Tionya Lawrence wanted to give her patients more than basic care. It was wonderful to be in a position to advocate for the rural communities and introduce Atlanta transplants to the richness of the communities, she says. This years group, This year marks 21 years Georgia Trend has honored the states best and brightest under the age of 40. At the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, he is able to reach Georgia cities that have big goals but limited resources. October 27, 2022 For the 26th year, Georgia Trend is celebrating 40 of the state's brightest stars under the age of 40. We didnt have much capital, but we unified forces, says Githens, who started with space in a mall, which was quickly outgrown. The organization provides resources to babies (and their families) who were born prematurely and spend time in neonatal intensive care units. BL. Do you follow us? In 2022, Crawford became co-executive producer for Netflixs largest docuseries, Love Is Blind. Georgia Trend 2021 40 Under 40. Her specialties are Social Security disability, workers compensation and personal injury. Georgia Trend 2022 40 Under 40. It was exhausting, but also a passionate mission. I dont hire somebody if I dont see myself or my family going to them, she says of her responsibilities, and she describes her adopted hometown as a hidden gem., She is a former Junior League of Columbus president and a graduate of Leadership Columbus. It has been an honor to play a part in the transformation of Downtown Woodstock from a sleepy train town to a thriving entertainment district full of restaurants, stores, attractions and a variety of places to live, says the manager of the award-winning Woodstock Visitors Center for 16 years. A tireless advocate for Augusta Locally Grown, Rebecca van Loenen works with local farmers to get fresh, healthy, sustainably grown food into the community. I traveled the country to teach about marketing strategy., As a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, she has worked on a wide range of service projects in the community. Georgia Trend 2021 40 Under 40 - Georgia Trend Magazine https://www.georgiatrend.com Like Comment Share . CN. As always, the individuals recognized here awe and inspire us. Jarryd Wallace knows. Having completed his dissertation this summer, he will graduate from his doctoral program this winter. He understands the impact of education and is a passionate advocate for providing high-quality postsecondary education to those within Georgia prisons. Haslam didnt have to look far for inspiration. My mantra has always been: Just get me in the game and Ill show you, she says. Theres power in tangible experiences, says Olaleye. Mobley won the Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators in 2015, which opened up new opportunities. My perfect day? Thats why my nonprofit provides new book bags filled with a teddy bear, blanket, hygiene kit, coloring book, crayons, school supplies, socks and more., With the help of friends, churches and others, The Queen of Bags the name is a nod to the beauty pageants shes entered has provided much-needed supplies to foster children from Georgia to California. His community involvement includes roles on several boards, from the Georgia Department of Education to the Boys and Girls Club of Metro Atlanta. Working here is like coming to play in a sandbox and make castles everyday an absolute joy., The University of Georgia alum, who also studied the 2,000+ year-old art form of Sanskrit theatre in its Indian birthplace, takes that spirit of sharing and caring with him wherever he goes. Teaching was always the end goal for me, she says. Shes on track to earn her doctorate in 2024. She launched a company that sells Vaxxed wristbands, shirts, masks and buttons. Her passion is helping people living in food deserts. Smith credits mentorship as the foundation of her career success and says shes passionate about doing the same for others. Upfront. Her community involvement also features horses working with the local 4H programs and their Pony Clubs. Lattisha Bilbrew was a young girl at her grandmothers hospital bedside when she decided she was going to be a doctor someday. She helps raise money for gap funding to assist students who are in danger of dropping out for financial reasons. 40 Under 40: Champions of Construction 2021 The list appears in alphabetical order by company/organization name. The outdoor concert series went virtual in 2020 but will be live again this October. This desire led him to Salesforce, where he rose swiftly to lead the Heroku Elements marketplace, a source for supporting app development. And may the best 40 win! They are massively changing the trajectory of childrens lives, she says. Gender-specific cohorts of students meet with a teacher and mentor twice a week, hopefully for all four years of high school. BL. Melissa Wikoff founded Peachtree Hearing in 2016 and uses the practices exponential growth to advocate for hearing inclusivity, such as hosting an open-captioned viewing party at a local theater for CODA, the Oscar-winning movie about a child of deaf adults and her family. September 30, 2021 The Fiduciary Group's 401 (k) Investment Advisor Bess Butler Brunson, CFP was recently named to Georgia Trend 's 2021 40 Under 40 class for her contributions to the Savannah community and the state of Georgia. When people told Bilbrew her dreams werent realistic, she became more determined. This years 40 Under 40 were selected by the Georgia Trend staff from nominations provided by readers throughout the state who know them well. Find us onLinkedin,Facebook,TwitterandInstagram. Learn more about the process and find a link to the nomination formhere. Georgia Trend 2022 40 Under 40. . 