4 Under 40 Winners Honored by Emerging Leaders of United Way of Lake County January 18, 2024, During Evening Reception 

Mentor, OH (January 22, 2024) – The Emerging Leaders of United Way of Lake County recognized the recipients of their 2023 annual “4 Under 40” young professional award winners honoring Lake County’s best and brightest during an evening reception held Thursday, January 18, 2024, from 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm.

A crowd of 200 turned out in support of the 2023 award winners who were honored at The Everly in Mentor during an evening that included heavy appetizers and drinks. 

Winners included Sarah Bals, Founder and Owner of 440 Marketing and Executive Director of the Lake County Development Council; Lindsay Defeo, Owner of Leolo Hospitality; entrepreneur Anna Dey, Owner of Smoothie King in Mentor and Painesville, Owner of Clean Eatz in Mentor and 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 and Co-Advisor of Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Psi Rho.

The evening was filled with heartfelt speeches, powerful anecdotes, and moments of genuine appreciation for the 4 Under 40 Award winners. 

During the acceptance of her award by Emerging Leaders’ chair Kerry Jonke, Lindsay Defeo succinctly conveyed the essence of the evening by emphasizing the importance of becoming a person of value rather than one who merely pursues success. 
According to United Way of Lake County President and CEO Dione DeMitro, “I am inspired by the exceptional accomplishments of our Emerging Leaders’ 4 Under 40 Award winners. Their impact is a testament to the positive change that arises from passion and commitment. I admire their many accomplishments and their remarkable dedication to shaping a brighter future for our community.” 

United Way of Lake County and their Emerging Leaders believe the significance of recognizing these young leaders goes beyond individual achievements and speaks to the importance of fostering a culture that values and uplifts the next generation of change-makers. By acknowledging their efforts, the organization hopes to send a powerful message that dedication, innovation, and service are qualities worthy of celebration and emulation.

The evening was topped off by a Proclamation honoring each award winner from Katie Burger on behalf of the Office of Congressman Dave Joyce.
Nominees were submitted by members of the community. All were required to live in Lake County and fall between the ages of 21 to 40 years of age 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.

Last year’s winners 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.

Event sponsors included Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Creation Center, Clean Eatz, Cleveland Auto Wholesale, Component Repair Technologies, Dworken & Bernstein, ErieBank, 440 Marketing, Griffin Technology Group, Keller Williams Greater Cleveland Northeast, Lake County Development Council, Lakeland Community College, Laketran, Lighthouse Advisers, Mentor Area Chamber of Commerce, Smoothie King, Today’s Family Magazine, Two Men & a Truck, and Western & Southern Financial Group. In-kind sponsors included Everything Bundt Cake, Griffin Technology Group, Jenna Seibert Media, and Lake Blue Printing.

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.  

Read the News-Herald Story here.

Read the Lake County Tribune story here.