Photography by Shawn Harper
Forgive us a bit of hyperbole, but the 2024 class of Forty Under 40 may be one of our best yet. What makes it extra special is this is the first time in the 24-year history of IB presenting this program that past Forty Under 40 winners have selected the new class. Being honored by their peers is an extra feather in the cap of these already accomplished young professionals.
Apart from their professional achievements, our class was photographed with props they selected to share a little more about their personal passions.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t also recognize the Overture Center for the Arts for hosting our cover photo shoot, and sponsors Cleary Building Corp., Capitol Bank, Northwestern Mutual of Southern Wisconsin, JG Development, and National Guardian Life Insurance Co. for making this event possible.
So, without further ado, we present the 2024 class of Forty Under 40!
Kate Austin Stanford
Director of Operations
Public Health Madison & Dane County
Age: 39
Managing a pandemic? All in a day’s work for Kate Austin Stanford. While her current role is director of operations for Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC), when the COVID-19 pandemic started, she was named incident commander for the COVID response for the agency. She’s fulfilled the role for the better part of the past four years, while managing more than $20 million in grant funds to support the COVID response and recovery in the community. Under her leadership, PHMDC was the only local health department in the state to utilize FEMA funding to support large-scale COVID vaccination clinics and smaller mobile clinics across Dane County.
The prop:
After having two daughters, Kate Austin Stanford spent a lot of time with her breast pump. How much time? One year of breastfeeding takes an estimated 1,800 hours of time for the breastfeeding parent — the equivalent of a 35 hour/week job!
Joel Baraka
Project Engineer
CG Schmidt
Age: 26
Joel Baraka knows a thing or two about project management. When he joined CG Schmidt full time in 2022, Baraka became the on-site, full-time project engineer on the new Wisconsin Dells Performing Arts Center for the Wisconsin Dells School District. While working on that project, Baraka simultaneously led the renovation of the Spring Hill Elementary School cafeteria, also in Wisconsin Dells. The best part about projects like these, Baraka says, is knowing that he’s working on something that will impact people and the community for years to come.
The prop:
Several years ago, Baraka co-founded My Home Stars, a nonprofit with a mission to make education accessible to refugee children in his native Uganda. He is pictured with the 5 STA-Z board game, which he helped develop to make learning more fun and accessible to more than 8,000 children in Uganda.
Brendan Baxter
Vice President
Kayser Automotive Group
Age: 39
As a second-generation owner of Kayser Automotive Group, Brendan Baxter notes there’s a great deal of pressure to earn the respect of a tenured team. Baxter has run the business with his two brothers, Sean and Ryan, since they purchased it from their father, Patrick, in 2020. Since then, Kayser Automotive has doubled in size in terms of locations and team members and retained all employees of acquired dealerships. Baxter spearheaded the rebranding and go-to-market advertising efforts of Kayser’s most recent acquisition, a Chevrolet-Buick-GMC dealership, and the effort resulted in a 70% increase in sales volume in both new and used vehicles, which placed Kayser among the top GM dealers in Wisconsin.
The prop:
Pictured with his trusty yoga mat, Baxter has practiced early-morning hot yoga for many years, which he credits with providing mental clarity throughout his work days.
Partner
gener8tor
Age: 38
Maggie Brickerman was the second employee at gener8tor, a Wisconsin-founded venture fund and network of startup accelerators, and as a partner she’s been able to contribute to virtually every area of the organization. However, over the past year her focus has been on the next generation of gener8tor’s venture funds, which will allow it to raise larger funds and make follow-on investments in its portfolio, all while ensuring the organization is investing significant resources in Wisconsin. Brickerman has also supervised gener8tor’s five annual conferences, which have facilitated over 1,000 in-person meetings between startups and investors.
The prop:
Brickerman chose to be photographed with a curling broom only because a curling rock would be too heavy. One of her favorite winter activities, curling is how she spends time with her husband and friends.
Commercial Account Executive
Baer Insurance Services Inc.
