Curtis and holly henry—owners
Curtis and Holly Henry met in 2019 after Curtis, a California native, bought his dog, Lilo, a house in Winston! They quickly adopted Cowfred when the pandemic hit and they settled in to a dog-filled life in the 336. Unhappy after seven years in a corporate job, Curtis decided to pursue a role that would provide more joy and purpose in his days. Holly had gone to school with Michelle Kline (the original Founder of Venture!) and encouraged her dog-loving partner get in touch. As they say, the rest was history!
Michelle and Curtis worked together for a year as he expanded his entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen. Over time, their friendship grew and Michelle decided to trust Curtis and Holly with the next chapter of Venture Dog Walking!
Both Holly and Curtis grew up with parents who own businesses so they’ve seen the impact that small businesses can have in their communities and in their families. Holly brings her experience in talent acquisition and business development to the table while Curtis steers day-to-day operations. Cowfred and Lilo bring with them extensive experience with belly rubs and a shared love of long walks!
Emma Spino—General manager
Emma is a graduate of High Point University (Go Panthers!) who chose to make North Carolina home with her husband and their beloved dog, Precious—who, according to Emma, “is just that.” Originally from a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, she has a passion for hiking and dreams of visiting every National Park. If she’s not getting active outside, you can find Emma reading on her porch swing or watching The Office on repeat. She helps manage Venture’s daily operations to keep things running smoothly and also assists with marketing to help us grow in our community!
Jessica Wilson—Training Manager
Jessica moved here from Maryland 3 years ago. She and her husband loved the spot they were living at (right on the C&O canal) but wanted more property to start a little homestead. Jessica has 3 large dogs named Glock, Remi, and Mooshoo! She loves hiking, camping, backpacking, kayaking, and any other outdoor activity you can think of! She loves mountains and beaches equally. She and her husband eloped in 2023 in Pisgah National Forest and it was a dream! She also enjoys plants, tattoos, reading, music, true crime, and of course all animals! Jessica helps train new hires and also facilitates our Training Program, which makes sure our new hires know exactly what to do.
Lindy Paul—Team lead
Lindy, a proud Winston-Salem native, is passionate about her city and its outdoor adventures. She and her husband, Adam, enjoy exploring local hiking trails, with morning walks alongside their dog, Zara. At home, their cat Dixie reigns supreme. Lindy is currently a student at UNCG, working towards a degree in Interior Architecture (go Spartans!). Her creativity and attention to detail are evident in everything she does, from her studies to her role as a dog walker. As a Team Lead for Venture, she equips new team members for their roles and manages daily operations to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Sarah Blanchette—Team lead
Sarah moved from Indiana in 2017 and has loved exploring more of Winston-Salem while walking dogs with Venture! She's a self proclaimed dog and cat person (you don't have to choose!) with a dog and cat of her own. In her free time, she loves drawing and painting (especially pet portraits), adventuring with her Great Pyrenees mix named Bebe! She has recently adopted a puppy named Banjo! She has loved watching Bebe and Banjo’s relationship grow and become siblings!
Mary Allison Gray—team trainer
Mary Allison was born and raised right here in Winston-Salem! She has a BA in Nonprofit Management & Community Leadership with a concentration in public policy & advocacy from Salem College! She has deep roots to places like Tanglewood and enjoys taking her two beagles, Rambo, and Cami out to get all the hound sniffs in! Mary Allison, is a immensely caring and supportive person who helped her partner, Chris, beat stage 4 melanoma and they are very excited to get back to a new normal! She is a true-crime podcast fan and has a espicaially soft spot for senior dogs!
Molly Blaeser
Molly is joining our team from the snowy plains of Minnesota, and what better way to learn a new city than dog walking? Molly brings a ton of experience working with animals to our team - she and her partner basically run a zoo at home including a turtle, a Blue Heeler and a Pomeranian, two horses, two goats, six cats, & two chameleons - and they STILL say there is room for more!
Alyson Lawton
Alyson’s favorite parts of life include her pups, husband and the outdoors! She has three amazing dogs—Sadie, a Beagle Lab mix, and Ash and Fang, both Pit Bull mixes - and one angel pup, Rocco. They love spending time together on trail runs, hiking or cuddling in clouds of blankets. When she’s not loving on dogs, she enjoys outdoor adventures like camping, backpacking, kayaking, and bushcraft with her husband, who shares her love for exploring nature. She also enjoys hands-on creative pursuits like carving walking sticks, painting, and photography - with a focus on conservation photography.
