Millennial & Gen Z Awards honor the region’s brightest young business talent

On Nov. 9, the best and the brightest of the younger generation of Westchester and Fairfield County’s business world ascended to the Kanopi restaurant on the 42nd floor of The Opus, Westchester for the 2023 edition of Westfair Communications’ Millennial & Gen Z Awards.

The honorees were nominated by their peers and selected by two judges with a special awareness of rising business talent: Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson, a partner at Thompson & Bender, one of the region’s most successful advertising and public relations firm, and Peter Katz, Westfair Communications’ copy and video editor.

During the ceremony, the candidates were all asked to answer questions about their attitudes towards success, their motivations, and their influences. They shared those responses as they received their awards.

“I don’t think that genuine failure really exists,” said Jennifer Angelucci, president and CEO of Paws Crossed Animal Rescue Inc., in an example of the optimism on display by the winners. “If you work at something long enough, you’re going to learn something from the experience. It goes well with a powerful message that helped me through a lot of difficult times: ‘When you feel like quitting, remember why you started.’”

Master of Ceremonies Matt Scott, the weekday morning meteorologist for the Fox61 Morning News. instilled a wry atmosphere as he welcomed each honoree to the stage, poking fun at the difference in age between him and the honorees.

“Thank God I didn’t wear that tie tonight,” Scott quipped as his headshot was displayed on screen. “I almost did, and it is older than some of the Gen Z-ers on stage tonight.”

The 2023 Millennial & Gen Z Honorees are, in alphabetical order:

• Jennifer Angelucci, president and CEO, Paws Crossed Animal Rescue Inc.
• Jennee Blanco, financial planner, The SKG Team at Barnum Financial Group
• Victoria Bruno, business development manager, Kings Capital Construction Group Inc.
• Sari Hubeishi, digital marketing specialist, Harrison Edwards
• Laura Krauss, vice president, business banking relationship manager, M&T Bank
• Jessie Lozada, facility manager, Thalle Industries Inc.
• Simone Mair, project specialist, Con Edison
• Melissa Maurer, private banker, JPMorgan Private Bank
• Alice Ni, audit and assurance senior manager, Deloitte & Touche LLC
• Amy Rivera, communications manager, Nonprofit Westchester
• Amanda Seebeck, events and office operations manager, Events to Remember
• Sipho Simela, founder and CEO, Matrix Rental Solutions
• Kyle Tolle, digital marketing manager, Odyssey Logistics
• Kevin Tompkins, vice president of operations, Tompkins Excavating
• Sarah Wallace, digital and social media manager, Buzz Creators
• George Williams, vice president of operations and general manager of floor division, A.G. Williams Painting Company Inc.
• Alana Zayas, manager of special events and engagement, Thompson & Bender

Gold Sponsors for the event included Paws Crossed, Animal Rescue Inc. of Elmsford and Thalle Industries of Briarcliff Manor. Bronze sponsors included the Barnum Financial Group, Deloitte, D’Errico Jewelry, Events to Remember and PR to Remember, Kings Capital Construction Group, and Odyssey Logistics.