Mainebiz is hosting a special award reception on November 7th recognizing 40 outstanding young leaders who are
shaking up Maine’s business community and leading us into the future. These individuals will be
part of a special class of upcoming business leaders who share a commitment to business
success, personal growth, and a passion for helping strengthen the communities in which they
live and work.

“Each year we’ve had 40 Under 40 I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the responses from
honorees to the questions asked. This group is serious about their professions but also serious
about their passion projects and the books they read and even the shows they watch. As in the
past two years Mainebiz has presented the honor, the mix includes people from a range of
industries: insurance, financial services, law, health care, small business consulting, nonprofits,
food-and-beverage makers, the arts, HR, real estate and construction, tech, government, biotech,
professional sports, retail and more.” says Mainebiz editor, Peter Van Allen.

Congratulations to the 2024 Class of 40 Under 40: Ekhlas Ahmed, founder and executive
creative director, Chance To Advance; Alexandra Blake Basinet, founder and owner, Blake
Orchard Juicer; Joann Bautista, deputy secretary of state, policy advisor, Maine Department of
the Secretary of State; Taylor Benay, director of marketing, Hexmodal; Stephen Carr, owner,
Stephen Carr Property Services; Justin Chenette, senior director of public relations and
advancement, Sweetser; Michelle Conners, executive director, Kennebunk Free Library; Jack
Davies, director of finance, MaineWorks; Matt Dexter, executive director, Christine B.
Foundation; Ariadne Dimoula, founder and CEO, Paramount Planet Product; Matthew DuBois,
co-owner, the Bankery and Skowhegan Fleuriste; Khadija El Barkaoui, founder, Coelle Travel;
Zack Frechette, president and CEO, United Insurance; Leah Graham, program director, Maine
Cancer Genomics Initiative, The Jackson Laboratory; Gabe Hoffman-Johnson, founder, chief
community officer, Portland Hearts of Pine; Matthew Jones, owner/lead carpenter, Forest Street
Carpentry; Colleen Kavanagh, founder and CEO, SoulBeing; Kay Kerina, program manager,
Maine Career Exploration Program; principal consultant, Kerina Consulting LLC; Muhammad
Humza Khan, founder and CEO, Inclusion Maine; Tom Kittredge, senior investment officer,
Maine Technology Institute; David Klein, head of WEX Venture Capital, WEX Inc.; Kayla
Lewis, owner, Upward Consulting; Alex Maffucci, president, Atlantic Brewing Co.; Clay
Maker, co-president, Penobscot General Contractors; Samantha Mason, test planning
supervisor, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works; Brandon McDonald, regional hub coordinator,
Northern Maine Development Commission; Reed McLean, founder and co-director, Lights Out
Gallery; Sandy Nesin, CEO, Community Care Partnership of Maine; vice president of
operations, St. Joseph Healthcare; Mackenzie H.T. Parsons, principal/financial planner,
Cornerstone Financial Planning; Dan Reed, marketing and program manager, SCORE Maine;
Lizzy Reinholt, senior vice president and COO, Peaks Renewables/Summit Utilities; Mary
Alice Scott, public affairs manager, Maine Association of Nonprofits; Daniel Sipe, founder, co-
director, Lights Out Gallery; Hazel Stark, co-founder and CEO, Maine Outdoor School L3C;
registered Maine guide; Jon Stein, owner-founder, Fogtown Brewing Co.; Lisa Sturgeon,
founder, Getting Married in Maine LLC; instructor, Husson University College of Business; Jay
Tansey, co-founder and board chair, Sad Dads Club Inc.; director of strategy and operations,
IDEXX Veterinary Software; David Tse, co-founder and CEO, Chargely; Scott Vogel, president
and owner, the Front Porch Piano Bar and Restaurant, Crew Ogunquit and Coastal Alchemist;
Karlë Woods, founder, co-director, Lights Out Gallery.

The 40 Under 40 awards reception will be held from 5-7 p.m. at Brick South (Thompsons
Point), 15 Resurgam Place, Portland, ME 04102. Tickets are $60 and a portion of the ticket
proceeds will go to the Next List Alumni Scholarship Fund, a designated fund that will provide
scholarship assistance to third- or fourth-year students at the University of Maine and the
University of Southern Maine who are pursuing a business degree.

The 40 Under 40 awards recognition program is sponsored by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care,
KeyBank, and Pierce Atwood. To view the 2024 40 Under 40 profiles and to register online for
the reception, please visit, mainebiz.biz/40u4024

Mainebiz is Maine’s premier business news source, covering business news from Fort Kent to
Kittery. With its website (Mainebiz.biz), Daily Report, weekly report and Real Estate Insider via
email, Events enews, as well as its flagship print publication, Mainebiz continues to expand its
reach, bringing vital news to Maine’s business community through varied media.

Questions about sponsorship and attending this or other Mainebiz events? Contact
Samantha Elliott, Events & Marketing Director at selliott@mainebiz.biz or 207-761-8379