Ayoola Carleton, Maneesh Krishnan, Ashlie Hilbun, Curtis Norris, Dr. Johnathan Goree and Molly Rawn are members of this year's class of 40 Under 40.
Normal and routine has never felt as exciting as it does in 2021, which is why it is a pleasure to bring you this 28th class of Arkansas Business 40 Under 40 honorees. Unlike the COVID class of 2020, these young business and community leaders were able to pose for snappy new photos and will be celebrated at a luncheon, just like in the good old days.
Well, almost like the old days. In-person seating at the luncheon will be a bit more spread out (which is not all bad, considering how crowded some events used to be). The event will also be streamed online for friends and family with virtual tickets, which may end up being a routine, normal thing in the future. That’s not all bad either.
One thing that has never changed is the reason 40 Under 40 has been an annual feature in Arkansas Business since 1994: introducing our readers to 40 impressive leaders who will give you confidence that our state will be in good hands for decades to come.
When members of our internal selection committee dig into the stacks of nominations, we are looking for professional accomplishments and community service. We are also looking for the potential to do great things in the future. We keep in mind that Arkansas is much more than just Little Rock and Fayetteville, even though more nominees come from the places where more people live. In these pages, you’ll also see promising professionals spread from Melbourne to Pine Bluff to El Dorado.
We also look for a variety of industries, and we look for diversity in gender and race — which has become easier than it was in the early years of this project. Above all, we look for leadership, that elusive character trait that never grows old and will never go out of style.
The luncheon recognizing this year’s honorees is open to those of us who never made the cut. For more details, go to arkansasbusiness.com/40lunch.
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