Judges for the 40 Under Forty, Class of 2025

This year, WBJ received 210 nominations of 108 nominees for the 40 Under Forty awards. To be eligible, a nominee has to work in Central Massachusetts, live in or near Massachusetts, and be under the age of 40 on the date of the awards ceremony, which is Sept. 17. The nominees were scored independently by three judges. WBJ then verified the eligibility of the top-scoring nominees to select the Class of 2025. This year's judges were Kola Akindele, Jenessa Burks, and Lauren Howe.

Kola Akindele is associate vice president for external relations & partnerships at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. His job is to nurture relationships with funders, whether private foundations, government organizations, or corporate sponsors, to support research and operations, as well as to strengthen community connections. Prior to joining WPI, he held a similar position at UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester and previously taught as an assistant professor in health policy at Worcester State University. He is a member of the WBJ 40 Under Forty, Class of 2016.

Jennessa Burks is an artist, muralist, and educator who lives in West Boylston and has collaboratively painted more than 20 murals throughout Worcester. She has been commissioned to create more than 45 works of art total to be displayed across 18 states. She has been a member of Creative Hub Worcester’s board and the nonprofit’s lead art curator since 2020 and is Main IDEA’s resident lead mural artist, working with Worcester youth to co-paint public murals. She is a member of the WBJ 40 Under Forty, Class of 2024.

Lauren Howe is principal and owner of empHowered PR, a public relations consulting firm with offices in Leominster and Worcester. Among her many clients, Howe serves as public relations manager for USA Luge and is looking forward to representing the team as its press officer during the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games. She is a member of the WBJ 40 Under Forty, Class of 2014 and was named an Ambassador of the year by the North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce in 2022.

Brad Kane is editor of the Worcester Business Journal.