2021 Economic Yearbook: Businesses Bounce Back. In addition to supporting school, company and county causes, Davis achieved a whopping 446% year-over-year increase in funding for the Atlanta chapter of early childhood education nonprofit Jumpstart in 2021. The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) was founded in 2017 as a complementary organization but by 2020, it was time for the organizations to merge. Now an orthopedic surgeon, Bilbrew supports the community through annual back-to-school and toy drives, and her passion is mentoring others. We can provide grants to incubate, innovate and scale things that are really working in the district and use some of the funds and relationships we have to influence policy and shift the way things are done, says Starkel. Wherever hes worked Thomson, Newton County, and now Brunswick and the Golden Isles Ralph Staffins has built a reputation for helping businesses succeed. As the mom of three young daughters, she serves as a troop leader for Girl Scouts and head soccer coach for an under-six girls team. Today, Bike Walk Macon offers year-round events, including Open Streets Macon, when some neighborhood streets are closed to cars and reimagined as places to play, walk or bike. The possibilities for hope are endless. BL, Positive change can be big, bold and community-changing, but it can also be gradual and personal. The program has a 90% success rate, according to Brantley. Through policy research and partnerships with colleges, universities, the Georgia Department of Corrections and the Department of Community Supervision, Rodriguez builds strategies focused on the common goal: education and empowerment for all Georgians. A.J. PR. She is the youngest person ever elected to the APHA executive board. She teaches courses she helped develop in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and supports and advises students, helping them become the best version of themselves., Ive heard it said, lift as you climb, Simmons says. 2022 Georgian of the Year: Team Captain. Among her passions are the Ronald McDonald House, where she volunteers in honor of her late brother. CN. During the past 18 months, his foundation prepared and distributed approximately 500,000 meals to families through the Atlanta Public Schools. Most recent year-end revenues with a minimum threshold of $15 million, and $1B Three years of verifiable revenue and employment. He has managed over 80 surgery clinics across Wellstar Medical Group, one of the largest medical groups in the southeast. The father of two boys has served on many community-focused committees, participated in Georgias Young Gamechangers and was former chair of Leadership Cherokee. He works with the Health Career Academy to introduce students to careers in medicine, and he was a member of the LEAD Atlanta class of 2017. Olaleye and his team of mentors and teachers look for the forgotten students in need of support systems and enrichment opportunities. I was naturally drawn to the nonprofit world because thats how I grew up, says Smith, who enjoys witnessing the radical generosity of others. Her 2019 TED Talk was on Unhidden Figures, about Black women who have earned graduate STEM degrees. Committed to academia, I consider myself to be an access architect. The most satisfying part of my job is knowing that I am creating more doors and opportunities for more students to realize their post-secondary [school] dreams., As a former program manager for the National Math and Science Initiative, Johnson supported 45 Southeastern schools. We have to try to determine how we simultaneously celebrate, conserve and confront that history.. I think about what shoes theyre in and I try to be respectful, says Brandon Bryson, chief magistrate judge for Bartow County. As we continue to battle COVID-19 in the state, many in this group of young leaders are working to keep our economy afloat and our citizens healthy. As we continue to battle COVID-19 in, Its been 24 years since Georgia Trends inaugural 40 Under 40, and each year the winners continue to leave us awed and inspired. He was elected Humanitarian of the Year by Georgia College and he sponsored an endowed scholarship. I try to help them understand what has happened and to process that, she says. When hes not working in Clayton County, Hendrix mentors young Black men and women in the Metro Atlanta area. Today its grown to include catering as well as Mint to Be Mojitos, offering Latin-inspired cocktails, and The Apparition, a bar and speakeasy. The program, launched last year, seeks to recognize and celebrate Georgia Tech alumni under the age of 40 who have innovated industries and positively