Emerging Leaders of United Way of Lake County to Honor 4 Under 40 Award Winners January 18, 2024 During Evening Ceremony

4 Under 40 Winners to be Honored by Emerging Leaders of United Way of Lake County January 18 During Evening Reception   

Mentor, OH (January 18, 2024) – The winners of the Emerging Leaders fifth annual 4 Under 40 awards will be recognized on Thursday, January 18, 2024, from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm at The Everly in Mentor over heavy hors d'oeuvres and drinks.

The award serves to honor Lake County’s best and brightest young professionals for their hard work and achievements in the areas of leadership, community involvement, entrepreneurship, and professional accomplishment.

This year’s winners include Sarah Bals, Founder and Owner of 440 Marketing and Executive Director of Lake County Development Council; Lindsay Defeo, Owner of Leolo Hospitality in Mentor; Anna Dey, Owner of Smoothie King in Mentor and Painesville, Owner of Clean Eatz in Mentor & Westlake, Owner of The Yard on 3rd in Willoughby), Owner of The Vitamin Shoppe in  Huber Heights, Partner of Bario Tacos + Tequila in Columbus and Pittsburgh, and Founder and Director of The 24 in 24; and Andie Musial, Professor of Biology at Lakeland Community College where she also serves as advisor of Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Psi Rho.

The event is open to the public with advance registration. Tickets are $50 per person, $40 for members of the Emerging Leaders and Women United, and $30 for those under 21 years of age. Complete details and registration can be found at uwlc.org/el-2023-4under40.

Sponsorships that include tables of eight are also available and can be found by visiting the aforementioned website page. 

“Each recipient of our 4 Under 40 award epitomizes excellence in both philanthropy and personal accomplishment. These individuals represent our future's promise, and through this honor, we celebrate their impactful contributions to our community's growth and prosperity,” said Emerging Leaders Chair Kerry Jonke.

Last year’s winners were honored in front of a crowd of two-hundred and included Tim Flenner, Senior Vice President, Commercial Banking, at ErieBank; James Schleicher, Financial Advisor & Staff Manager at Western & Southern Financial Group / Team IBB; Bryan Thomas, Financial Adviser at Lighthouse Advisers; and Alex Zinni, Founder and CEO of Alpha Key Digital.

According to United Way of Lake County President and CEO Dione DeMitro, “In Lake County, there is an abundance of exceptional young professionals, making the selection process particularly challenging, especially this year due to the large number of nominations received.”

Nominees were submitted by members of the community, and all were required to live in Lake County and fall between the ages of 21- 40 years old during the year ending December 31, 2023.

The winners were determined by a rubric scoring process based on their hard work and achievements in four areas: leadership, community involvement, entrepreneurship, and professional accomplishment. The evaluation and scoring process maintained anonymity by keeping nominees and their nominators undisclosed.

The Emerging Leaders of United Way of Lake County welcomes new members interested in volunteering their time and talent to impact lives in the community. To learn more about the Emerging Leaders, visit United Way of Lake County’s website at uwlc.org/emerging-leaders.