Age: 30
Joey Broms never expected to have a career in sales, let alone in the insurance industry. He went to school for marketing and loved the advertising world, but in making that career leap, he found a passion for helping business owners protect what matters most to them. Since joining the company, Broms has spearheaded new ideas for stronger collaboration and team building, focused on expanded outreach with community service, and implemented strategies to target new areas of potential clients, all of which have helped the company retain and hire new employees.
The prop:
Broms selected his captain’s armband from his last season of college soccer because it was a milestone he finally accomplished after playing soccer his entire life. “Earning this armband … was a testament of the dedication, teamwork, compassion, and drive I had for the game.”
Owner and Founder
Music Education Resources LLC
Age: 39
If you’ll pardon the pun, over the past year, Douglas J. Brown been instrumental in enhancing Music Education Resources’ (MER) — the organization he founded — local and national presence, outreach, access, and partnerships. This heightened visibility has brought broader recognition for the organization within the music education community. Designing and implementing national standards for hip-hop education is groundbreaking, Brown says, not only because it legitimizes hip-hop as a valuable form of musical expression, but it also provides educators with clear guidelines for teaching this genre effectively.
The prop:
Brown says drumming lays the foundational understanding of rhythm, an essential component of music, and beyond its educational value, drumming also serves as a cultural bridge, offering insights into diverse musical traditions and histories.
CEO/Founder
Inequity Agents of Change
Age: 39
For all intents and purposes, Dr. William T.L. Cox is his company. He founded the LLC, got the IRS to certify it as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and is the primary agent for all its work, which is to provide evidence-based approaches to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Scientific evidence indicates that the existing $8 billion DEI industry has little meaningful impact, Cox notes. “Our work, in contrast, has been validated by 16-plus years of research showing that it transforms organizations by equipping people with concrete skills to effectively reduce bias, create inclusion, and promote equity.”
The prop:
Cox chose a Hawaiian ti plant as his prop because gardening and houseplants are some of his favorite hobbies. He’s part Hawaiian, and his Hawaiian middle name, Laimaka, translates as “eyes of the ti plant,” so he has a special connection to this plant.
Vice President of Finance
The Alexander Co.
Age: 34
When Mary Cullen moved to Wisconsin with her husband eight years ago, there weren’t many opportunities to pursue the same type of career in institutional equity investing that she had previously worked in. Starting over allowed her to focus on learning the fundamentals of the commercial real estate industry and build on an already good foundation in finance. Over the past year, Cullen has created a company-wide process for strategic planning at The Alexander Co. that has seen the company go from making decisions that are concentrated within the ownership group to a more methodical and inclusive approach to guide decision-making for many years into the future.
The prop:
Cullen’s prop is a reminder to herself that you’re never too old to learn something new. She became a pilot and hopes to volunteer for medical transport to rural areas.
Partner
Stafford Rosenbaum LLP
Age: 38
Erin Deeley joined Stafford Rosenbaum in spring 2023, just one month before the spring election, and quickly made her presence felt. Within six weeks of starting, she represented two candidates in recounts. Recount law and procedure is a subject you don’t need to know until you need to know it that instant, Deeley notes. By joining the firm and delivering results for its clients in the recount space, she enhanced the firm’s Election and Political Law Team portfolio and positioned it to be an asset in the 2024 presidential election and beyond.
The prop:
When not at work or with her family, Deeley can usually be found with a group of female attorneys (affectionately self-named the “LadyJDs”), most of whom she’s known since law school. A few years back, they had matching jackets made to wear during their annual Badger football get-together.
Senior Associate
Husch Blackwell LLP
Age: 32
As an attorney with Husch Blackwell LLP, Joseph Diedrich knows that sometimes presentation is everything. After studying and writing about best typography practices for court documents, and helping rewrite related state appellate court rules, Diedrich worked with Husch Blackwell’s IT vendors to redesign a house macro. The macro incorporates the very best typography practices, making it easier for others at the firm to conform their document design and to submit the most visually appealing documents to court.
The prop:
Diedrich chose a golf club for his prop in recognition of his grandfather, who taught him how to play golf when he was six years old. Diedrich believes a healthy competitive spirit, together with an ability to stay calm and measured under pressure, is an important skill in his professional and personal life.
