🔒How WBJ picked the 40 Under Forty, Class of 2021

As in previous years, for this 40 Under Forty class, Worcester Business Journal opened a nomination period through early May, where anyone could nominate a Central Massachusetts professional for the award, including self-nominations. To be eligible, nominees must work in Central Massachusetts, live in Massachusetts, and be under the age of 40 by the day of the awards ceremony. This year, WBJ received 207 nominations for 131 nominees. To pick the winners, the nominations were sent to judges Abed Hamid, Brian Treitman, and Valerie Zolezzi-Wyndham, who were each selected for their expertise and background. WBJ then confirmed the eligibility of the nominees with the highest cumulative judges’ score, and they became the Class of 2021.

The judges

Abed Hamid - Hamid is the environmental health & safety Manager at the Bristol-Myers Squibb new cell therapy facility in Devens. He has more than seven years of experience in both EHS and engineering. Previously, Hamid was a senior engineer at AbbVie in Worcester, supporting commercial production with focus on safety and ergonomic projects. Prior to that, he worked for German medical device manufacturer Karl Storz in roles of increasing responsibility, first as an environmental engineer, then as the site EHS department leader. He supported production of medical endoscopes and was the primary support for all EHS programs and floor support.

Hamid has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a master’s degree in environmental engineering, both from Purdue University. A native of Jordan, he is fluent in both English and Arabic. Hamid was named in the WBJ 40 Under Forty, Class of 2020. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking in New England and participates in charity running races.

Brian Treitman - Treitman is the owner of B.T.’s Smokehouse and has been cooking in professional kitchens for 28 years.

He started B.T.’s Smokehouse in 2007 out of an 18-foot trailer on the side of the road in Brimfield. Since 2007, he has moved B.T.’s into a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Sturbridge, expanding the business and becoming the No. 1 BBQ joint in New England by Southbridge Evening News and No. 20 in the U.S. by Johnny Fugitt.

Most recently, he opened a second restaurant called B.T.’s Fried Chicken and BBQ in Worcester and a concession at the Polar Park baseball stadium. Treitman has started a small business consulting business, Soul Food Hospitality Inc., with his business partner Bill Nemeroff.

Besides running the restaurant, he has been a strong contributor to the community and local charities, often providing food and/or monetary contributions. He was named to the WBJ 40 Under forty, Class of 2016.

Valerie Zolezzi-Wyndham - Zolezzi-Wyndham is the founder and owner of Promoting Good, LLC, an Upton firm supporting organizations and leaders through transformational change. She is a recognized diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging leader and consultant, C-suite equity coach, coach to rising entrepreneurs and leaders from minoritized communities, and powerful advocate for inclusive and creative workspaces of excellence. Her firm, which she founded in 2017, includes a strong team of consultants amplifying the firm’s impact across sectors and communities.

Zolezzi-Wyndham is an active community volunteer: she is chairwoman of the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center, a board member at Worcester Art Museum, a grants committee member and corporator at Greater Worcester Community Foundation, and an advisory board member to Norwood Resource Group. She is a proud Latina immigrant from Mexico. She was a 2020 member of the WBJ Outstanding Women in Business.