Forty Under 40 Class of 2022
Honoring the Capital Region’s brightest young
leaders, innovators and business professionals.
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Leigh Adams | 38
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Most Cooperative Realtor, through the Greater Baton Rouge Association of Realtors
RE/MAX, Chairman's Club
Consistently ranks in the top 1% of Realtors...
Sinella Aghasi | 31
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Established and led innovative community programs for more than 5,000 Capital Region students to date at Kids’ Orchestra
Received a doctoral degree...
Julie Gerdes Becnel | 38
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Starting Little Rouge Hen, which helps leaders develop marketing and communications strategies while identifying and cultivating talent
Leading the marketing team for...
Jason Broha | 38
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
One of the youngest executives at Turner Industries
Significantly expanded the marketing department, both in terms of personnel and responsibilities
Graduate of...
Stokka Brown | 37
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Becoming a partial owner of CSRS
Developing a team of quality stormwater engineers and providing flood risk identification and reduction measures throughout...
David Cavell | 34
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Served as district director for U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, helping thousands of Capital Region constituents, businesses and local governments resolve their issues...
Joe Cefalu | 36
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
• Making partner
• Receiving multiple awards and honors as recognition for legal practice and involvement with the local bar association, including the Baton...
Will Chadwick | 32
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
In 2023, Elifin Realty was named Business Report's 2023 Company of the Year
Partnering with developments like Perkins Rowe, Highland Park Marketplace,...
Dr. Neil Chappell | 39
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Received multiple awards for research with three ongoing trials, 16 peer-reviewed publications and dozens of lectures and presentations across the country
Received...
Kiran Chawla | 39
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Launched a news organization from scratch
Won three national Edward R. Murrow Awards in two years
Earned an Emmy Award for Community...
Hayden Jacob Clark | 32
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Leading and growing a thriving fitness community in my hometown that now serves hundreds of residents across two locations
Creating career opportunities...
Lauren C. Crump | 35
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
• Co-founding and serving as a board member of the Bridge Center for Hope
• Co-founding the Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s Center for Nonprofit...
Shane Dantin | 36
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Built Pinnacle Exterior Construction into one of the largest and fastest growing pool and exterior construction companies in southeast Louisiana
Earned the...
Sherin Dawud | 34
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Selected as one of 100 nationwide Black women entrepreneurs by American Express 100 for 100
Graduate of Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses...
Aaron DeWitt | 37
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Being named CMO of Baton Rouge General Mid City
Being part of the team that reopened acute care services and the ER...
Sabrina E. Galloway | 31
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Initiated a community court restoration project in 2022 with the Langston Galloway Foundation that created state-of-the-art outdoor basketball facilities at Longfellow and...
Cami Dinkel Geisman | 37
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
• Being on the team that conceptualized and developed Compete LA, a program that reengages the 653,000 Louisianans who have some college experience...
Jordan Gleason | 34
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Legislative floor leader for then-Gov. Bobby Jindal
Organized political operations of large industry associations including the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association,...
Jennifer Gomez | 37
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Being appointed to the first lady's staff in 2019 as part of Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration, overseeing all operations at the...
Annabeth Guillory | 38
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Contributed to the creation of a partnership between Ochsner and MD Anderson while leading her team through challenges and constant changes associated...
Sherreta R. Harrison | 39
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Developed and implemented the Intergenerational Co-Leadership Model, an emerging, nationally recognized model of organizational leadership with MetroMorphosis
Led the development of more...
Chris Hilliard | 33
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Winning Nexus Louisiana's Ignition 2.0 pitch competition and receiving a $10,000 investment prize
Teaching as an adjunct professor at the Southern University...
Brad Holleman | 38
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Obtaining a professional land surveying license to practice in Louisiana
Obtaining a professional engineering license to practice civil engineering in the state
...
Taylor Jacobs | 33
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Creating and implementing NILSU department within LSU athletics and keeping LSU athletics at the forefront of the Name, Image and Likeness era
...
The Rev. Josh Johnson | 35
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Graduated magna cum laude from Notre Dame Seminary Graduate School of Theology and was ordained as a Catholic priest for the Diocese...
Kristy Kaiser | 39
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
• Becoming internal audit director and leading a department
• Earning an MBA at night from LSU while managing a restaurant during the day
•...
W. Chandler LeBoeuf | 34
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Raising over $10 million for students and community colleges in Louisiana
Earning a doctor of education degree
Advocating for funding and scholarships...
Davante Lewis | 31
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Youngest elected commissioner in Louisiana history and currently youngest-serving commissioner in the U.S.
First nonexecutive director to serve as steering committee chair...
Tyler Litt | 33
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Led NewSchools Venture Fund team through selection and diligence, funding $14 million toward district innovation and innovative education entrepreneurs across the U.S.
...
Luke Lognion | 29
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
· Opening BRASS in downtown Baton Rouge so local artists can showcase their work
· Being an art consultant for the Hotel Indigo renovation
·...
Leah Marchand | 37
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Climbed the corporate ladder while pregnant
Rose through the ranks to lead WBRZ's marketing department in five years' time
Winner of multiple...
Weslee Meador | 39
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Managed sustainable building renovation of LWCC resulting in LEED silver certification
Oversaw the removal of adjacent blighted hotel properties and transformation to...
Dr. Julie Neumann | 38
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Being selected by an NFL player to be his surgeon
Earned a residency position at Duke University
Getting the opportunity to practice...
Melissa O’Banion | 34
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Being named vice president of marketing and communications after joining the Mary Bird Perkins team as a marketing coordinator eight years ago
...
Jordan Piazza | 35
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Partnered with his brother, Anthony Piazza, to bring back their father's longtime restaurant, Phil's Oyster Bar
Revitalized and grew Uncle Earl’s Bar,...
Robert Williams Scheffy III | 39
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Made the annual LSU 100 list in 2018 and 2019 as one of the 100 fastest growing businesses owned by an LSU...
Rachael Slaughter | 39
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Founded Orion Laboratories in 2019, elevating it to the leading clinical laboratory in the region
Pioneered a valuable internship program at Orion,...
André Smith | 37
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Best Contractors to Work For in Construction Award
Recipient of an engineering, procurement, and construction supply chain excellence award, ranking in the...
Jonathan Starns | 40
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
• Launching and growing Berkshire Hathaway United Properties throughout Louisiana and Mississippi
• Becoming one of the fastest growing offices in the Berkshire Hathaway...
Therese Walker | 28
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS:
Leading communication efforts for one of the largest and most significant environmental infrastructure projects in U.S. history
Serving as the youngest member...