Photo | Erika Sidor
Brad Kane, WBJ editor
Updated: August 19, 2024
WBJ celebrates the 25th anniversary of the 40 Under Forty, names the Class of 2024
Photo | Jaime Flores
The 40 Under Forty winners and alumni who visited Buds Goods & Provisions in Worcester were (from left) Alex Mazin (Class of 2024), Matt Wright (Class of 2024), and Joshua Lee Smith (Class of 2011).
Photo | Christine Peterson
40 Under Forty winners and alumni who visited Red Apple Farm in Phillipston were (from left) Racquel Knight (Class of 2024), Ashley Randle (Class of 2022), Tori Buerschaper (Class of 2024), Nancy Rose (Class of 2010), Albert Rose (Class of 2010), and Andrew Shepherd (Class of 2024).
Photo | Christine Peterson
40 Under Forty winners from the Class of 2024 (from left) Brandon Robbins, Luisa Fernandez, Elizabeth Kazinskas, and Galen Verney at the bowling Gardner Ten Pins (special thanks to Mike Budick).
Photo | MATT WRIGHT
At the Worcester Historical Museum are 40 Under Forty winners and alumni (from left) Joe Santa Maria (Class of 2002), Idaliana Medina (Class of 2024), Nicole Zea (Class of 2016), and Raquel Castro-Corazzini (Class of 2024)
Photo | Matt Wright
The seven 40 Under Forty winners who visited the Odd by Worcester Brewing bar were (from left) Julia McGuinn (Class of 2024), Dan Joslyn (Class of 2024), Erjon Metohu (Class of 2024), Jessica Casey (Class of 2024), Jim Cozza (Class of 2024), Seth Pitts (Class of 2021), and Robert Rios (Class of 2024).
Photo | Jaime Flores
The 40 Under Forty winners and alumni who visited the Westerman Props movie warehouse in Worcester were Christon Carney (Class of 2024), Lindiana Flores Semidei (Class of 2017), Denis Brown (Class of 2024), and Sonia Sharma (Class of 2019). The globe made of keys in the center of the table was used in the Denzel Washington movie "The Equalizer 3". (Special thanks to Dan Diaz)
Photo | Jaime Flores
A handful of married couples – each in their own right – have won the 40 Under Forty award over the years, including (from left) Jake and Sarah Connell Sanders (Classes of 2014 and 2020) and Olivia and Leonard Jusme (Class of 2024), pictured here at Moore State Park in Paxton.
Photo | Jaime Flores
The 40 Under Forty winners and alumni who visited the Polar Park baseball stadium were (from left) Lora Dumas (Class of 2024), Theona Scola (Class of 2024), Stacey Luster (Class of 2000), Tim Whittredge (Class of 2024)James Kalogeropoulos (Class of 2024), and Che Anderson (Class of 2018).
Photo | Edd Cote
The 40 Under Forty winners and alumni who Shrewsbury Public Library, where the new addition was designed by LPA | Architects, were (from left) Kevin Shea (Class of 2002), Rosibel Alicea Torres (Class of 2024), Christina Andreoli (Class of 2008), Margo Valdes (Class of 2024), Sean Brennan (Class of 2024), and Bob Waitt (Class of 2013).
Photo | MATT WRIGHT
40 Under Forty winners and alumnus (from left) Katie Najjar (Class of 2024), Elisa Chan (Class of 2024), Derek Canton (Class of 2018), Timothy Hally (Class of 2024), and Kim Welch (Class of 2024) enjoy champagne in front of the smiley face mural "Have a Rice Day" painted by artist OG Slick, in Worcester.
Photo | Jaime Flores
40 Under Forty winners and alumni (from left) Ariana Dello Stritto (Class of 2024), Walter Dwyer (Class of 2003), Paul "Paulie" Chlebecek (Class of 2024), and Melissa Fetterhoff (Class of 2007) lounge at the entrance of the Lake Williams Boardwalk, in Marlborough.
Photo | Matt Wright
The 40 Under Forty winners and alumni who visited the Jennessa Art studio in West Boylston were (from left) Hayley Haywood (Class of 2024), Jennessa Burks (Class of 2024), Emily Molstad (Class of 2024), Robyn Kennedy (Class of 2020), and Ron Ernenwein (Class of 2006).
Photo | Jaime Flores
The 40 Under Forty winner and alumni who visited the Central Rock Gym in Worcester were (from left) Ed Hardy (Class of 2012), Casey Cormier (Class of 2015), Kelsa Zereski (Class of 2004), and Dominic Arsenault (Class of 2024).
Photo | Jaime Flores
Dozens of Central Massachusetts businesses have multiple 40 Under Forty alumni, including Worcester insurer Fallon Health. Pictured (from left) are Fallon's Jonida Duque (Class of 2021), Mary Craig Ritter (Class of 2000), Kris Bostek (Class of 2001), Anthony Consolmagno (Class of 2024), Melissa Randall (Class of 2024), Todd Bailey (Class of 2005), Christie Bik (Class of 2014), Sonja Brehm (Class of 2012), and Arpa Gonzalez (Class of 2020), at the Fallon Health Pavilion at the DCU Center in Worcester.
40 Under Forty, 25th anniversary
More Information
- Say hello to the Class of 2024
- Catch up with alumni from the 25th anniversary
- Slideshow: Outtakes from the 40 Under Forty photo shoots around Central Mass.
- How WBJ selected the 40 Under Forty, Class of 2024
- Register for the 40 Under Forty, 25th anniversary celebration on Sept. 25
More Information
Since the inaugural year in 2000, nearly 1,000 Central Massachusetts professionals have been honored with Worcester Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty award.
All of those young executives, entrepreneurs, and business leaders already had accomplished much to even be considered for 40u40, and after their wins, they went onto even greater things. Some grew their businesses, others moved onto higher-profile companies, and countless more became titans of economy and community, leading the region into a better future. A handful of 40u40 alumni from the early years have even sold their businesses and since retired.
This special edition is a celebration of everything the 40 Under Forty has meant to the Central Massachusetts business community over the last 25 years, with a heavy focus on the incoming Class of 2024. In their story profiles, you’ll read about the great professional and personal achievements of this year’s 40 winners, including startup founders, ascending executives, and nonprofit leaders. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to catch up with 25 featured alumni from the past 25 years, who have each made their own indelible mark on the region’s economy.
In order to capture the youthful exuberance these young winners (and not-so-young alumni) bring to the economy, we broke these 65 professionals into 14 groups and took them to high-profile and visually stimulating locations around Central Massachusetts to take fun and zany photographs. Each year, I challenge these small groups to top each other to take the best photos, and every year people rise to the occasion. You’ll see the fantastic results in the honorees' stories and this slideshow of some of the best outtakes.
To join in the celebration of the 40 Under Forty past and present, I invite you to attend the high-octane awards ceremony, scheduled for Sept. 25 at Mechanics Hall in Worcester. As always, the stars of the show will be this year’s winners, but the event promises to have plenty of highlights (and people) showcasing the last 25 years.
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