2021 20 Under 40: Erica Dickson
Assistant Supervisor of Student Services, Columbia Public Schools; COO, Innovated Dreamz; Owner, Xola’s Vegan On-The-Go Entrepreneur. Activist. Advocate. Mother. These are just some of the many roles Erica Dickson has throughout the community. Erica works as the assistant supervisor of student services for Columbia Public Schools, where she assists families who are homeless, executes equity […]
2021 20 Under 40: Garrett Pearson
Executive Director, City of Refuge D uring Garrett Pearson’s college years, he had a dream of changing the world — now, through his role as executive director for City of Refuge, he has the opportunity to change someone else’s. Garrett grew up in a broken home. There was a time when he wasn’t certain of […]
2021 20 Under 40: Kari Hopkins
Chief Development Officer, Coyote Hill For eleven years, Kari Hopkins has been helping Coyote Hill children’s home grow and transform into the nonprofit organization it is today. “When I started in 2009, Coyote Hill was a small nonprofit, mostly unknown to the community,” says Kari, now the organization’s chief development officer. In her day-to-day role, […]
2021 20 Under 40: Marcus Jones
VP of Corporate Growth of TLC; Branch Manager, Senior Loan Officer, TLC — The Broadway Group Whether he’s helping people achieve their dreams of owning a home, fundraising to help rebuild communities after disasters strike, or coaching basketball for Columbia’s youth, Marcus Jones lives a life that prioritizes his neighbors. Prior to Marcus’ current role […]
2021 20 Under 40: Ashley Emel
Chiropractic Physician, Owner, and Principal, Compass Chiropractic and Wellness LLC;Owner, Cost Cutters and Supercuts of Missouri As a chiropractic physician and owner of Compass Chiropractic and Wellness LLC, Ashley Emel spends her days helping people flourish. “I love seeing a variety of people and issues,” Ashley says. “It brings a lot of joy when we […]
2021 20 Under 40: Jason Gruender
Vice President, Meyer Electric; Manager, Liberty Family Medicine; Owner/Broker, Liberty Insurance Solutions When Jason Gruender’s peers are describing him, they use one word — Superman. Most people know Jason from Liberty Family Medicine, but for 15 years, he has been with Meyer Electric, one of the largest electrical contractors in central Missouri, where he’s now […]
2021 20 Under 40: Jeremy Spillman
Chief Creator, Spillman Homes When Jeremy Spillman was a teenager, he felt lost. When he was a sophomore in high school, he dropped out. By the time he was 17, he had been sent to prison for four years. After watching people go through the doors just to come back in — and an altercation with […]
2021 20 Under 40: Trent Rash
Executive Director, The Missouri Symphony Trent Rash is reimagining Columbia’s arts scene and bringing symphonic music back into the community spotlight through his position as executive director of The Missouri Symphony. A former college professor, Trent now spends most days solving problems; building relationships with staff, donors, the board, or patrons; mentoring the MOSY team; […]
2021 20 Under 40: Wendy Moore
Chief Operating Officer for Healium, StoryUp Studios As chief operating officer for Healium, Wendy Moore is the right-hand woman to CEO Sarah Hill, and she’s constantly seeing new opportunities to add to her list of accomplishments. At the top of her list is her job as COO of a startup that makes a difference in […]
2021 20 Under 40: Joe Seymour
Area Manager, River City Construction Although he works in construction, Joe Seymour says he’s the last person you want swinging a hammer. As the area manager for River City Construction, Joe starts each day by waking up at 4 a.m. After he completes his main priorities or task items, he never knows what kind of […]
2021 20 Under 40: Aaron Emel
Owner and President, Cost Cutters and Supercuts of Missouri; Owner, FCE Capital LLC and FCE Investments LLC From a young age, the mentality of working hard was instilled in Aaron Emel. In 2005, Aaron moved back to Columbia after a stint in California with a goal of getting into banking and finance. Despite having no […]
2021 20 Under 40: Kelly Hill
Executive Director Heart of Missouri CASA “When Kelly Hill says yes, it’s not to dip her toes in the water — she dives right in,” former board chair for Heart of Missouri CASA Traci Kennedy says. “She is strategic, analytical, and thorough, with vast experience in social work and child services.” Since Kelly took over […]