Forty Under 40

Aaron Pierce said he was inspired by his grandfather, Weldon Pierce, who survived one of the worst friendly-fire incidents in U.S. history when members of the 30th Infantry Division were accidentally bombed in France during World War II. Now, Pierce Aerospace builds remote drone identification technologies for both military and civilian use.

Darryl Lockett, health equity director at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield Indiana, is passionate about combating racial and socioeconomic disparities in education, business, politics and health care.

Nida Ansari launched and leads The Heritage Group Accelerator, the only hard-tech startup accelerator in Indiana.

Portia Bailey-Bernard joined WM from Develop Indy, where—as senior vice president—she was instrumental in a regional collaboration to secure $20 million in state funds to establish a vision and plan to develop the White River region.

While Jonny Baker’s driving skill would take him only so far, there was no slowing down his passion for motorsports.

Ben Blair helps clients manage their tax burdens, particularly taxes on their real estate holdings, so they can invest those savings back into their businesses.

Jeremy Brown is CEO of Nameless Catering Co., which posted its top three months ever last year.

Megan Carrico oversees external communications at Indianapolis International Airport to support initiatives involving air-service development, land use, technology upgrades, passenger amenities or local economic development.

Rachael Coverdale launched her own marketing company in 2015 that has continued to grow without taking on debt.

Within 10 years of immigrating to the United States, Patricio Daneri earned a bachelor’s from Purdue University and a master’s from Indiana University and started his own business, a manufacturer and distributor of commercial LED lighting.

Daniel Diehl began his career in the banking industry right after earning his undergraduate degree and was drawn to commercial banking because of the exposure it offers to many types of businesses and industries.

Kelleigh Irwin Fagan guides colleges and universities through challenging NCAA investigations and other NCAA matters such as infractions, name-image-likeness issues and Title IX concerns.

Chase Flashman founded shipping firm ShipSigma in 2018, and it now generates more than $10 million in revenue and has drawn millions of dollars in outside investment,

Ashley Flowers launched podcast “Crime Junkie” in 2017, and it is now one of the most popular podcasts in the United States. And her company, Audiochuck, now produces 15 podcasts.

As medical director of cardiovascular genetics at Riley, Dr. Elle Geddes helps ensure that the heart center team is using cutting-edge genetic technology, therapies and knowledge to help patients do their best.

Ashley Gurvitz is CEO of United Northeast Community Development Corp. and helped Cook Medical develop a manufacturing site in the neighborhood.

Christina Hage manages legislative and regulatory partnerships, develops stakeholder engagement strategies, coordinates community engagement and leads communications, media and brand management for MHS, a health coverage provider.

At Morales Group, a staffing and talent-sourcing agency that predominantly works with immigrants, Tiffany Hanson focuses on leveraging corporate and government supplier-diversity programs.