Managing Director
Make Music Madison Inc.
Age: 33
In 2023, Meri Rose Ekberg grew Make Music Madison into the largest Make Music Day event in the United States. By presenting 621 free performances on June 21, 2023, Madison’s participation surpassed that of 100-plus other chapters in the United States, including cities with significantly higher populations and stronger histories of music appreciation. She also helped launch an equity fund to pay selected musicians in an effort to remove barriers to access and directly support local artists. Additionally, Ekberg designed and supervised the organization’s first-ever musician-in-residence position to build relationships with artists and help identify challenges for musicians.
The prop:
Ekberg chose a small blue and green floral vintage suitcase as her prop because it represents her passions for travel and thrifting and vintage goods.
Executive Director
Affordable Dental Care
Age: 39
Learning not to quit too soon enabled Areli Estrada to complete her graduate degree during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s a trait that has served her well during the last two years as executive director at Affordable Dental Care when the company experienced substantial growth, including a more than 32% budget increase. Dental equipment is very expensive, Estrada notes, and she successfully secured funds to start utilizing cone beam computed tomography (CT), a special type of X-ray equipment used when regular dental or facial X-rays are not sufficient. This technology is used to produce 3D images of teeth, soft tissues, nerve pathways, and bone in a single scan.
The prop:
Estrada has practiced hot yoga for the past 10 years. She credits it with keeping her grounded and balanced, and teaching her to slow down and breathe.
Senior Area Manager
Eenhoorn
Age: 37
Eenhoorn is a Grand Rapids, Michigan-based multifamily housing company with a portfolio of over 5,300 rental units across a national footprint. Over the course of the past 12 months, Mark D. Fairchild, who’s built a career in rehabilitating struggling properties and assets, took direct control and responsibility for the company’s entire Wisconsin portfolio, during which time he has exceeded net operating income by over 15% by streamlining operations, which includes spearheading and rolling out a company-wide paperless initiative. In early 2023, Fairchild also joined the company’s senior leadership team and became a part of the organization’s internal sustainability committee.
The prop:
Outside of work, Fairchild says some people may only know him as a drummer. He’s even nominated for Percussionist/Drummer of the Year for the 2024 Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) Awards.
Director of Marketing–Vice President
JLA Architects
Age: 36
In late 2021, JLA Architects expanded its geographic footprint adding an office in downtown Denver, Colorado, and with that expansion, its internal marketing team also needed to be expanded. The growth of the department presented an opportunity for Sarah Fegre to streamline the company’s processes. Over the last 12 months, the company’s fanatical use of project management software that Fegre helped pilot has enhanced its collaborations and enabled it to assess employee workload from both macro and micro levels, allowing JLA to prioritize company needs more fluidly without the need for lengthy meetings or discussions.
The prop:
From a young age, sketchbooks have shaped Fegre’s life both professionally and personally. What was initially just a hobby led her to pursue a design degree, and today in her career, she gets to hone her design and writing skills every day.
Architectural Service Group Leader
Ramaker
Age: 35
Since joining Ramaker in April 2019, Joseph C. Gallagher’s goal has been to reposition the company within its own back yard of south-central Wisconsin. As the company’s presence has grown in the years since, 2023 was on pace for the largest recognized revenue by the architecture/engineering department in the company’s 30-plus year history. This has allowed for an increase in community volunteering and donation efforts through Ramaker’s Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, which Gallagher has chaired since 2020.
The prop:
Gallagher’s prop includes an art piece that his daughter made at day care that says, “Dad, you are my hero.” He says he was forced to be an adult much earlier in life than many and he never wanted nor asked for recognition from anyone. However, his wife and children have provided him with the greatest reward in life — family.
Chief Operating Officer, WMC, Executive Director, WMC Foundation
Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce
Age: 36
Before planning for the WMC Foundation’s inaugural Women in Business Forum began in earnest, Wade Goodsell needed to speak with female colleagues and board members from Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and the WMC Foundation to hear their input, help identify his own blind spots, and build out a high-impact agenda. The result was a first-time event in 2023 that convened female business leaders from across the state for a day of relationship building and discussion on the economy and public policy, while honing leadership skills through discussions with other highly accomplished female executives.