impacted . Her service extends outside of work, too. And the reasoning was because we wanted to introduce people to plant-based eating. RS. It's an honor to be recognized on GA Trend's 40 Under 40 list. MCM. The Mississippi College School of Law graduate now serves as an instructor at new judges training and as a mentor of recently elected or appointed judges, all part of his work as president-elect for the Council of Magistrate Court Judges. At the Georgia Municipal Association, Davis addresses the needs of local governing bodies, advocating for initiatives and bettering relationships between local and state interests. The general manager of The Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre in Marietta knows the arts can both inspire a community and fuel it economically. Julia Roberts, On Wednesday, October 26, 2002, at the Georgia Aquarium, we had the pleasure of celebrating the 2022 Georgia Trend 40 Under 40 honorees. In 2016, Sagoo began meeting with the North American Rugby League to establish a team in Atlanta. My goal is to be super-intentional with my time and focus on solutions that make a meaningful impact, he says. 2021 Georgia's Top 100 Public Companies. Tollman is a member of the Port City Bar Association and offers job shadowing to members of 100 Black Men of Savannah. Friday, July 16, 2021. Ashley Nealy didnt set out to become an influencer. Artist-painted crosswalks catch the attention of. September 30, 2021 Brian A. Lee, Michele Cohen Marill, Charlotte Norsworthy, Patty Rasmussen, Randy Southerland, Karen Kirkpatrick, Mary Ann DeMuth This year Georgia Trend is celebrating 25 years of honoring the state's best and brightest with our 40 Under 40. I see myself in these kids, and I understand that all you have to do is tell them that they can make it, give them the resources to make it and they will make it, Hendrix says. To educate and equip students to become informed and active citizens. That passion has driven Kyle McCloud since his teens, before an 11-year stint in the Navy and formal culinary training. She also created Food Love, a unique national plant-based hunger relief effort dedicated to getting fresh, plant-based meals delivered to the doorsteps of those experiencing food insecurity during COVID. As always, the individuals recognized here awe and inspire us. Are you registered to vote? she says. How does a person not just come back from a life-altering setback, but soar? I love that I get to help people every day and see them get better, says Allen. She now combines science and law as a patent attorney and partner in Kilpatrick Townsends Intellectual Property Department. Our economy is the regional leader, he says. A boy who lost his dad early in life becomes a father figure to many. Were in a chapter where were going to define what Woodstock looks like for the next generation in the next five yearsthat as Woodstock grows, it still feels like Woodstock. KS. He helps businesses and nonprofits grow by providing strategic advice through JCM Ventures, a consulting company, and as a commercial real estate broker with DTSpade. Immigrating to Savannah at age 17, Mary Githens was soon homesick for the food of her native Peru. Talent is universal but opportunity is not. She works in a neighborhood health center founded 50 years ago by four women in a small trailer that has since expanded to a main building and two other locations in Athens. A person uninterested in healthcare becomes a psychiatry residency program coordinator. We want to keep that going. MCM. Kyle Bennett can. 2020 PRSA Georgia 40 Under 40 Honorees Alexandra Ebanks, The Coca-Cola Company Allison Kopp, VOX Global Allison Sawyer, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Anna Ruth Williams, ARPR Brien Faucett, Cox Enterprises Elisabeth Warrick, First Advantage Emily Armantrout, Full Tilt Consulting Erica Smith, Porter Novelli Eugenia Johnson, Brunet-Garcia Collaborating with a business partner she met in entrepreneurial classes, Githens decided to offer authentic Latin cuisine. I realized that I needed cooking, and to cook for strangers, in order to be able to play an active role in our society because my natural inclination is to be shut off from people, he says. The task of choosing the 2022 Georgia Trend 40 Under 40 was not an easy one. CN. She knows growing up in the South is not a one-size-fits-all experience. Both are entrepreneurs who stepped up their efforts in 2020 to meet the challenges of the pandemic. BD. She aims to help people who have had life-altering setbacks, such as accidents and workplace injuries, piece their lives back together. The annual honor recognizes young alumni who have made significant strides in business, leadership, community, educational or philanthropic endeavors. When hes not in the courtroom, where his clients range from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies, this civil litigators drive extends to the great outdoors and the greater good of charity work. This year Georgia Trend celebrated 25 years of honoring the state's best and brightest. After building her family and purchasing her first two properties, she transitioned those properties into housing for women who need help a venture that earns her no profits and whose only goal is to provide support to women in need and their families. Chrystal York made history as the first Black female to achieve the rank of JROTC Battalion Executive Officer in high school, and will do so again this month as the first Black woman and youngest regional president of the Association for Manufacturing Excellence. Thus began her career as a restaurateur. People perceive that historic preservation and real estate are opposing forces. With a desire to serve children and education and experience in fundraising, Mary Kate Starkel found her niche at redefinED Atlanta, a nonprofit that partners with Atlanta Public Schools to ensure the city becomes a place where every student can get a quality public education. 