Ethan Knowles
Ethan is a longtime resident of the Winston-Salem/ Lexington area. He graduated from NC State University with degrees in Park, Recreation and Tourism Management and Environmental Science. After a move to Colorado where he got experience in trail maintenance and kayak guiding he decided it was time to make his way back to the good ole NC. He has a love for getting out and being in nature so spending time outside makes him the perfect adventure buddy. Ethan also has four dogs of all different shapes and sizes - two Shih Tzus, a Doberman, and a Pit-mix!
Meredith boles
Proud to be a Winston-Salem local, Meredith has lived here for a majority of her life and enjoys exploring the area with her adorable pup, Ruby! She is a graduate of UNC Charlotte with her Bachelor’s degree of Elementary Education and Teaching. She loves filling her time with things that bring her joy and allows a creative outlet. In her free time, she loves baking, cooking, reading page-turning thrillers and all things crafts! She enjoys trying new restaurants with her dinner club girlies, and playing pickleball!
lynnelle green
Lynnelle, originally from Colorado and Nebraska, has called Clemmons home since 2015 with her husband, Dan, and their son, Alex. A true animal lover, she shares her home with four cats and loves spending her days loving on all the dogs! When she's not being a dedicated Venture pal, Lynnelle enjoys Nascar, crafting, quilting, and cruising.
joy chen
Joy is originally from San Diego and moved to Winston Salem in late 2023. She and her husband have been huge dog lovers all their lives and can’t wait to be dog parents sometime soon! In the meantime, Joy absolutely loves spending time with all the Venture pups and learning about Winston along the way. In her free time, she enjoys backcountry hiking & road-tripping, great hazy IPAs, and spending time at our amazing local coffee shops.
lisa garner
Lisa has called Winston-Salem home since 2011 and is the proud rescue mama of two dogs and four cats! She is a lover of all animals and devoted to animal rescue. A lifelong intuitive and healer, she is dedicated to the healing and well-being of animals through energy medicine and founded Sacred Wellness Animal Reiki in February of 2023 after serving friends and family's animal companions for over a decade. When she's not snuggling furbabies, you can find her at Renaissance Festivals or Music Bingo!
Corinne Jenkins
Corinne is originally from Eastern North Carolina, but is proud to call Winston her forever home! She is passionate about all things plants, pets, books and yoga! With a Master's Degree in Library Science, when she’s not loving on the dogs in Winston, she spends her days working at a local high school, where she’s surrounded by the vibrant energy of students and the endless possibilities of books. Corinne brings a warm, caring presence to everything she does.
Jacob Cairns
Jacob moved from Pennsylvania to Winston-Salem after graduating from Penn State University. He joined the Winston-Salem Fellows program and is also studying to get industry certifications in cybersecurity through Cyber Intelligence Transforming Youth (CITY). Jacob enjoys walking and caring for dogs, drawing from his love for his family’s Cairn Terrier, Tucker, who lives with his parents in Pennsylvania. Outside of his work with dogs, Jacob loves biking, hiking, playing games and sports, and listening to classical music.
Trisha MonroE
Trisha is a native of beautiful Asheville but has called Winston-Salem home for 37 years. Newly retired from a long, satisfying career in physical therapy, she is thrilled to have a long awaited position loving on dogs with Venture! Her husband and three grown children are her top priorities along with the best doggo that belongs to her son. When she’s not out walking dogs, she spends much of her time training for road racing and triathlons! Her other hobbies include reading, gardening and working jigsaw puzzles.
Sasha Lyubovskaya
Sasha is currently in graduate school working on her master’s in biomedical research. She is a part of a cancer immunology lab and hopes to find a cure to any disease in her career. When she’s not walking dogs or studying, she enjoys climbing, cooking, spending time with her friends, and being outside. She loves training her family dog, Oreo!
Katie Wicklund
Originally from Minnesota, Katie has called Winston home since 2016. She joined the Venture team in the spring of 2024, and combines her BA in psychology and sociology with almost a decade of behavior analysis experience. A true animal lover, Katie shares her life with a dog and two cats. Beyond walking dogs, she enriches lives at a local dance studio, focusing on both young children and canines with her kindness and expertise.
Kennedy Weber
Kennedy has been a Lewisville and Winston-Salem local and joined Venture in September of 2024. She is currently in school at Forsyth Technical Community College majoring in business. After she obtains her degree, she plans on taking real estate classes and going to cosmetology school. She loves caring for dogs and other animals, including her family chihuahua, Moon. When she is not walking dogs, she is a volleyball coach at West Forsyth High School and Next Level Volleyball Academy. She also enjoys spending time with family, traveling, bicycling, and pickleball.