The prop:
Goodsell chose a reclaimed wood silhouette of Wisconsin because it’s home. “It’s a privilege to be a convener, connector, thought leader, and advocate for the Wisconsin business community.”
Director of Volunteer Experience
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin–Badgerland
Age: 38
At Girl Scouts of Wisconsin–Badgerland, Rachel Hanson’s team is responsible for onboarding, training, supporting, recognizing, and retaining adult volunteers and their troops. In 2023, her team broke a Badgerland record, officially renewing more Girl Scouts and adult volunteers than ever before. With the group’s overall membership numbers higher than they have been in a long time, more girls now have the opportunity to experience unique, courage-, confidence-, and character-building opportunities.
The prop:
Hanson started playing the French horn in high school, played through college, then picked it up again a few years ago when she joined the local community band, so it’s a big part of who she is. She even took one of her high school senior pictures with her French horn, so she’s looking forward to seeing that picture side by side with this one!
Director of Government Relations
Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin
Age: 39
Abortion is a bit of a taboo topic in the Black community, notes Courtney S. Hayward, so when Roe v. Wade was overturned, Planned Parenthood struggled with how to tailor its messaging about abortion and reproductive health for that audience. In response, Hayward proposed a research project to gain insight from the Black community that will be used to help facilitate conversations about abortion within that community. Thanks to her foresight, Planned Parenthood is investing in the project and hopes to have a product by spring of 2024.
The prop:
Hayward is photographed with a jar filled with notes from the participants of the 2023 Wisconsin Women’s Network Policy Institute. On some of the hardest days of her career over the past few months, the notes in that jar were what kept her going when she felt like quitting.
Project Architect
OPN Architects Inc.
Age: 38
Malorie Hepner knows firsthand the struggles young women endure when trying to forge a path in a field so heavily dominated by men. So, as a member of OPN Architects’ recruitment team, she helped expand the firm’s recruitment efforts last year to more than 15 colleges and universities across the nation, in hopes of expanding and diversifying its workforce. In the past year, she’s also helped develop a group of women in architecture in the Madison community that meets quarterly to connect and discuss issues that they’re facing.
The prop:
Hepner chose to be photographed with a model of the McKenzie Regional Workforce Center and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County headquarters because the project combines her passion for volunteerism and philanthropy with architecture and the organization’s mission to improve the community.
Principal
SVA Certified Public Accountants S.C.
Age: 39
In the past year, Lynn Heslinga assumed leadership of SVA’s Nonprofit Industry group with the primary objective of enhancing the profitability of this business portfolio. Nonprofit organizations typically operate with constrained resources, and SVA has often extended reduced rates as a support service to this community-focused sector. While this has been beneficial to local nonprofits, it has posed challenges to SVA’s bottom line. Collaborating closely with her team, Heslinga spearheaded efforts to boost profitability, streamline processes to reduce costs, and work with clients to ensure they meet the fee requirements established by SVA’s management team.
The prop:
For Heslinga, reading is therapeutic and a great way to keep her mind calm while still being active. Plus, she notes, there’s always something to learn from a good book.
Regional Banking District Senior Manager
Wells Fargo Bank
Age: 38
Since he joined Wells Fargo as a teller, Otis Hosley Jr. envisioned himself having a leadership role, which he’s now achieved. To get there, he spearheaded several initiatives to build more trust with the financial institution’s employees and customers. Several of those centered on diversity and inclusion. As a Black man in corporate America, who manages more than 50 employees and is responsible for operations and growth for nine bank branches, Hosley Jr. says he has a responsibility to educate and collaborate with local interest groups to build a stronger environment for employees and customers of color.
The prop:
Working out is a part of life for Hosley Jr., whether he’s teaching others or working on himself. When he makes time for his own health and wellness, he explains, he can be at his best for others.
