About Stella Blue Ventures

Michael Alterman is a fourth generation entrepreneur and the founding Principal of Alterman Capital Ventures. As Principal, Michael is responsible for the development and execution of ACV’s strategic plan. Through ACV, Michael works to find interesting and creative investment opportunities for ACV and its partners.

Michael has proudly served on the Board of Directors of several local and national philanthropic causes of both civil and religious interests. Michael lives in Brookhaven, GA with his wife Melissa, son Jacob, daughter Hannah and two dogs Stella Blue and Gracie.

Todd served in the US Army for 20 years (retired) while simultaneously completing his degrees in Human Resource Management and Criminal Justice. On active duty Todd gained a wide range of experience in leadership, team development, vehicle and communication equipment maintenance, construction and project management. Todd has developed, staffed and managed two commercial maintenance companies as the general manager, where he managed facility maintenance for automotive, medical, retail and industrial properties in the southeast. His hands-on leadership style is a true match for Stella Blue Ventures, Take 5 and franchise development. Todd and his family reside in the big city of Social Circle, Georgia.

Chris Craig joined Stella Blue Ventures as the controller and human resources manager on 04/18/2024. Chris has worked as an accountant in the automotive industry, the legal industry, and as an auditor for Home Depot’s corporate office.  He even owned and operated his own accounting business for 15 years – doing bookkeeping, payroll, and taxes for small businesses.  Chris has a fondness for technology and embraces the changes that it brings to his personal and professional life.  In his spare time, you can find him enjoying outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, and swimming or doing inside activities such as cooking and experimenting with new recipes.

Matthew joined Stella Blue Ventures in 2021 to focus on the day to day management our Take 5 facilities throughout the Southeastern US. Matthew is constantly growing his relationships with vendors and municipalities while providing property management services for multiple asset classes. It is very likely that any issue that may arise for Stella Blue Ventures assets in building maintenance and property services, Matthew has encountered before and is ready to handle.

Matthew brings his experience as an Associate at Alterman Commercial Real Estate (“ACRE”) where he is responsible for the property management of 30+ retail properties as well as assisting in development and investment pursuits through due diligence support, project underwriting and management. His property management experience with ACRE will be a perfect compliment in managing the Take 5 Oil Change facilities for Stella Blue Ventures LLC.

Kyle was the first hire of Stella Blue Ventures as the Shop Manager of Dalton Shop #1233.  Very quickly the Stella Blue Ventures leadership began to rely on Kyle for a lot of the above shop operational support.  Kyle has led the local team for all new shop openings and since May of 2021 he assisted in opening 4 new Take 5 Oil Changes in the Chattanooga market.  As a district manager for the Chattanooga area, Kyle assists with the opening, staffing, and development of new shops while overseeing the day to day operations of the Chattanooga district of Stella Blue Ventures.

Ben started his Take 5 career in 2019 as a lube technician in Fayetteville, NC while serving active duty in the United States Army as a wheeled vehicle mechanic on Airborne status.  Upon medical retirement from the Army, Ben moved back to Hixson, TN and began working as a diesel engine technician. In November of 2021 Ben came on board with Stella Blue Ventures as a Store Manager in training.

Ben quickly shed the “in-training” title, and began to separate himself from his peers while serving as the Store Manager for Shop 1239 in Chattanooga, TN. In November of 2022 Ben transferred to Shop 1238 to serve as the Shop Manager for the Hixson, TN location. Ben again, took his new shop and ran-away from his peers in terms of comparability. Ben was awarded SM of the Quarter 3 times, while leading the company in sales, Big 5%, and ticket average for most of the calendar year. Ben was elevated to the role of Certified Training Store Manager shortly after arriving to Hixson, and through his guidance and leadership improved overall retention and certified tech percentages for the Chattanooga district.

In December of 2023, Ben was named the District Manager for the Knoxville region. Ben currently lives in Hixson, TN with his wife Taylor and their three children.

Ricky Spears is the District Manager for North Knoxville.

Joe joined Stella Blue Ventures as a technician in July of 2021 in Crossville, TN. After only a few days, it was apparent Joe accepted a position well below his true ability. He quickly advanced to shop manager over two shops and continued to share his 20 years of automotive experience. Joe is capable of leading, developing and retaining employees at all levels. Joe currently serves as a District Manager over 6 shops with this quote in mind “If you focus on results, you will never change. If you focus on change, you will get results”—Jack Dixon.