#au40

Vanessa Fuentes is the Senior Director of Grassroots Advocacy at the American Heart Association.

Why did you choose to lead the Austin Under 40 Awards committee?

I've been a member of the AU40 planning committee for four years and I have loved the experience of working with talented members of the Young Women's Alliance and Young Men's Business League. Sarah Harrington, Felicia Pena, Mysha Lubke, Britni Rachal, Jordan Hefton, Sandra Rivera, Ali Bills, Phoebe Chen, Hannah Meyer, and Ashley Flores were instrumental to the event success. I am amazed and inspired by their hard work and dedication in planning Austin Under 40, a signature event in the community hosted by YWA. We are able to recognize individuals who are not only excelling in their careers but are also making an impact on the community. Since 1998, YWA and YMBL have hosted a sold-out fundraising gala in support of the YWA Foundation and Austin Sunshine Camps.

Why did you join YWA?

I joined YWA in 2009 to meet like-minded women and to have the opportunity to develop leadership and professional skills.

Tell us something you are most proud of.

I am most proud of the incredible work of the 2015 AU40 planning committee. Truly. Our committee members dedicated over 400 volunteer hours to put on this event, which raised over $150,000 for our charities.

What stands out to you about Austin and its community?

I love how Austinites prefer to support local businesses. Also, the food scene is the BEST. Almost every week we have another delicious eatery opening and offering scrumptious cuisine.

Do you have a bucket list?  If so what is on it?

On Saturday night more than 800 people gathered at the new JW Marriott for the 17th annual Austin Under 40 Awards.

The sold-out event brought together some of Austin’s most influential and creative young professionals for a night recognizing those committed to business and community leadership.

The top honor of the night, Austinite of the Year, went to real estate professional Jonny Rodgers, of DEN Property Group LLC.  An attendee of Austin’s Westlake High School, Rodgers helped found the Austin Young Chamber (AYC) and has served on the board of the Young Men’s Business League (YMBL).  “Right now it feels like the city of Austin just came up and gave me a big hug,” Rodgers said.

In the new Mentor of the Year category, Heather McKissick was awarded the title.  A former President and CEO of Leadership Austin, McKissick continues to inspire young leaders – more than 25 of the nominated finalists have been involved in Leadership Austin’s programs.

Other winners included Leon Chen, of Tiff’s Treats, in the Entrepreneurship and Startup category, Chelsea McCullough in the Technology and Science category, and Lonny Stern, of Skillpoint Alliance, in the Community Service and Nonprofit category.  “People move to the coasts to try to be something, but they move to Austin to do something,” Stern said in his acceptance speech.

The evening included dinner, dancing, and presentations from the Young Women’s Alliance and the Young Men’s Business League, whose organizations benefit from the gala.

Congratulations to the 2015 Austin Under 40 award winners!

   Arts, Sports, Media and Entertainment: Matthew Hinsley

   Community Service and Nonprofit: Lonny Stern

   Culinary Arts and Hospitality: Shaady Ghadessy

   Energy, Cleantech and Environmental Services: Jose Beceiro

   Engineering, Architecture and Design: Matt Fajkus

   Entrepreneurship and Startup: Leon Chen

   Financial Services and Insurance: Adam Flagg

   Government and Public Affairs: Gerardo Interiano

   Legal: Evan Young

   Marketing, PR and Advertising: Jenifer Sarver

   Medicine, Healthcare and Sciences: Andrea Campaigne

   Real Estate: Jonny Rodgers

   Technology and Science: Chelsea McCullough

   Youth and Education: Matthew Abbott

   Mentor of the Year: Heather McKissick

With the 2015 Austin Under 40 Awards just around the corner, past winner John King shares some thoughts on mentorship, clean technology, and community involvement. 

In 2013 you won the award for the Technology & Sciences category.  What changes have you seen in the industry since then? I was honored to win in Technology and Sciences before there was an Energy, Cleantech and Environmental Services Category.  My work was focused on Cleantech cluster development and economic development.  Since 2013, our region has seen continued growth in the energy sector and a lot of exciting developments.  We have very successful companies such as Omni Water Solutions that are providing water recycling solutions for drilling operations, companies such as Ideal Power, which went through a successful IPO, and at least one major acquisition – SunPower’s purchase of SolarBridge. Beyond the growth and success of the industry, one thing in particular that I have noticed is an emergence of companies and technologies that transcend traditional products, services and technologies in a manner that leverages Austin’s strengths to advance new business and technical models.  While Austin’s energy sector still includes a lot of traditional companies and technologies such as solar manufacturers, oil and gas companies, and power generators and retailers, the industry is also developing in a way that draws the intellectual and creative sector into an aging industry, making it more efficient, effective, reliable, and ultimately, cleaner. It’s exciting to see the impact that Austin’s energy sector is having on the greater industry, infusing innovation, technology, and creative thinking into an industry that desperately needs it. As a young professional, how do you find ways to prioritize being involved in the larger Austin community? It’s a challenge.  There are a lot of great causes in this town and it’s easy to get spread too thin.  Right now I am focused on providing the best and most inclusive personal and professional development platform though the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce (AYC).  I’m able to give a significant amount of time and resources to the organization because I’ve been involved now for almost four years, we have an incredible Board of Directors, and an outstanding staff.  I’ve gotten so much out of it that giving back to the organization doesn’t feel like work. I’m also very involved in the cleantech community through my role as Vice Chair on the CleanTX Board of Directors.  I guess at the end of the day, I have been very fortunate to get involved with great organizations that are made up of incredible people.  Austin is an incredible place.  I think anyone that reaches out and gets involved will eventually find what drives them.  At that point, it’s just about prioritizing what gets you excited and what allows you to have a positive impact, no matter how small - constant reassessing, reevaluating, and realigning. What does the Austin community mean to you? Home.  I had the good fortune of growing up in Austin and I am proud to be a third generation Austinite.  When I got back after college, I had a lot of help and support from family and friends.  Everyone here wants to see others succeed and do well.  People here are always willing to lend a helping hand.  Austin is a community-centered city and people here are generous with their time and expertise.  We care for our own, and for others.  It’s part of what makes Austin so special and such a desirable place to be.

