Raised in eastern North Carolina, Speight studied art at North Carolina School of the Arts and then at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Speight became interested in furniture design and woodworking while at SAIC and apprenticed with a furniture maker in Oak Park, IL. While in New York he honed his skills working for some of the best in interior renovation, cabinetmaking and furniture making. In 2008, Speight moved back Home to North Carolina to build custom furniture and explore his passion for woodturning.