Director of Delivery
Naviant
Age: 30
During the past year, Cherise Kam made a significant impact on Naviant’s ability to adapt to new growth, improve the quality of implementation services, increase overall profitability within the project management office by 20%, and enhance customer experience. Kam led an initiative to review, standardize, and consolidate the tools the company has in place to capture, store, and execute customer projects as well as internal processes. The result was twofold: an internal reference hub to leverage the knowledge aggregated within the company, and the development of guidelines for how to utilize Naviant’s current document storage processes and tools.
The prop:
Kam has always thought of volleyball as a microcosm for life. There are goals, conditioning, exploration, lessons learned, and outside factors you can’t control.
Principal
Verona Area School District
Age: 34
In education, it’s widely known there’s an urgent need to diversify the workforce. In most of the schools in Dane County, notes Dr. Larry Love, the racial and ethnic composition of the staff is not representative of student demographics. In response, Love worked closely with his school’s human resources analyst to create a new system for conducting initial screenings and sharing candidates with him for next round interviews. In doing so, Love was able to effectively increase the representation of teachers of color by upwards of 50% in a single year.
The prop:
Love chose The Mamba Mentality: How I Play by Kobe Bryant as his prop for the photoshoot because, besides Bryant being his all-time favorite basketball player, the book embodies a fundamental belief Love holds dear — that literacy and the right to read are essential for all students.
Vice President of Partnerships & Community Engagement
Destination Madison
Age: 36
Historically, Destination Madison provided promotional support, educational programming, community connections, and access to marketing tools and data insights to local business owners in exchange for an annual, paid investment. The model provided support and partnership to a local network of approximately 500 businesses, but it wasn’t enough. So, Maureen Martin pitched a new, inclusive partnership model to break down barriers and focus on growth through authentic relationships that drive value to the community. This new model introduced a no-cost partnership opportunity for local hospitality businesses. Since launching in 2022, the organization has seen its partnership program grow to 860 partners.
The prop:
Noting that camping has been a core activity throughout her life, Martin recently purchased a camper and is enjoying creating new memories with her family.
Partner
PCF Insurance Services
Age: 30
PCF Insurance Services is a top-20 U.S. brokerage firm serving over 420,000 clients nationwide, so it’s no small feat that Mike Mathweg was able to create a successful Medicare vertical within the PCF family, marking a significant contribution to the organization’s growth and innovation. By strategically building and nurturing this new sector, PCF has not only expanded its service offerings but also tapped into a lucrative market, enhancing the company’s profitability and strengthening its position within the insurance industry.
The prop:
Mathweg chose a golf club for his prop because golf serves as both a personal escape and a valuable tool for professional purposes in his life, seamlessly blending recreation and business. It provides Mathweg with a refreshing break from the day-to-day demands of work, while simultaneously acting as a strategic tool for networking, recruiting, and community engagement.
Financial Advisor
Savant Wealth Management
Age: 35
Since Sarah McGinniss started at Savant Wealth Management in 2015, the firm has grown from $4 billion in managed assets to $20 billion-plus. While she’s helped build the team that’s made that growth happen, over the last 12 months, McGinniss has directly supported Savant’s mergers and acquisitions team by presenting to M&A candidates. She’s one of three advisors — out of 150-plus — giving these presentations and she’s brought in from a satellite office to do so. During this time, she also helped build out the company’s technology platform and was the advisor representative on the conversion team helping decide how best to support the team’s future growth.
The prop:
Much of McGinniss’ free time is filled with baking, and whenever possible she likes to add sprinkles to her bakes. “Life is too short to skip the sprinkles,” she notes. Recently, her 3-year-old has started to help but he’s mostly just interested in the chocolate chips.
Executive Director
First Tee – South Central Wisconsin
Age: 38
First Tee – South Central Wisconsin, a youth development organization that integrates the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, has been searching for a permanent home for almost 10 years, notes Ashlyn Mehlhaff. Over the past 12 months, she was able to identify a space, create a plan, form partnerships to develop and plan the project, and initiated a campaign to create the organization’s new home. Using her previous experience with capital campaigns, Mehlhaff was able to find a solution that is now being used as a pilot for First Tee chapters nationwide that are located in colder climates, and she’s focused on growing the organization, one swing at a time.
