Meet Our Team!
Joel Ellington, Owner
The original founder of Fisk Avenue, Joel has grown Fisk Avenue Custom Furniture and DIY Experience from a woodshop in his garage into the local go-to furniture and home-goods spot it is today. Born and raised in Waukesha, he is proud to have the opportunity to create well-made and long-lasting products for the community he loves.
After searching for a table for his family, Joel felt disillusioned by the options available in the current fast-furniture market. He wanted something that would last as long as the furniture he had inherited from his grandparents. With this in mind, he built his first dining table as a place for his family to come together and found his passion at the same time. Named after the street on which he raised his family, Fisk Avenue now proudly brings quality furniture to clients all over the Midwest, and has been since 2014.
Madilyn Duffy, Designer
Madilyn has been working at Fisk Avenue since 2021, when she reached out on a whim seeking an internship opportunity. She remained at Fisk through the summer, returning to a full time position after graduating from Minneapolis College of Art and Design with a degree in Product Design. Madilyn now leads our workshops and conducts design consultations with incoming clients. She has a passion for making what clients envision a reality, and loves to prototype and create new ideas for our store and workshops.
Bryce Schmitz, Apprentice
Bryce recently graduated from a local high school, and has now joined the Fisk team to continue his education in our year-long paid apprenticeship program. Bryce loves getting to learn and discover new techniques in woodworking, and his favorite part is watching completed works head out to clients' homes. His woodworking and shop classes in high school were some of his favorites, and he loves getting to work on creating items people will use everyday!
Duke, Shop Dog
Duke is training his absolute hardest to be the best shop dog he can be! His favorite part of working in the shop is greeting all of his new friends who come in to say hi... plus sneaking a few sticks to chew on when he thinks no one is watching. He is an American Bully puppy, and spends most of his work day laying in the sunshine in our storefront. He is our resident good boy, and does a great job at supervising us all in the woodshop!