2021 Economic Yearbook: Businesses Bounce Back. We teach the process., Trammell is helping other states set up similar civics education initiatives. The Georgia Southern University Alumni Association "40 Under 40" Class of 2022 was recognized at a ceremony on Sept. 23 at the Eugene M. Bishop Alumni Center in Statesboro. And this year, like the others, the winners leave us awed and inspired. BL. Rachel Hollar Umana Everything Ive learned technology-wise has been through hands-on and experimental play, says the Florida State University graduate, who serves as marketing and website coordinator for CCLS, manages two library branches, facilitates classes and helps with grant writing. Her considerable volunteer service includes the families of fallen first responders, United Way and the March of Dimes. She founded it after both of her sons were born prematurely, her youngest spending nearly a year in the NICU. During the pandemic, Cherry discovered a talent for urban farming and teaching others to grow food. Helping The Strand succeed in those two areas is what is so endlessly satisfying about what I do, he says. Taking over one of the states best-run chambers, Staffins immediately created a communications director position. No asterisk needed is Kimberlynn Daviss way of saying no defense or explanation is required for her perhaps unorthodox career path, which took the self-described scrappy New Orleans native and lifelong learner from an HBCU in Louisiana to an Emory University Ph.D. in organic chemistry and on to Georgia State University College of Law. The former president and CEO of the State Charter Schools Foundation of Georgia, Bollman was the first staff member hired at Purpose Built Communities and continues to promote free cradle-to-college open-access public education. Even after some pushback one online commenter called her a guinea pig she still spoke out, with appearances on national TV and webinars. Out here in the country, development and land pressure are making it more challenging for horse people to keep their land and horses require a lot of green space, says McCoy. As a teenager, the Metro Atlanta nonprofit Ser Familia helped him cope with the loss of his father. And I also love being a part of our great team. Not surprisingly, that helpful, problem-solving, greater-good mentality also carries over to volunteer causes. BL. I want to continue to help create more opportunities for those in the adaptive community to experience mobility through sport, which can change them in amazing ways says the three-time Paralympian. RS. The mother of two shows her commitment and work ethic in the community as well. She began her career with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Chattahoochee Valley in Columbus. She works with students from elementary to medical school. Georgia Trend 2021 40 Under 40. 2021 40 under 40 40 under 40. We chose from the beginning to use our platform to take care of the community, McCloud says. He sees it as his responsibility to show young people that they can achieve success. Serving communities as small as 75 people allows Calhoun to really make a difference in the community that otherwise wouldnt happen, he says. Since then, hes started a company, opened four restaurants (Gunshow, Revival, Gamechanger and Cold Beer), and written several cookbooks. More than 375 individuals have received the transformation. For the past four years, Marcie Smith has overseen 11 staff members, 120 court-appointed advocates and dozens of community volunteers, all promoting the health and happiness of children impacted by abuse and neglect. KS. His busy calendar includes work with 100 Black Men of Atlanta and the citys governing board of the Office of the Inspector General, to which he was nominated by the Gate City Bar Association. Jeff Williams and his wife faced the worst any parent could endure when their young son died. , For the 26th year, Georgia Trend is celebrating 40 of the states brightest stars under the age of 40. Georgia Trend 2021 40 Under 40 Our mission at CCE is simple, he says. Athens native and community activist Tommy Valentine went looking for a place to help and found Historic Athens, the 53-year-old organization and protector of historic buildings, neighborhoods and heritage, at what he calls an exciting crossroads. At four years old, Leonte Benton pointed to the Bank of America building and told his father he would own a building like that one day. She