Erica Irish

Brad Rateike is back to building his communications firm after spending two years in Washington, D.C., serving as director of cabinet communications for the White House.

Muhammad Yasin co-founded a group that focuses on agile marketing and co-hosts a podcast for “process-minded marketers.”

Matt Waggoner, managing director of tenant representation for JLL, changed his perspective on his career after a friend challenged him to consider the purpose of his work.

Yecenia Tostado and her then-colleagues at EmployIndy crafted Indy Achieves, which is Mayor Joe Hogsett’s program to help Marion County youth afford post-secondary education.

As director of regulatory and regional transmission organization policy at IPL, Justin Sufan is in the middle of big changes at his company and in the energy sector worldwide.

Dr. Emily Scott is a vocal advocate in the public sphere for reforms to better serve and respect pregnant mothers affected by substance abuse.

At Pivot Marketing, Jenn Schimmelpfennig and her team serve some of the most recognized organizations in the city—including Indianapolis Public Schools, Exodus Refugee and the Arts Council of Indianapolis.

Carlos Salazar is using his new outpost at The Yard at Fishers District to test ideas. He eventually hopes to open a full-service restaurant in Fishers.

Ian Rupert resigned from a leadership position with JPMorgan Chase to back a venture capital fund investing in companies primarily in the alcohol and hospitality industries.

Beau Reichart is honoring the history and traditions of Red Gold at the same time he’s embracing greener processes and modern products.

Stacy Atkinson in October became the youngest Latina chancellor to lead an Ivy Tech Community College campus in the history of the higher education network, which is the largest community college system in the country.

Doneisha Posey joined Ivy Tech late last year after serving in a variety of roles at the Indiana Civil Rights Commission.

When Amar Patel taught in Chicago, he observed that “every student … wanted to learn, and every student wanted a sense of purpose in their lives.”

Sonja Overhiser and her husband founded the food blog A Couple Cooks, which boasts more than 1,000 recipes on its site.

Hannah Ott worked her way up in real estate, eventually becoming a partner at Indianapolis-based Tikijian & Associates, which was acquired by Cushman & Wakefield.

Mark Nottingham’s passion is people and neighborhoods, not necessarily houses—and that’s the secret behind the success of Plat Collective, the residential real estate brokerage he founded in 2011 as Nottingham Realty Group.

Blair Milo was serving as the LaPorte mayor when Gov. Eric Holcomb asked her to join his administration as secretary of career connections and talent, overseeing the state’s Next Level Jobs initiative to connect Hoosiers with high-paying, high-demand jobs.

Breanca Merritt is the founding director of the Center for Research on Inclusion and Social Policy at IUPUI, which researches and reveals the trends that limit progress in Indianapolis.

Barnes & Thornburg partner Jessica Lindemann credits her father (an attorney, who was “committed to his partners, his community and his family”) and her mother (a social worker, who “instilled the value of community service and social connection”) with influencing her choice of career and specialties.