vision and expanded what was possible for both his life and career. Before and after the surgery, he built a livelihood through small construction jobs and remodeling projects that eventually grew into developing neighborhoods in Asheville, North Carolina.
Watching his father’s resilience and determination left a lasting impact on Bowling. “I ultimately followed in his footsteps and started several businesses,” he said.
Over the years, Bowling’s career has spanned nonprofits, startup ventures, and healthcare leadership, with each experience shaping the work he does today. Those paths ultimately converged in Chattanooga through LAUNCH, the entrepreneurial support organization he co-founded to provide underrepresented entrepreneurs with coaching, capital, and training needed to succeed.
“It feels like all of those roads sort of converged and led me to what I’m doing now,” Bowling said.
Through LAUNCH, Bowling and his team work to demystify entrepreneurship for people who may not have had examples of business ownership in their families or communities. Many participants, he explained, are first-generation entrepreneurs navigating unfamiliar territory.
“They haven’t seen it or haven’t had anyone in their family who has [started a business],” Bowling said. “They are the first ones to try it, and we’re able to share a journey and insights with them that can really help make the process a lot less daunting.”
Bowling also values the opportunity to share his passion for entrepreneurship with his own family. His three children are all business owners, continuing a legacy that began generations earlier with his father’s determination to create opportunities where few existed.
Outside of work, Bowling and his wife of 38 years, Susanne, enjoy spending time with their children and six grandchildren. Recently celebrating a milestone birthday has also prompted him to think more intentionally about legacy and the impact he hopes to leave on both his family and the Chattanooga community.
With no plans of slowing down, Bowling says LAUNCH is expected to train its 1,000th entrepreneur this year, a milestone that reflects both the organization’s growth and the increasing need for meaningful entrepreneurial support.
“The longer I work, the more I see the importance of our work at LAUNCH to help people achieve their dreams and support their families,” Bowling said. “I’m hopeful and encouraged about the future.”
Malcolm Harris
Podcast Host
Chattanooga hasn’t always been home for Malcom Harris, but it’s where he believes he was always meant to be. Today, as the host of the popular podcast What the Truck?!, Harris uses his platform to spotlight the people, stories, and innovation driving the transportation and logistics industry. In the process, he has become one of the city’s biggest champions.
“I don’t think you’ll find a bigger advocate for the city than me,” said Harris, who is originally from Conyers, Georgia, and attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. “I love what we’re doing here.”
Through What the Truck?!, Harris creates space for industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals to share their experiences and expertise with a broader audience. While topics like trucking and supply chain logistics may initially sound technical or niche, Harris embraces the challenge of making them engaging, relatable, and entertaining.
Before stepping into the podcasting world full-time, Harris served as head of recruiting for Axle Logistics and hosted a local radio show with Brewer Media Group. By the time he was approached to host What the Truck?! last fall, he had already built a reputation as a strong communicator and connector within the Chattanooga community. Even so, he admits he was both surprised and honored by the opportunity and the confidence others placed in him.
Harris affectionately describes himself as “a guy with a do-rag and a nose ring and gold chain, talking about something so quirky but making it cool.” But beyond the personality and energy he brings to the microphone, what matters most to him is the opportunity to elevate others.
Some of the stories shared on the podcast have deeply impacted him as well. One recent guest, Harris shared, “was homeless at 16 and is now managing a $100 million portfolio at the age of 26. It’s surreal. The little things, like being able to truly tell people’s stories and give them a platform to educate and inform, are super important.”
Though he may not have become the ESPN sportscaster he once dreamed of being, Harris says he can’t imagine doing anything else. Outside of What the Truck?!, he also co-founded the sports podcast Chatted Up Sports, with hopes of growing it into a larger media company in the future.
Metaphorically speaking, Harris is standing on top of Lookout Mountain, using his voice to elevate others while continuing to grow himself. And to him, it all comes back to one simple belief:
“Being able to shine light on others makes you shine just as bright, if not brighter.”
Daniel Devries
Stylist & Owner, 1255 On Market - A Studio for Hair
For as many years and places as he’s spent working as a hair stylist, Daniel Devries has more than his fair share of stories he loves to recount. Much of that, he says, comes down to the people he has met along the way. “I have a really great list of clientele,” he shared gratefully.
DeVries built the early years of his career in Atlanta and Los Angeles after graduating from beauty school, training as an assistant under stylists from around the world before eventually settling full-time in Chattanooga. Here, he quickly built a loyal following. “I came [here] looking to escape,” he said. “I just had so much of a clientele that I was able to go spend time in these other cities and still come back and have a full book here.”
Today, he owns 1255 On Market – A Studio for Hair, though prior to that he owned and operated three salons in the Chattanooga area. Throughout his career, he has worked with a wide range of clients, including many of the area’s judges and news anchors, as well as fashion designer Cristian Serrano. DeVries and his team have worked with Serrano for the past two years on the TITANIUM II fashion gala. These opportunities are not something he takes lightly. “Trust me,” DeVries said, “I’m so honored to do this.”
Among the many stories he could share, the most personal is the one that explains why he is still able to do the work he loves after dedicating nearly half a century to his craft. DeVries is open about his past struggles with addiction and substance abuse, as well as his commitment to the recovery journey he has now been on for four years.
When reflecting on what it took to survive the lowest points in his life, DeVries does not hesitate. “The people in this community—my clients—are the people who got me sober.” With the support of those around him, he now uses this renewed sense of purpose to give back and encourage others navigating similar struggles.
“I rally and stand by CADAS (Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services) and have committed myself to giving them everything I’ve got,” he said. DeVries has helped organize fundraisers for the organization and regularly volunteers his time and talents whenever needed, all while remaining deeply committed to the clients who have continued to support him throughout his journey.
“Nothing stops my ability.”
"Though Parkinson’s changed the stage beneath him, Jeffrey Wells continues using his voice to inspire, advocate, and bring hope to others through music, proving that passion and purpose do not disappear with diagnosis—they simply evolve.”