The prop:
Pictured with her tap shoes, dance started as a means of therapy to combat Mehlhaff’s juvenile rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis, but it’s also how she later met her husband, and she continues to teach at her daughters’ dance studio.
Credit Analyst
John Deere Financial
Age: 37
In her role as a credit analyst for John Deere Financial, Devine Nzegwu directly impacts the company’s growth by analyzing the creditworthiness of individuals and businesses within John Deere’s extensive dealer and merchant network across the nation. However, her commitment to understanding the correlation between company culture, productivity, and sustainability has been a key factor in driving innovation. As a member of the company’s DEI Traction Team, Nzegwu collaborated with leaders to develop and achieve the organization’s strategic DEI goals, which included DEI training for talent planning, enhancing manager onboarding materials, and contributing to the improvement of the organization’s DEI Ambassador program.
The prop:
Nzegqwu chose a globe as her photoshoot prop because it embodies her identity as a global citizen. And she absolutely loves traveling!
President and CEO
Potter Lawson Inc.
Age: 37
The past several months have been a whirlwind for Rebecca Prochaska, who recently took over the leadership reins of Potter Lawson from her mother, Beth, the company’s longest-running employee. That kind of sea-change isn’t common for the Madison architectural firm, and it’s something Prochaska reflected on in her application. No employees have left Potter Lawson since 2020, and in fact, the firm has added more than 10 new people in an extremely tight labor market. Over the past year, Prochaska has also led the rollout of new services including environmental branding and brand development.
The prop:
The hardhat Prochaska is pictured with was her dad’s. He was a precision crane operator for Reynolds Crane and was killed on the job in 2012. “He was always pushing me to do more, learn more, grow, and chase my dreams,” she shares.
Community Lender
Forward Community Investments
Age: 39
As a community lender financing multifamily projects, Fausto E. Rivera noticed many of the borrowers he worked with were not of Latino descent. That realization led him to become an integral part in establishing the Latino Emerging Developer Loan Fund to increase the number of Latino aspiring real estate developers and investors. The goal of the fund is to provide the necessary capital to finance commercial or residential real estate projects that are Latino led. Rivera expects the fund to grow to $10 million, which will help bridge the wealth gap in the city of Milwaukee and beyond for local Latinos.
The prop:
Pictured with a set of house keys, Rivera shares how buying his own home allowed his family to start on a wealth-building path, while starting his rental portfolio has provided a clean and safe place for other individuals and families to call home.
Chief of Staff
Bend Health
Age: 35
An analogy Serge Romero likes to use is that of a plane cockpit. There are hundreds of gauges you can look at, but ultimately there are six of them — a “six-pack” — that cut through the complexity and tell you how your plane is performing. Romero led the creation of a “six-pack” for his Bend Health executive team to measure what matters most: Are kids getting better? Are they converting into care and getting scheduled? What’s Bend’s margin? Is the company achieving forecasted revenue? How is team engagement? Addressing those main concerns has contributed to increased performance and a tenfold expansion of care to kids and families over the past year.
The prop:
Growing up, Romero’s mother rented a room in their house to students from a local foreign language school. The globe is a reminder of the over 120 foreign students who lived at Romero’s house.
Director–Business Operations
Huffman Keel Partners Inc.
Age: 32
Over the last 12 months, along with a multitude of other large projects, Noah Salmeri secured the eighth largest project in terms of project budget in the 23-year history of Huffman Keel Partners. With the $88 million Monroe School District referendum project on the books, 2024 stands to be a record year for Huffman Keel, which has already seen tremendous growth since Salmeri joined the firm, going from $240 million in total project budgets in 2020 to $1.1 billion in 2023, along with adding four full-time and two part-time staff along
the way.
The prop:
Salmeri began running during the COVID-19 pandemic when gyms were closed. He wore the trail running shoes he’s pictured with when he completed his first ultramarathon in 2023, a last-man-standing race that saw him run 37.5 miles while climbing 4,000 feet over nine hours.
