Outstanding young leaders chosen for contributions to the Vermont economy and their community
Vermont Business Magazine is proud to announce the winners of its Rising Stars recognition award. The list is composed of 40 winners under the age of 40. Award recipients were selected by a panel of judges for their commitment to business growth, professional excellence and involvement in their communities.
“We are thrilled by the response to this initiative to recognize these up-and-coming leaders, this is our eleventh year” said VBM Publisher John Boutin. “We received over 190 outstanding nominations this year. Despite the pandemic, we are very excited that people took the time to nominate these great candidates.
The five judges had a difficult time picking the top 40. These young professionals have chosen to make Vermont home. For these young professionals it’s not just about business. It’s about them making a difference in their communities,” Boutin said.
Vermont Business Magazine will honor Vermont's most accomplished young leaders at a Rising Stars virtual event in November. The honorees will also be featured in the November issue of Vermont Business Magazine.
FAST FACTS: Of the 40 honorees, there are 16 men and 24 women. There are 15 from Chittenden County, 3 from Windham County, 5 from Rutland County, 4 from Bennington County, 5 from Washington County, 3 from Caledonia County, 1 from Lamoille County, 1 from Franklin County, 1 from Orleans County, and 3 from Orange County. The average age of the honorees is 34 years old. The oldest is 39 and the youngest is 27 years old.
Rising Stars Class of 2020
Name |
Town |
Company |
Age |
| Jazmin Averbuck | Thetford | Girl Scouts Green & White Mtns | 32 |
| Jenna Baird | North Chittenden | Baird Farm Maple Syrup | 30 |
| Jeffrey Bartley | Fairfax | Champlain Valley Exposition | 35 |
| Matt Borg | Montpelier | Carrier Roasting Co. | 35 |
| Andrew Bouchard | Holland | North Country Supervisory Union | 37 |
| Katherine Brady | Rutland | RNL & Associates | 34 |
| Ashlyn Bristle | Brattleboro | Rebop Farm | 34 |
| Hannah Cofiell | West Marlboro | Butter Mountain Bakery | 31 |
| Aditi Datta | Burlington | VtSBDC | 29 |
| Xusana Davis | Lamoille County | State of Vermont | 31 |
| Thifeen Deen | Burlington | Office of Congressman Peter Welch | 38 |
| Kayla Donohue | Jericho | United Way of Northwest Vermont | 29 |
| Alex Figueroa | Bennington | Southwestern Vermont Medical Center | 29 |
| Allie Futty | Burlington | Vermont Assoc Blind & Visually Impaired | 31 |
| Christy Gallese | Charlotte | Burlington School District | 39 |
| Joe Giallanella | Burlington | Seventh Generation | 39 |
| Irene Green | White River Jct | Northern Stage Company | 38 |
| Jean Hamilton | Plainfield | ShiftMeals | 38 |
| Nate Hausman | Montpelier | Clean Energy States Alliance | 39 |
| Rebecca James | Essex | Johnson Lambert LLP | 37 |
| Samantha Christie | South Burlington | Hilton Burlington Lake Champlain | 28 |
| Sarah Lafferty | Lyndonville | White Market | 31 |
| Amy Laramie | Rutland Town | Killington Resort | 33 |
| Seth Leonard | Winooski | Vermont Housing Finance Agency | 38 |
| Benjamin Lerner | East Arlington | Old Mill Road Media | 29 |
| Nicolas Longo | Colchester | Burlington International Airport | 35 |
| Kevin Lumpkin | Winooski | Sheehey Furlong & Behm | 35 |
| Marina McCoy | Burlington | Waste Free Earth | 27 |
| Ryan McLaren | Burlington | Office of Congressman Peter Welch | 35 |
| Wayne Miller | Hartland | Living Proof Mentoring | 33 |
| Chad Nichols | Burlington | Encore Renewable Energy | 38 |
| Sarah Perrin | Bennington | Green Mountain Concessions | 39 |
| Steve Peters | Rutland | Downtown Rutland Partnership | 33 |
| Monique Priestley | Bradford | The Space on Main | 34 |
| Hannah Reid | Montpelier | Let's Grow Kids | 38 |
| Henry Rosario | Tunbridge | Outpatch | 29 |
| Jennie Rozycki | North Bennington | John G. McCullough Free Library | 38 |
| Geoffrey Sewake | Peacham | Whirligig Brewing | 39 |
| Courtney Widli | Brandon | Castleton University | 29 |
| Genna Williams | Athens | Vermont Food Bank | 30 |