We celebrate our 25th anniversary with an exemplary group of people working to make our region a better place.
One phrase that kept coming up over and over in regard to this year’s 40 Under 40 winners is: “breaking barriers.” So many of the honorees this year have excelled in fields that have traditionally not been accessible to them and are working to help others succeed in those fields as well.
There’s Serina Green, recently named the first female president and chief operating officer at Signature Financial Planning. Perry Ivery is the only African American hotel general manager in the city. Jessica Gaynelle Moss co-founded art collective Sibyls Shrine to ensure Black mothers have space to create. Wayne Jones recently got approval to open a new charter high school on entrepreneurship, which would be the first of its kind in the region. After facing retaliation at work because she was an immigrant,
Sabrina Yow-chyi Liu founded the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance of Pittsburgh. Greg Pollock, who is Deaf, works with Fortune 500 companies to hire Deaf people to communicate directly with Deaf and hard-of-hearing customers.
It’s an honor for Pittsburgh Magazine and PUMP to celebrate the 25th anniversary of 40 Under 40 by shining a spotlight on such an amazing group of people. They will be celebrated at an awards ceremony on Nov. 10 at the Event Center at Rivers Casino.
by Denise Bonura, Virginia Linn, Lauren Davidson, Emma Malinak, Kristina Martin and Jesseca Muslin.
Photos by Becky Thurner Braddock at the restored Wilkinsburg Train Station.
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Greg Austin (39)
“I hope that how I’ve treated other people goes forward through them.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Jason Antin (37)
“It’s important to not only be an accomplished professional but an accomplished human being.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Chastity Bey (28)
“My goal is to be a positive role model to [the students I work with] and to allow them to see that people who do important work do have time to support them.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Melanie Marie Boyer (35)
“Ensuring that our community’s unique needs are met is very important to me. I always make sure that I get in the room, I have a voice and I leave the door open for others as well.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Christopher Cavendish (38)
“HR shepherds someone through the recruiting process … You get to validate someone’s skills and talent — all of the things they’ve ever worked for. To be part of those conversations, those moments are [magical].”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Jenise Brown (36)
“It’s important to slow down and see if what you’re putting your energies toward is helping others, the community and the planet because we’re only here for so long.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Dontae Comans (38)
“I feel like my strongest talent is bringing people together.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Jordan Corcoran (36)
“While I have these dreams to make an impact on the way the whole world operates, the most important impact I can make is here in my community.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Dr. Mohamed Eisa (37)
“Every community that you live in has an impact on you. My passion and my mission is to provide to the communities that have provided for me.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Evan J. Durst (39)
“I think it’s really important to help other people get the opportunities that will help them succeed and do it themselves down the road.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Landis Erwin (33)
“I simply want to leave as much positivity as I can — to support the families that need it most, without judgment.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Maggie Giel-Bovaird (36)
“We believe children’s current ZIP code should not define their future. We believe that all children have potential — and mentors help them find that.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Serina Green (38)
“I love to accomplish things and then move on and find the next one. I’m just really good at solving things or processes.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Jazmine Grant (38)
“I would like to be known as someone who worked hard but was also very easy to work with.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Emma Hance (32)
“I want people to know that they are valued and that their opinions matter.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Robert Howard II (38)
“My ethos is people before processes. I meet my students where they are, and if they are performing to the best of their ability, that’s a win.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Crystal Jennings-Rivera (39)
“For me, housing is a never-ending hole that needs to be filled. … I wanted to make sure I am the resource for those looking to transition from rentership to homeownership.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Perry Ivery (39)
“I want The Oaklander to be a space to show kindness and value to other people when they walk through our doors. We have that innate ability to change their day through the warmth and light of hospitality.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Wayne Jones (36)
“I’ve leveraged my position, my power and opportunities to give other people an opportunity and chance to succeed and to realize their full potential.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Dan Law (38)
“Pittsburghers should always challenge the status quo and never shy away from reinvention.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Jennifer Mazzocco (39)
“In school or community, it’s essential that we’re here to support each other. If we don’t all give our time, they’re not as good as they can be.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Sabrina Yow-Chyi Liu (38)
“I believe that knowledge and power are what people need to build community and to thrive. People deserve to have a voice on the job.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Mary Ann McBride-Tackett (38)
“Filmmaking, and storytelling in general, is a really valuable use of our time here on Earth — to figure out why we’re here, to connect to each other and to ask, explore and answer big questions.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Jessica Gaynelle Moss (36)
“Regardless of if it’s a painting or an exhibition or a residency, my priority is the mission that the work is in line with. And that mission is about liberation for Black people, artists, women, mothers — those who historically have been excluded.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Greg Pollock (34)
“I’ve always viewed accessibility as the heart of innovation.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Arthur R. Pang (38)
“This recognition validates that leading with service and compassion is a true Pittsburgh value.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Brazitte Poole (35)
“If I could say what I am most proud of: my decision to quit my government job and go to law school. It was the hardest decision I had to make but the best.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Candice Marie Pulkowski (38)
“The key is finding something you are passionate about — I challenge people to find their passion and find ways to get involved.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: The Rev. Lance Rhoades (39)
“One of my favorite stories in the Bible is about how a good shepherd will leave 99 sheep together to chase after the one that is lost. I wanted to build a church filled with those who are lost, separate or isolated from support.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Brittany Radomski (39)
“Health disparity still exists. Health equity is not a trend … It is a continued commitment to the communities that need help the most.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Christopher Robinson (39)
“All that I do is to be able to help students — that has always been at the forefront of my mind — teach, educate and mentor students as well.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Dr. Yazan Samhouri (35)
“The medical community in Pittsburgh is encouraging. It allows the younger generation to stay in Pittsburgh after completing their training. That’s what happened to me.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Sandahl Taylor (36)
“I found [pageants] opened so many doors for me to have a giant microphone to talk about my experience and to help people in my community.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Sidney Sokoloff (32)
“Sharing our life journey does help people … for some people looking for a life partner, or feel it’s not possible, it shows it is possible and gives people hope.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Patriece Thompson (32)
“Inclusion, diversity. That’s my life. I live it every day and it’s extremely important to me. I hope I can continue to be a catalyst for change. ”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Dr. Joey Troupe (38)
“I wanted my practice to be about more than just teeth. Owning this practice connects me with thousands of people that I would not otherwise have ever interacted with, and that comes with the ability to engage everyone in something bigger than themselves.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Alicia Volcy (39)
“I just want what’s best — and I hope that translates to, ‘She’s going the extra mile — all of the passion was put into this because she wants the greatest impact for the community.’”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Marlene Van Nelson (34)
“I do what I do to make law less scary and more accessible — to help people make their dreams come true in a way that makes them feel empowered, rather than challenged or shut down.”
2023 40 Under 40 Honoree: Chelsea Zahn (32)
“When I look back, following my journey, trusting my passion for sports and my passion for Pittsburgh would take me somewhere — it did.”
Inaugural Class of 40 Under 40 Honorees: Where Are They, 25 Years Later?
Some honorees tapped in 1999 are still in the same roles; others have moved on.
