STAMFORD – Leadership. Heart. Grit. And all under the age of 40.
Those are just some of the characteristics the 2025 Class of Westfair Business Journal’s 40 under 40 recipients share. They were on display at Serafresca at the IC Thursday, June 12, as nearly 200 people packed into the main ballroom to celebrate the winners.
“Celebrations like this matter,” Nelson Merchan, business advisor for the Connecticut Small Business Development Center, told this year’s winners, friends, and families. “We need more of them.”
For a list of the 2025 winners, click here.
Bill Purcell, president, CEO of the Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce, was among the several chamber presidents to present the honorees with their trophies. But he also gave back to them with some words of advice and inspiration.
“I want to declare this year is my 25th anniversary (with the chamber),” he said. “So, I am now the dean of the chambers. I have been here for all 20 (celebrations). So, I was thinking, ‘where are they now?’
“Those that received the award 20 years ago at the age 30 are now 50. Those that got in under their skin of their teeth at 39 are turning 60 this year. And the question that occurred to me is did they use this occasion as a capstone to their career or a springboard to a life of service.”
He left the winners with a directive as they continue with their careers.
“Those like you are who have been blessed with many talents, resources, or opportunities have a greater responsibility to use them wisely to benefit others,” Purcell said. “And you ask yourself, ‘Who am I going to lift up today?’”
The 40 under 40 awards, which started in 2006, celebrates young leaders in Fairfield County who embody resilience and unwavering persistence. In its 2025 Class of 2025 40 under 40 yearbook, Westfair Business Journals, which encompasses the Fairfield County Business Journal and Westchester County Business Journal, stated:
“By shining a spotlight on these emerging leaders, we not only celebrate their successes but also inspire others to follow in their footsteps.”
This year’s event was sponsored by Genesis of Ridgefield, BMW of Ridgefield, YaleNewHavenHealth. Supporters included Action Entertainment, Sharc Creative, the New York Yankees, Deloitte, Tree of Life, Y Not You Media, Vistage, and Lewis & Kirk Expeditions dba Lewis & Kirk Music.
Chamber partners included the Bridgeport Regional Business Council and the chambers of Brookfield, Darien, Fairfield, Greater Danbury, Greater Valley, Greater Norwalk, Greenwich, Stamford, Westport-Weston, and Wilton.
The judges for the awards were Nelson Merchan, business advisor of the Connecticut Small Business Development Center and Dr. Nikki Wingate, associate professor of marketing at Sacred Heart University’s Welch College of Business and Technology.
The honorees shared some insight during the event when they were prompted by questions posed to them by Emcee Tony Pec, co-founder of Y Not You Media LLC and a TedX speaker.
Two of the questions that elicited the most audience response and were the most thought-provoking focused on advice for aspiring professionals and challenges facing future generations in their industries.
“I think we need to collectively think about the rule of law and what it means to us as a profession and as a country,” said Thomas Lambert, member of the Bridgeport and Stamford law firm Pullman & Comley. “I think we are in a culture right now where, for some reason, rule of law is being challenged. We had no idea of this because when we went to law school we were taught judges make decisions, lawyers make arguments and everybody will abide by the system as it is.
“Unfortunately, right now that is being challenged. It’s a wakeup call for not just lawyers but for everyone else to not take that for granted. To trust in our system of checks and balances.”
Among the challenges some of the winners see for the next generation are artificial intelligence and social media.
“As we are all connected constantly on our devices, we’re also disconnected in a time where we could all use each other more,” said Jay Lederman, manager of public and community relations for Norwalk Hospital Nuvance Health, Northwell Health. “We could all use a shoulder to lean on. Healthcare has a tendency to be cold and collected where communication seems routine. In order for things to move forward, it needs to be more personalized, more empathy and more caring for the individual.”
Audrey Casinelli, marketing manager of Stamford Center for the Arts Palace Theatre, is worried most about AI.
“I definitely feel future generations will have challenges with AI, especially in the creative and marketing industry,” she said. “I feel it is important that to highlight original and creative works especially as we go into this new age of AI.”
And then there are the social issues involving the diverse workforce.
“We are a first-run movie theater. We employ people with disabilities,” said Ryan Wenke, CEO of The Prospector Theatre in Ridgefield. “We hired over 350 people. We are in the movie business and by proxy the popcorn business. We are also in the people business.
“I would tell people here is to help us debunk stereotypes about those of us with disabilities. People with disabilities are capable of working in-demand job skills. Eighty percent of people with disabilities in this country do not have a job. And the Prospector is trying to fix that.”
Deidre Flores, speech language pathologist and founder of The Teen SLP in Westport, hopes for more help with autistic children as they become teens.
“Every year, 100,000 kids with autism become young adults with autism,” Flores said. “That is why I created The Teen SLP to help gain the skills needed to become successful young adults with job skills and social skills.”
