The lowdown: The winners of this year's Austin Under 40 Awards were revealed on Saturday, March 7 at a gala honoring the city's hardest-working young professionals. Fourteen winners were selected from 70 nominees chosen for their professional achievement and impact on the community. The rest of Austin's professional community came out to support these young, bright stars during a splendid evening of celebration.
The prestigious title of Austinite of the Year was bestowed on Jonny Rodgers, partner with the DEN Property Group, who was also the recipient of the Real Estate Award. "Right now it feels like the city of Austin just came up and gave me a big hug," Rodgers said. See the full list of winners here.
The annual celebration benefits the Young Women's Alliance Foundation and Austin Young Men's Business League Sunshine Camps.
Who: Jonny Rodgers, Daniel Becka, Matt Fajkus, Gerardo Interiano, Jose Beciero, Chelsea McCullough, Shaady Ghadessy, Jonny Rogers, Jenifer Sarver, Andrea Campaigne, Leon Chen, Vanessa Fuentes, Heather McKissick, Matthew Hinsley, Britni Rachal, Ashley Flores, Jordan Hefton, Gordon Moore, Terri Broussard Williams, Lemuel Williams, Daniel Becka, Vanessa Fuentes, John King, Phoebe Chen, Sarah Harrington, and Hannah Meyer.
Jonny Rodgers won Austinite of the Year as well as an award for his work in Real Estate.
Photo by Jared Tennant
Jonny Rodgers won Austinite of the Year as well as an award for his work in Real Estate.
Photo by Katherine Larson (@k.larsonphotography and @sarahrobertscreative)
Zach Shallcross and Kaity Biggar of "The Bachelor" got married May 23, 2025 in Austin.
Zach Shallcross is a bachelor no more. The Austin-based star of ABC's The Bachelor has quietly married Kaity Biggar, to whom he got engaged on the finale of the show in March 2023. The couple tied the knot May 23, 2025 at Dulcinea Chapel, a wedding venue 20 minutes southwest of downtown Austin.
TMZ was the first to report the news, on June 11, based on Travis County court documents; the couple confirmed their nuptials via podcast the same day.
Shallcross and Biggar initially announced they'd marry in October 2025, then they teased it would be "at some point" during the year. They changed course and successfully kept the actual date and details under wraps, quite a feat for a "Bachelor Nation" wedding.
The ceremony at the outdoor Austin chapel was intimate and romantic — exactly as they'd wanted it, Biggar told The Bachelor Happy Hour podcast on June 11. "We just did like a cute little chapel celebration with our closest loved ones, our family," she said, as retold by E! News.
They had been planning a larger, more lavish, more expensive wedding, she said, before the bride-to-be experienced a lightbulb moment that's relatable to brides everywhere.
"I just took a step back and was like, 'I don't know if we need this,'" she said on the podcast. "The whole point of a wedding is just staying true to the love and the connection of both of us, and I felt like I was honing in on too many details, like, 'Oh, my mom would like this but these people would like that.' I think I was getting caught up in details and losing the whole premise of it."
Photo by Katherine Larson (@k.larsonphotography and @sarahrobertscreative)
Zach Shallcross and Kaity Biggar of "The Bachelor" got married May 23, 2025 in Austin.
Biggar's aunt, the "virtual matchmaker" who encouraged her to go on The Bachelor, found Dulcinea Chapel, "and it was like 500 bucks," the bride said. The venue sits high on a hill on the campus of the Wizard Academy, described on the website as "a nontraditional business school."
According to official franchise website Bachelor Nation, the bride wore a strapless Pronovias gown with a sweetheart neckline, lace slingback heels by Betsey Johnson, and earrings from Kendra Scott.
The groom wore a classic black tuxedo from State and Liberty. Biggar changed into a short, sparkly party dress by Sherri Hill for the reception.
At the ceremony, the couple exchanged personal vows, captured and set over a beautiful video montage of their love story by filmmaker by Nicholas DeRose (@visualrosefilms) for Bachelor Nation.
They shared their first dance as husband and wife to “Simply the Best” by Noah Reid, from the show Schitt’s Creek — "a nod to the first song they listened to after getting engaged on The Bachelor," Bachelor Nation says.
At their reception dinner, they and their guests dined on steak, fish, and pasta. The wedding cake was topped with personalized Funko POP! Yourself figures.
Shallcross and Biggar met and got engaged on season 27 of the ABC reality TV show in 2023. He proposed in the season finale in Thailand. Shallcross was born in Fullerton, California, but lived in Austin and worked for software company Oracle when he appeared on The Bachelor. Biggar is from Kingston, Ontario, Canada; she is a travel nurse.
The newlyweds live in Austin with their dog, Honey, and are reportedly planning a honeymoon to Italy in 2026.