The San Diego Business Journal on Aug. 14 will recognize San Diego’s Next 40 Top Business Leaders Under 40. The event will be from 4-7 p.m. at the Westin San Diego Gaslamp Quarter. Here are some of the 150 finalists, listed alphabetically. Ten names will be released each day for 10 days starting July 30, 2018. LIST TO DATE
Greg Gershman Principal Lee & Associates, Inc., North San Diego County Gershman has closed more than $60 million in deals since arriving at Lee. He qualified as a shareholder in the shortest time period and is the youngest shareholder in Lee history. He was a top producer in 2014-2018. Gershman also is on the Lee & Associates Executive Committee and played a major role in creating a training program for the next generation of young brokers. He was named Lee’s Rookie of the year 2014.
Marin Gertler Design Director | Studio Director Gensler Gertler is currently leading the design for several high profile projects in downtown San Diego, including the redevelopment of Horton Plaza, the 850-room Fifth Ave Landing hotel, multiple buildings at the Seaport Village redevelopment and the first new office building in the heart of Little Italy. He received the American Institute of Architects Young Architect of the Year Award (2017-2018).
Anne Elise Goetz Partner Higgs Fletcher & Mack In April, Goetz was selected as a new Fellow to the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. In 2017, she was lead borrower’s counsel on commercial mortgage-backed securities loans totaling more than $54 million and was the lead borrower’s counsel for a $217 million credit facility. Goetz was honored by the San Diego Business Journal in the Best of the Bar in 2015, as well as the San Diego Daily Transcript’s Young Attorney award in 2011 and 2012.
Alyssa Gutner-Davis Program Manager Cleantech San Diego Gutner-Davis oversees the San Diego Regional Energy Innovation Network program for startups that are developing solutions to help California meet its energy goals. The program is the result of a five-year, $5 million grant from the California Energy Commission. Her leadership requires a great deal of technology domain expertise, organizational and communications skills, and enthusiasm to keep partners engaged. There are 20 energy startups in the program.
Flossie Hall CEO Health Momma While applying to medical school, Hall realized helping others become healthy before they have to see a doctor was her calling. She started her meal prep company while her husband was deployed and she is highly involved in the military community. Healthy Momma has created more than 100 jobs, 75 percent of which have been held by active duty, military spouses and dependents. Her company has been featured multiple times on television and in magazines. She has been nominated twice for SDBJ’s Most Admired CEO.
Michelle Hammer Director of Marketing PayLease Hammer started in 2010 as a customer service representative and has helped grow the marketing team from two to 16 people. She was instrumental in implementing more defined KPIs and establishing marketing attribution for her company’s campaigns. Hammer worked with the marketing analytics team to develop a new lead flow in salesforce.com. She was the main organizer behind PayLease’s charity golf tournament that raised almost $20,000 to benefit Fresh Start Surgical Gifts.
Jamie Hampton CEO Mixte Communications Hampton worked in advertising and public relations agencies and an environmental organization before founded her firm in 2014. Mixte operates among the intersections of small business, community, environment and social justice, or as she puts it, “nice companies.” The Oregon transplant first entered the San Diego scene as an account supervisor for Bailey Gardiner in 2004 and later served as San Diego Coastkeeper’s marketing and communications director. She also managed to squeeze in time to be a board member on the San Diego Leadership Alliance’s communications committee. Hampton graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and public relations from the University of Oregon, where she also played women’s rugby – a sport she also has coached at the high school level.
Matt Hendry Project Manager Gilliland Construction Management Hendry has worked in San Diego’s construction industry for more than 15 years, including 10-plus years in construction management. He has overseen a variety of projects, including ground-up core and shell buildings, Class A office tenant improvements, downtown high rise unique office build outs, medical office tenant improvements and hospitality remodels. A licensed general engineering and general contractor, Hendry holds a LEED AP BD+C Accreditation. He has worked for Gilliland Construction Management since December 2015. Prior to landing in San Diego, Matt studied construction management, construction and engineering at the University of Florida.
Eric Hepfer Director Hines While working on Hines’ La Jolla Commons II project, Hepfer incorporated a system that allows the building to run on fuel cells. The building may eventually be carbon neutral/net zero. Hepfer is guiding the Mission Valley Riverwalk project through the community outreach and approval process, with a goal of breaking ground in mid-2020. Before his business career, Eric served five years as a Submarine Officer in the Navy and was a two-time Navy achievement award winner.
Ryan Hill President Hill Construction Company After earning a degree in Construction Management, Hill took the reins of the family custom home business. He has led the company in the completion of multiple custom home projects in San Diego County and will soon add the company’s first completed projects in Orange County and Palm Desert. The company also has a project underway in Beverly Hills. Two projects were recently selected for recognition in trade publications.
Whitney Hodges Senior Associate Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP Hodges is a senior associate in the San Diego offices of the global law giant, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP. She works in real estate, land use and national resources, and also serves on the firm’s pro bono and diversity and inclusion committees. Hodges is a registered lobbyist with the city of San Diego, the County of San Diego, and the San Diego Port Authority. A native San Diegan, Hodges graduated from Rancho Bernardo High School and the University of Southern California before entering its law school. In her spare time, she volunteers with the San Diego Humane Society, chairing its Young Professionals Committee. In that capacity, she engages millennials in animal welfare causes through mixers and networking events.
Ari Hoffman Success Fanatic MindTouch Last year Hoffman was responsible for 72 percent of the company’s unpaid inbound lead generation. His job is to turn the company’s 43 million monthly users into brand advocates. Hoffman’s most notable career achievement was selling a company he had founded – GOBIE h2o – to Shark Tank investor Daymond John. Hoffman was named a 2017 Finalist for Marketing Leader of the Year by Turning Point Executives.
Andrew Holets CEO Pro Kids/First Tee of San Diego The nonprofit serves youth by imparting the conviction that “Success Is Par for The Course” combining academic counseling for low-income students with golf. Holets revitalized the organization and went from a deficit of $650,000 to a credit of $400,000 after paying off all organizational loans, paying off the existing line of credit, and adding $100,000 to the cash reserve. He oversaw the number of annual scholarships was increase, grew membership 8 percent, and grew high school age participation 15 percent. He once served two years in the United States Peace Corps in Kazakhstan focusing on public health and community development.
Dr. Irene May-Ling Hutchins Hematology/Oncology Fellow Scripps Cancer Center Dr. Hutchins is The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of San Diego’s 2018 Woman of the Year. In 10 short weeks, she raised more than $240,000 for the organization, which supports local blood cancer researchers and blood cancer patients. Dr. Hutchins set a record for funds raised by a female for the San Diego Man & Woman of the Year campaign.
Timothy Hutter Partner Allen Matkins Hutter is a business and real estate litigator focusing primarily on contract, construction, joint venture, entitlement, land use and landlord/tenant litigation. He joined the California-based Allen Matkins in its San Diego office in 2009, following his graduation from the University of California Los Angeles School of Law. In 2016, he was appointment to serve on the San Diego Historical Resources Board, advising city officials on development projects that may affect historical resources. He has served as the board’s vice chair since March 2017. In 2013 and 2014, Timothy was a finalist for the San Diego Business Journal’s Emerging Generation Award.