earned a biology degree from Georgia Southern University, a masters degree in pharmacy from the University of Georgia and a doctorate in higher education administration from Mercer. The caring connection goes beyond McClouds two-year-old brewery business. KS. BL. I have definitely been blessed with wonderful mentors, encouragers, and folks investing in me along . February 2021 Ricky Walia, chief operating officer of Walia Hospitality Group, and Varun Yarabarla, development lead at VentLife, were among the dynamic Atlantans included in last year's "40 Under 40" list put out by Georgia Trend. I have never met a student that I wasnt impressed with, she says. SH. Brittany Marshall worked for 160 days without a day off to support CDCs COVID-19 response, researching attitudes and behaviors around hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection. August 12, 2021. I decided to create events to prove them wrong., The pop-ups shut down in 2020 but are gradually starting again. Most recently he took on running clinical operations for Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center. This year Georgia Trend is celebrating 25 years of honoring the state's best and brightest with our 40 Under 40. Crediting his environmental career to working on offshore oil rigs during college, Stephen Smith serves as Associate Regional Counsel for the EPA, specializing in complex environmental cleanups, leading critical settlements and advancing policy. Together we began a series of live weekly press conferences to present a united and calming voice and quickly created a centralized website, says Hancock, who also helped facilitate a three-county relief effort to distribute more than 5,000 food boxes to families. BD. I come in to cover community and cultural gaps for DFCS; this is predominantly expressed with culturally specific communities, Hispanic, AAPI [Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders], and Black refugees and diasporas., He also serves on the advisory board of the Hispanic Mentoring Priority, a student success program in Gwinnett County, and the advocacy committee of the Latin American Association. But perhaps Smiths greatest accomplishment comes from the mentorship she gives fellow mothers through her nonprofit, Trust Your Strength. Christopher Gilmore enthusiastically campaigns to increase investments in underrepresented businesses in Georgia and beyond. The three-term Northwest Georgia Travel Association president credits his work ethic to his father, who balanced a manufacturing job with running a 100-plus acre cattle farm. Marshall also holds leadership roles with the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the Urban League of Greater Atlanta Young Professionals. Over the last two decades, many of our 40 Under 40 honorees have gone on to great success and have had, This year Georgia Trend celebrates 20 years of honoring outstanding Georgians under the age of 40 the states best and brightest and looks back at 20 of our picks from years past to find out where they are, Our 16th annual roster of high achievers from business, government, education, the arts and nonprofits, Sign up to get our free news roundup, Georgia Trend Daily, in your inbox, Sign up to receive the free monthly digital edition of Georgia Trend in your inbox, An Evening with the 2022 Georgia Trend 40 Under 40 Honorees, 2022 100 Most Influential Georgians: Steering the Ship, 2021 Economic Yearbook: Businesses Bounce Back. They will not be accepted after that date and time. And this year, like the others, the winners leave us awed and inspired. While they excel in their day jobs, they also find time to volunteer and give back to their communities and the causes theyre passionate about. SH. If I could even influence one person, that was good enough for me, she says. We focus on your physical health your mental health lets take a look at your civic health and see how youre doing. PR. This year Georgia Trend is celebrating 25 years of honoring the state's best and brightest with our 40 Under 40. Ashley Allen discovered her passion for mental health work while at the University of Georgia. KS. It carried about 14,000 twenty-foot-equivalent container units (TEUs) of cargo. She organized a sock drive for Savannahs homeless and was featured on Mayor Van Johnsons Monday Motivation livestream, offering legal advice to those with questions about disability benefits. The avid runner and UGA recruit never imagined that the next uniform hed wear was Team USA. The 2012 Mercer University graduate was recently named to Georgia Trend's 40 Under 40 list for her work with Bike Walk Macon . She managed to keep the camp going strong through the COVID pandemic with innovative virtual experiences. She hails from a religious studies background, earning a masters degree with a concentration in nonprofit management from Georgia State University where she was graduate teacher of the year in 2017. LeAndrea Mikell thrives on connecting community. You want to prevent patients from ending up in the hospital. Instrumental in securing space for Microsoft in Atlanta, the regions largest commercial real estate deal of 2020, Benton is among 3% of African Americans in the industry.