I don’t know about you, but I could use some good news.
What better way to start winding down this – let’s not sugarcoat it, awful year of 2020 – than celebrating 40 local people under 40 who are working hard to make our city a better place. We asked you to send us nominations and you did a great job finding exceptional young folks who are making a difference even under frustrating and difficult circumstances, whether through their jobs, volunteer work or both.
A lot of work goes into this issue in a short time, but we always find it inspiring to interview the winners and hear about their efforts. As someone recently told me about this annual issue: “I look forward to reading about what’s going on around Richmond through the people who are helping.” Tough times build character, and we think you’ll agree there is plenty of that in this issue.
So as we head into a dark winter and still much uncertainty about the future, we hope you’ll enjoy reading about these helpers who care about others and who keep fighting the good fight in their own ways. As for the rest of it, maybe remember the inspirational words of the great American poet Walt Whitman: “Keep your face always towards the sunshine, and the shadows will fall behind you.” – Brent Baldwin
Scott Barlow, 32
Richmond School Board Member, District 2
Christina Barrille, 38
Executive Director, Virginia Pharmacists Association
Jessica N. Bowman, 34
Chief Deputy Commissioner, Virginia Department of Elections
Patricia Bradby, 33
Director of Communications and Programs, Leadership Metro Richmond
Jason Brown, 38
Founder and Executive Director of Fostering Acadia
McKayla Burnett, 26
Director of Human Trafficking Services at Safe Harbor
Cindy Capriles, 30
Director of Counseling at Safe Harbor
Chloe I. Edwards, 25
Advocacy and Engagement Manager at Voices for Virginia’s Children
Patrick Griffin, 35
Founder and Owner of RVA Paddlesports
Joshua Hanbury, 38
Associate, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP
Emilee Manzi Hasbrouck, 36
Co-founder of RVA Legal Collaborative
Gabe T. Hill, 23
Business Development Executive, Blue Ocean Brain
Sarah Iracane, 36
Chief Program Officer for World Pediatric Project
Kristen Johnson, 38
Director of Development for Real Life
Eleanor Jones, 39
Director, Honoring Choices Virginia
Rebecca Keel, 28
Virginia Statewide Organizer, Southerners on New Ground
Ankit Mathur, 38
Chief Technology Officer at Roundtrip
Hannah Miller, 29
Director, Community Health and Wellness, Virginia Repertory Theatre
Amanda C. Moore, 35
Founder and Executive Director, Humans for Good
Lauren Z. Moore, 35
President and Chief Executive, Children’s Hospital Foundation
Claire O’Keefe, 24
Director of Canvas, Summit Producer at Envoy
Ewan Oglethorpe, 30
Executive Director, Data Friendly Space
Kelly Parker, 33
Director of Emergency Preparedness at Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association
Robin Adolf Salzberg, 39
Owner of Lustre by Adolf
Lauren Schmitt, 36
Partner, Commonwealth Strategy Group
Ashley Shapiro, 35
Senior Assistant Public Defender
Maggie Small, 35
Master Class Teacher and Grant Specialist at Richmond Ballet
Fatima M. Smith, 32
Founder of FMS Speaks, Co-Founder of Collective 365 and Color & Culture
Brei Stevenson, 34
Senior UX Designer, CoStar, Executive Director, Wild Fern Montessori
Phuong Tran, 28
Digital Communication Manager at ACLU of Virginia