Do you have a mentor?  What has been one of the more important things that you’ve learned from them, or from the mentorship experience?

Yes, I have a few.  I will say that in general, what I have learned most from the mentorship experience is that when faced with a challenge, consult those whom you trust and consider all the information, but always go with your intuition and your heart.  We have an amazing capacity to know what is right and what we should do, but I think we are conditioned to mistrust ourselves.

Two specific things that I have learned from my mentors: the first was from a spiritual practitioner who told me to pay attention not to “why” I am making decisions, but rather to the “where.”  That is, where am I making this decision from?  Is it from a place of love and abundance, or am I making this decision from a place of fear and insecurity?  If it is from a place of love, then we are likely to do the right thing.

The second is something that Heather McKissick once told me when I was trying to make a major decision about my place of employment.  Heather said, “John, you have to ask yourself, are you running from something, or to something?”  Heather seems to teach me something of major significance every time I talk with her, but this particular lesson is one which I revisit on a weekly basis.  It’s important to keep things in perspective and to really be sure that we are going after things that are worth pursuing, otherwise we can spend the majority of our lives running from things that maybe aren’t all that bad.

What are you working on today?  Any new projects on the horizon?

Today I am working business development with SparkCognition.  It’s a really exciting cognitive computing company that is doing groundbreaking work in predictive analytics and cyber security – one of these unique Austin companies that is infusing innovation, technology, and creative thinking into the energy industry.  I’m still involved with YMBL, The AYC, CleanTX, and Leadership Austin.  My goal right now is to not take on any new projects, but make sure I am managing and maintaining my current projects at a high level of productivity and effectiveness.  Any new projects I take on will involve a plane ride or a long drive, and a disconnect from Wi-Fi and cell service.

Now that the 2015 Austin Under 40 Awards finalists have been announced, and tickets for the event are on sale, get to know one of the prestigious award’s past winners:  Mousumi Shaw.

In 2014 you won the award for the Business & Entrepreneurship category.  Briefly, how would you describe what your job entails? As founder & CEO of Sikara & Co., a modern fusion jewelry brand, I get to wear many hats.  Lately my job has been more about leading a vision for the company going forward as well as working with our leadership team to help them grow our wholesale, retail and online divisions.  Since our jewelry is inspired by my travels around the world, I also get to wear the creative hat, working with creating new country collections based upon my travel photography.  Finally, we really care about the communities our stores are in (Austin, Boston & San Francisco) so I love developing partnerships with non-profit organizations that are empowering others and / or building global awareness around a cause. As a young professional, what do you think are some of the biggest challenges for people looking to start their own business? Actually I believe the challenges have come down over the years, due to the advances of technology, making it easier for people to launch ideas.  There are more incubators, business plan competitions, and tech platforms (like Square, Hootsuite, Hubspot, Shopify, Social Media platforms, etc.) to make start-up costs much lower.  The flipside is that this brings on more competition.  Therefore, the winner will be the company that can execute the best and attract the best talent. The Austin community means something different to each of us, what does it mean to you? I’ve lived in many cities from NYC to San Francisco and they each offer something amazing and unique.  For me, Austin is one of the most collaborative communities.  I have lived here for 10 years now, and it’s been amazing to see our city develop, grow and continue to be open to new ideas and residents.  Also, our company has a retail storefront downtown in the 2nd St. District.  It’s been a privilege to be part of the growing downtown.  In Austin, people love to help each other out.   There is a general optimistic energy that surrounds this city.  It’s a fabulous place to live, do business and call home. Do you have a mentor?  What has been one of the more important things that you’ve learned from them, or from the mentorship experience? I recently joined EO’s (Entrepreneur Organization) Ignite program.  EO brings together entrepreneurs and offers a platform for discussion, mentorship and growth.  With my Ignite program, we have a dedicated formal mentor whom we meet in a group setting monthly.  My mentor, Jeff Carpenter, a successful software entrepreneur (founder of PeopleAdmin & AcademicWorks), has provided both personal and professional advice from his experiences.  For entrepreneurs in the Austin area, I highly recommend checking out http://www.eonetwork.org/  In addition, I make time to mentor other entrepreneurs.  I find that I learn just as much from them, as they do from me! What are you working on today?  Any new projects on the horizon? There’s never a boring moment at Sikara, as the challenges and opportunities are always changing.  This year, we officially launch our new Indonesian and Israel inspired jewelry collections.  On the wholesale front, we are trying to partner with more museums and galleries as they showcase our jewelry as art.  On the online front, we are expanding our website www.sikara.com and partnering with exciting companies like www.shoptiques.com.  Finally with retail, we are hoping to test a few new markets.