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Updated: August 19, 2024

WBJ celebrates the 25th anniversary of the 40 Under Forty, names the Class of 2024

Three men sit on the floor of a cannabis dispensary as golden confetti surrounds them. Photo | Jaime Flores The 40 Under Forty winners and alumni who visited Buds Goods & Provisions in Worcester were (from left) Alex Mazin (Class of 2024), Matt Wright (Class of 2024), and Joshua Lee Smith (Class of 2011).

Since the inaugural year in 2000, nearly 1,000 Central Massachusetts professionals have been honored with Worcester Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty award.

All of those young executives, entrepreneurs, and business leaders already had accomplished much to even be considered for 40u40, and after their wins, they went onto even greater things. Some grew their businesses, others moved onto higher-profile companies, and countless more became titans of economy and community, leading the region into a better future. A handful of 40u40 alumni from the early years have even sold their businesses and since retired.

This special edition is a celebration of everything the 40 Under Forty has meant to the Central Massachusetts business community over the last 25 years, with a heavy focus on the incoming Class of 2024. In their story profiles, you’ll read about the great professional and personal achievements of this year’s 40 winners, including startup founders, ascending executives, and nonprofit leaders. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to catch up with 25 featured alumni from the past 25 years, who have each made their own indelible mark on the region’s economy.

A man with a red beard smiles at the camera wearing a pink checkered shirt and navy vest.
Photo | Erika Sidor
Brad Kane, WBJ editor

In order to capture the youthful exuberance these young winners (and not-so-young alumni) bring to the economy, we broke these 65 professionals into 14 groups and took them to high-profile and visually stimulating locations around Central Massachusetts to take fun and zany photographs. Each year, I challenge these small groups to top each other to take the best photos, and every year people rise to the occasion. You’ll see the fantastic results in the honorees' stories and this slideshow of some of the best outtakes.

To join in the celebration of the 40 Under Forty past and present, I invite you to attend the high-octane awards ceremony, scheduled for Sept. 25 at Mechanics Hall in Worcester. As always, the stars of the show will be this year’s winners, but the event promises to have plenty of highlights (and people) showcasing the last 25 years.

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