Forty Under 40 Class of 2023

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...