Austin's annual celebration of young movers 'n' shakers is returning for its 21st year. Earlier this month, the Young Women's Alliance and Young Men's Business League quietly revealed the nominees for Austin Under 40, a prestigious awards program that honors Austin community figures across 16 categories who are, as the name implies, under 40 years old.
In total, 80 locals were nominated for this year's award, which culminates in a ritzy gala on May 18 at the JW Marriott. The evening affair benefits Austin Sunshine Camps and YWA Foundation, and includes a VIP cocktail hour, silent auction, dinner, dancing, and the main event — the Austin Under 40 awards ceremony.
“We are so lucky to have an abundance of individuals that are more than qualified for an award such as this,” said this year's co-chair Bre Brown. Hal Williams, who joins Brown as co-chair, echoed this sentiment, saying: "This year’s finalists are a wonderful representation of the young professionals that are leading the path in their respective career industries.”
The nominees for this year's Austin Under 40 are:
Architecture, Engineering, and Construction
Katie Coyne, Ashley Wainscott, Kim Power, Megan Lasch, and Ricardo J. Maga Rojas
Arts and Entertainment
Chet Garner, Cassandra King Polidori, Quinton Weathers, Tarik Daniels, and Danielle Benson
Civics, Government, and Public Affairs
Justin Murrill, Ellen Troxclair, Christopher Rios, Jo Cassandra Cuevas, and Dana Harris
Culinary Arts, Events, and Hospitality
John Antonelli, Kendall Antonelli, Lisa Hickey, Anthony Sobotik, and Mariam Parker
Energy, Mobility, and Transportation
Sam Sargent, Jennifer Duthie, Mica Crouse, Suzanne Russo, and Jonathon Blackburn
Financial and Insurance Services
Stephen Jeffrey, Chris Ragland, Kelley Rytlewski, Kerri Swope, and Donald Park
Innovation and Start-up
Erin Mays, Ruben Cantu, Jamie Chandlee, Brooke Waupsh, and Naomi Bourgeois
Journalism, Marketing, and Public Relations
Emily Ramshaw, Meghan E. Butler, Harold Hardaway, Hema Mullur, and Jessica Scanlon
Legal
Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, Betsy Peticolas, Caitlin Haney Johnston, Elizabeth Henneke, and Danielle Ahlrich
Medicine and Healthcare
John Faught, Dr. Saya Obayan, Divya M. Varu, Sean Paul, and Pritesh Gandhi
Nonprofit Service
Mimi Marziani, Meme Styles, Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez, Derrick Lesnau, and Mike Thompson
Real Estate
Brittany Morrison, Paul Smith, Drew Griffin, Lockie Ealy, and Salma Manzur
Sports, Wellness, and Fitness
Courtney Clark, Gloria Chan, Curtis Eggemeyer, Chi Chi Randolph, and Aron Bautista
Technology
Jason Ballard, Ryan Collins, Kurt Rathmann, Jeff Schmalbach, and Caitlin Hudon
Youth and Education
Ricardo Zavala, Jennifer Garcia, Dr. Larry Wallace Jr., Larry Chauvin, and Anneliese Tanner
In addition to the business categories, AU40 also honors a person who has gone beyond typical mentor duties. This year's nominees for mentor of the year are:
Mentor of the Year
Alexis Adauto Ferguson, Gayle Reaume, Jesse Bush Butler, Sandra Spalding, and Robin Emmerich
According to Brown, it took AU40 judges more than 150 hours to cull through the list and pick the finalists. Now, these lucky nominees must wait for May to find out if they're top in their respective categories.
Tickets for gala and awards ceremony go on sale in April, according the website. For current sponsorship opportunities, email sponsorship@austinunder40.org.
Chet Garner is nominated in Arts and Entertainment.
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