Vice President, Marketing & Business Engagement
Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional & Executive Development (CPED)
Age: 37
Kat Shanahan is responsible for achieving the revenue and profitability goals for the Wisconsin School of Business Center for Professional & Executive Development (CPED), and by all measures she’s succeeding in her role. The CPED closed its 2023 fiscal year last July with year-over-year revenue growth of 14.2% while implementing a transformative, new strategic plan focusing CPED’s growth on four industry sectors — insurance, health care and life sciences, financial services, and retail.
The prop:
Shanahan has been a photographer for more than half her life, and she has a special affinity for infrared and other photography forms that cannot be seen with the naked eye. “I value the opportunity to help people see things that they cannot ordinarily see — expanding their mindset and changing the way they view the world around them.”
President
Michael F. Simon Builders
Age: 38
Taking over an established family business has given Paul Simon the opportunity to see numerous things that previous generations put their blood, sweat, and tears into. It’s also shown Simon where the company’s systems could be updated to keep up with the times. Last year, for example, he revamped the company’s application process for carpenters from a paper form to an online application. He also wrote and implemented a profit-sharing program, giving every employee a feeling of ownership, and improved company benefits to help with retention. And he started budgeting for what he calls “Spontaneous Gestures of Gratitude,” where he tries to do unexpected things, like grocery store gift certificates at Thanksgiving and filling up everyone’s gas tanks.
The prop:
Simon has played with his children and their Magna-Tiles for countless hours, building different shapes, structures, and objects.
Partner
gener8tor
Age: 38
For the past 12 months, Lauren Usher has led the gBETA programming at gener8tor. gBETA is a free, seven-week program to help build momentum for early-stage startups. During the program, Usher and her team work closely with founders to help them gain traction, expand their networks, receive advice from subject matter experts and serial entrepreneurs, and begin fundraising. Over the past year, gBETA has worked with almost 200 companies that have raised over $200 million in follow-on funding from angel investors and venture capital investors and accelerators. This brings the grand total for the gBETA portfolio to 979 companies that have collectively raised over $714 million, which has provided crucial funding for early-stage founders so they can continue working on their startups.
The prop:
Usher’s Madison Circus Space mug represents two things: her love of tea and her passion for circus activities!
President
Eminent Development Corp.
Age: 29
Last year, Julian Walters submitted a response to the city of Madison’s request for proposal (RFP) centered around youth development housing on behalf of his company, Eminent Development Corp. His firm was awarded the project, which includes a $2 million commitment of American Rescue Plan Act funds. The project’s total development cost is an estimated $16 million, and it will consist of 43 affordable units. It’s quick growth for Walters, whose leap into real estate has resulted in over $15 million in transactions between the public and private sectors in a short span, in addition to holding over $3 million dollars in rental properties and developing over $30 million dollars in multifamily housing by 2025.
The prop:
Before he got into real estate, basketball was Walters’ passion and was the source of many life lessons and much of his character, while the brick is a symbol of the strength he built as a member of his college fraternity.
President
Iconica Inc.
Age: 39
As executive vice president, Mike Walters is responsible for overseeing Iconica’s daily operations along with longer-term issues such as strategic planning, business planning, and financial oversight. Among his areas of focus over the past year was labor forecasting. Having identified workload peaks and gaps as having the greatest impact on the company’s short- and long-term success, Walters led a team including Iconica’s accounting, business development, and project managers to improve the company’s forecasting. The results allow the company to more accurately determine the type and timing of work to pursue and to identify employee recruitment needs.
The prop:
Walters’ Chicago Bears hat is a reminder of his roots and memories of going to games with his father. “It also represents loyalty despite ridicule from family and friends, and hope that one day [it] will be rewarded.”
Owner/Ecologist
Quercus Land Stewardship Services LLC
Age: 39
Quercus Land Stewardship Services aims to improve the environmental health of the upper Midwest by offering high-quality ecological restoration services, such as invasive species control, prescribed burning, native tree and prairie plantings, and solar vegetation management. 2023 was the first year in a three-year contract in which Wenthe’s company was tasked with managing the land beneath more than 2,500 acres of utility solar fields for Alliant Energy. Alliant has more utility sites coming online in 2024 that would put the total acres requiring management closer to 10,000. In the next year, these projects will generate over 1,000 megawatts of clean energy, and increase local soil heath and water quality.
