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
Taryn Lomas COO UE.co Lomas has been with the company since 2008 and was named COO in January 2018. She is actively involved in diversifying the company’s client base and has inspired 48 percent of company employees to participate in a volunteer opportunity in 2018, with organizations such as Special Olympics San Diego and Women Who Code San Diego.
Laura Maly Co-founder Wonderist Agency Maly co-founded Wonderist Agency in 2012, then followed that up by co-founding both Merger Labs and Nomos Marketing earlier this year. Wonderist offers marketing management services to dental practices. Merger Labs specializes in mergers and acquisitions, and Nomos works with lawyers and their unique marketing needs. Prior to taking the entrepreneurial leap, Laura worked for Sony Pictures Entertainment as its media manager. She studied advertising and business at Florida State University and merchandising and related marketing operations at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.
Carlos Martinez Principal Haskell & White LLP Martinez worked with the team on an initial public offering earlier this year for One Stop Systems LLC that resulted in 12.8 million shares being traded to establish the company with a market cap or more than $50 million. He also completed an aerospace transaction involving a private equity firm and a client. Martinez is program chair for the San Diego chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, and in that role put together a joint program for the Aerospace and Defense Forum and ACG.
Kevan McLaughlin Founder and President McLaughlin Legal McLaughlin graduated law school in 2009 and founded a tax litigation and estate planning practice. He was recognized several times by the San Diego Daily Transcript’s annual peer nomination program as a top young attorney, and he has been honored by San Diego Metropolitan Magazine as a top tax attorney and the San Diego Business Journal in its Best of the Bar recognition. McLaughlin has also been recognized as a Super Lawyer Rising Star every year since 2015.
Channelle McNutt Principal Consultant Jones & Associates Consulting McNutt specializes in diversity and inclusion, organizational change and leadership development. She joined the firm after serving as the assistant director of annual fund and regional development for San Diego State University. In that role, she lead a culture change initiative that sought to reduce turnover and increase employee engagement and retention. She also led a team of 25 to raise private philanthropic support for the university and developed strategies to raise philanthropic support for university partners. McNutt completed undergraduate and master’s course work at San Diego State, earning an MBA in 2017.
Jesus Mendoza Associate Director Willis Towers Watson Mendoza has spent the past 12 years specializing in the insurance needs of public entities and biotech companies. This year he has implemented several tailored health and benefits renewal strategies and worked with new services such as a wellbeing allowance.
Hao Meng San Diego Market Manager Lyft Meng is Lyft’s first San Diego market manager. Meng oversaw the launch of a first-of-its-kind pilot project with the U.S. military via a one-year demonstration project at Camp Pendleton, which aids passengers seeking rides within and off base, as well as service members and their families who drive for Lyft to earn flexible income.
Jared Mettee Project Manager Sundt Construction, Inc. Mettee is a LEED accredited and DBIA professional in the construction industry. He has been a Sundt employee since 2005 and helped develop the company’s use of digital record documents and use of mobile technologies. He was involved in the completion of Golden West Student Services Project, which came in on time and about $850,000 under budget.
Joseph Morstad Director of Business Development Balboa Commercial Real Estate Morstad has a passion for sharing his insights on commercial real estate and has led Balboa’s efforts in sponsors and hosting events. He co-hosted a happy hour for brokers to learn more about 1031 Exchange for their clients and how to get financing. He created Balboa’s new brand “your common sense CRE lender,” as well as designed its new website. Morstad recently attended the American Bankers Association’s Commercial Lending School. He is an avid golfer known for his towering drives.
Heather Moyer Co-founder, President and CEO HNM Systems Inc. Heather in 2011 co-founded HNM Systems Inc., a multimillion-dollar international company that seeks out talent for the telecommunications sector. Rather than screen potential employees and send companies choices, HNM vets its only employee pool and offers clients individuals or groups of people who can take on short- or long-term assignments, then return to HNM when the job is done. The business model was conceived by Moyer, who previously served as an executive officer for a technical staffing firm in San Diego that achieved 900 percent growth over six years. She studied business administration at San Diego State University.
Taylor Moyer CEO Managed Laboratory Services Inc. Moyer’s work at the helm of the women-owned Managed Laboratory Services Inc. requires that she marry cutting-edge technology with lab operation expertise. The goal is to provide lab support and lab operations solutions to the company’s clients. Over the years, Managed Laboratory Services has been named one of the fastest growing companies in San Diego multiple times. Taylor has been with Managed Laboratory Services since 2008. But it is not the only hat she wears. Moyer also works as president of Boots in Bio, a nonprofit that seeks to help men and women with military experience transition into civilian lives that include jobs in the biotech and pharma industries.
Kevin Murphy President Murphy Jones APC Aside from expanding his practice, Murphy has been recognized by a San Diego Rising Star in Super Lawyers magazine and Modern Luxury San Diego. In 2016 he was named Best of the Bar, Administrative License Defense, by the San Diego Business Journal. Murphy also volunteers his time to legal and community organizations and donates copious legal services and finance donations to non-profits in San Diego.
Hilda Mwangi Director World Trade Center, San Diego While working for the UK Government Office in San Diego, Mwangi was responsible for fostering trade and investment within the Life Sciences sector. She supported a trade mission led by Scott Peters and the San Diego World Trade Center and facilitated meetings between San Diego business and civic leaders and UK counterparts. She has worked for the Maryland General Assembly, the United Nations, the U.S. Embassy in London, and the British Consulate-General in Los Angeles.
Justin Namaha Partner Troutman Sanders LLP Namaha serves as pro bono general counsel for The Honor Foundation, helping hundreds of Navy Seals and other Special Forces successfully transition from active duty. He also provides pro bono assistance to Cammies & Canines, a non-profit combatting San Diego’s homeless veteran challenges. He recently instituted Troutman’s office hours in San Diego to counsel entrepreneurs from The Rosie Network. Namaha developed a relationship with client CrossFit Inc. while on active duty with the Marines. He competed in the worldwide CrossFit Games where his team achieved three top-five finishes.
Ilo Neukam Founder and Marketing Strategist The Collective SD Since launching The Collective in April 2017, Neukam has worked with more than 15 organizations, spanning from San Diego to Stockholm and including non-profits and biotechs and startups to Fortune 500 companies. She was honored with the Junior League’s 2018 President’s Award for outstanding work and exceptional leadership. She is Vice President of Marketing for the local Junior League chapter.