The prop:
Every natural area in Wisconsin needs fire to persist, and a drip torch like the one pictured with Wenthe is a simple and effective tool to bring life to these areas.
Program Coordinator/Case Manager
YWCA Madison
Age: 30
As the Steps to Stability coordinator/case manager for YWCA Madison, Andrea White was hired to evolve a fairly new program. In the past 12 months, she’s case managed 27 families and completed three cohorts of a tenant education course. The second cohort of families was the largest cohort that Steps to Stability has seen and White has been able to make the curriculum more understandable for participants by including activities and facilitating the courses in a relatable way. Working with low-income families dealing with housing instability is challenging. However, the reward for White is seeing them achieve one of the most basic — yet often unattainable — things in life, which is stable housing.
The prop:
Pictured with a paint palette and brushes, art serves as a powerful means of expression for White. Not only is it a hobby, it also brings her peace in her busy life.
Senior Director of Philanthropy
UnityPoint Health – Meriter Foundation
Age: 38
The last 12 months provided a career high for Bri Yanke through her work to secure a $1 million gift to expand mental health treatment for children being cared for at Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (CAP) at UnityPoint Health – Meriter. It’s the largest gift Meriter Foundation has ever received for CAP, and it also contributed to the highest-ever revenue year on record at Meriter Foundation with 275% of its fundraising goal achieved and a 204% increase year over year. The donation came at a time of unprecedented demand and need for youth mental health services in south-central Wisconsin and expanded the CAP program to include two years of costs for ongoing holistic therapy programs, among other resources.
The prop:
A bouquet of happy flowers, a handwritten note, homemade cookies, kind words, and surprise coffee orders are a few of Yanke’s favorite small acts of kindness.
Forty Under 40 Alumni of the Year: Empowering women financially
When Summit Credit Union’s Kim Sponem was inducted into the 2002 class of Forty Under 40, she was the new CEO of then-CUNA Credit Union. Since that time, she has overseen Summit’s growth from $200 million to $6.9 billion in assets. Summit’s branch network has also expanded from four locations to 60 locations across Wisconsin, including four in Madison high schools. Under her stewardship, Summit has become a leader in financial education, the No. 1 mortgage lender in Wisconsin, and the No. 1 SBA loan provider by number of loans among credit unions in Wisconsin. Sponem has also been a champion for empowering women and their finances, particularly with financial education programs, and recently one designed to support women entrepreneurs with guidance beyond their financial needs.
Meet the judges
Our judging panel this year consisted of:
Jason Ilstrup, president, Downtown Madison Inc. (DMI)
Prior to joining DMI, Jason Ilstrup worked in hotel management and development at HotelRED, the Iron Horse Hotel, and the Madison Concourse Hotel. Before entering hospitality, he served as a legislative aide and legal counsel for several politicians including Rep. Martin Sabo and Rep. Barney Frank. He is also a former Peace Corps volunteer having served in Niger, and currently serves as the chair of the Dane County Regional Airport Commission.
Jim McNulty, senior vice president-business banking, Oak Bank
During his 30-plus years in the banking industry, Jim McNulty has worn all the client-facing banking hats. As a founding associate at Oak Bank 23 years ago, he opened the retail side of a brand-new startup bank, and over time grew into a business banking community leader. His ability to connect professionals across industries has made him a key partner with leading businesses and professionals around the Greater Madison area.
Amber Swenor, founder, Soul Seed family of brands
Amber Swenor’s mission is to help conscious leaders and companies unleash success by aligning the power of their people with their brand growth strategy. She’s the founder of Soul Seed Strategy, an award-winning transformational leadership training and business strategy consulting firm, and the author of the Wall Street Journal best-selling book Unleashed: A Been-There, Rocked-That Guide to Radical Authenticity in Life and Business.
