About the nominees…
No one expected a year like the one we’ve had, but Drexel’s young 40 Under 40 greeted it with grit. While the world hunkered down during off-and-on quarantines and up-and-down case counts, Dragons kept their sights on their goals. They launched new companies in the middle of an historic downturn, reimagined how they deliver on their talents, and for a surprisingly large number of them, became first-time parents. Even when there was darkness — some lost loved ones — there was also the resilience to help others cope in any way they could. Some alumni dreamed up new ways to support families who were struggling. Some rushed to the front lines to help communities beset by rising infections. One and all, they took something from this experience they can build on when the world is breathing easily again.
Meet this year’s 40 Under 40 and see why we think the Class of 2021 is our most amazing yet.
COMMUNITY
Tech Mavens
Daniel Fornace, 32
As the creator of the video game “Rivals of Aether,” Daniel Fornace is among the most talented game designers and developers in the industry. After graduating from Drexel in 2011 with a BS in digital media, he joined Microsoft Studios as a game designer, where he worked as a consultant on many critically acclaimed titles including “Trials Evolution,” “Dust An Elysian Tail,” “Charlie Murder,” “Mark of the Ninja,” and “Ori and the Blind Forest.”
Andrew Aversa, 33
BS music industry ’09
Founder, Impact Soundworks & Impact Gameworks (Fulton, Maryland)
“I’ve started over a dozen projects with musicians impacted by the pandemic, many of them friends who were put out of immediate work due to tours and studios being shut down.”
Tashia Tucker, 39
MS interior architecture & design ’12
CEO/founder, Olombria (London)
“Life is inevitably filled with ups and downs; success is the ability to weather the storm with grace and empathy.”
Abrar Hashmi, 35
BS electrical and computer engineering ’07
Founder and chief evangelist, Agile Brains Consulting (Philadelphia)
“I owe Drexel for shaping my formative years, motivating me to be a risk-taker, and building my ‘never-give-up’ attitude.”
Mahdi Sarmady, 38
PhD biomedical engineering ’10
Head of data science, Spark Therapeutics (Philadelphia)
“Living a happy life while having a positive impact in the world is what success looks like to me.”
Kamelia Aryafar, 35
PhD computer science ’15, MS computer science ’10
Director and engineering head, retail solutions, Google Cloud Artificial Intelligence, Google (California)
“This year has helped me realize that change is a constant in life.”
David Rosen, 37
MS education ’09, PhD psychology ’18
Co-founder & CEO, Secret Chord Laboratories (Norfolk, Virginia)
“I think the last year has taught me just how adaptable human beings can be, and for that, I am hopeful.”
Startup Stars
Tom, 34, and Jason Rowinski, 38
As kids, Tom and Jason Rowinski loved to sell household items to their mom or whoever was around, and they never outgrew the thrill of building businesses together. When they were both students at Drexel, the brothers dedicated their time inbetween classes on business, technology and information science toward building a custom software company on the side called JTR Solutions, of which Tom is CEO and Jason is chief technology officer.
Danish Dhamani , 26
BS mechanical engineering ’17
CEO and Co-founder, Orai (Philadelphia)
“I came across many people who were happier (including me) by moving closer to family and/or being in the suburbs. This is the longest time I’ve spent as a young adult under the same roof as my parents, and it’s been wonderful!”
Ilya Rabovetsky, 36
BS business administration and BS information systems and technology, ’06
Principal, Redblock Realty Inc. (Philadelphia)
“This pandemic has truly reminded us all about the need to distinguish between the things we can and cannot control. It’s too easy to fall into the rabbit hole of all the negativity.”
Courtney Sabo, 27
BS graphic design ’15
Co-founder, Kopa (San Francisco, California)
“Year 2020 taught me to make the best out of any situation and appreciate seemingly small things.”
Dana Redden, 38
BS interior design ’05
Founder & CEO, Solar Stewards (Atlanta)
“Solar Stewards [can] help the private sector emerge from this crisis in a profitable way while helping them lead and exceed corporate social responsibility and diversity equity and inclusion goals.”
Joshua Amrani, 33
BS international business ’11
Founder & CEO, The Amrani Group (San Francisco)
“Staying at home for over one year, I proved to myself how much more my teams and I could accomplish if half our time was not spent traveling. We plan to carry that respect, efficiency and optimization of time with us moving forward.”
Paul Golota, 38
BS business administration ’06
Co-founder & CEO, MedSurvey (Southampton, Pennsylvania)
“My team can be just as, if not more so, productive while working remotely; this has prompted us to re-think our office space, work-from-home policies, and general health policies.”
Connectors & Builders
Valerissa C. Baker, 29
You could say Valerissa Baker’s road to an executive position at World Vision started at Drexel, and it quite literally did. As an undergraduate, Baker was the first recipient of the Dornsife Global Development Scholars program. Her 2014 co-op took her to Zambia with the global nonprofit World Vision, where she led a research project on maternal and child health. Today, she is a business development and product manager for World Vision with a global portfolio that includes Zambia and other countries in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Patrick Williams, 39
BS civil engineering ’04
Southwest regional leader, Urban Engineers (Irving, Texas)
“The past year has shown me the importance of giving back. There are systematic problems that need addressing, and it is up to individuals to make the difference by starting in their own communities.”
Malcolm “MJ” Harris, 36
BS communications ’07
Founder, OmniBay Financial Group (Los Angeles)
“[This year] made me go harder to build business models that were recession proof.”
Michael Angelos, 33
BS finance ’11
Vice president, Goldman Sachs
“I’ve been inspired by…the ‘call to action’ by our healthcare workers, and our neighbors, nonprofits and companies, who all came together to support families in need.”
Ross Staszak, 33
BS electrical engineering ’10
Director of customer solutions at Helm, a Comcast company (Philadelphia)
“As awful 2020 was, it has helped me appreciate the beautifully simple gestures and subtleties of life by slowing down.”
Robert Kudenchak, 32
MBA finance ’16
Superintendent, Turner Construction Co. (New York)
“Personally, success is understanding that you control your own destiny and when you take responsibility for your actions you will naturally become more successful.”
Samaritans & Healers
Jeanette Bowles, 38
Jeanette Bowles is an unapologetic disruptor. In 2019, as the executive director of Safehouse, a Philadelphia nonprofit that sought to provide drug overdose prevention services, she fought a bruising public battle to try to open the nation’s first above-ground supervised drug consumption site. Philadelphia has one of the nation’s highest overdose mortality rates and Bowles came to the fight armed with research and years of experience working on the front lines of the overdose crisis.
Austin A. Coley, 34
PhD neuroscience ’19
Postdoctoral fellow, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, and instructor, University of California–San Diego
“[The past year] allowed me to recalibrate and focus on the important things in life.”
Doriean Broady, 28
Doctor of physical therapy ’17
Physical therapist & owner, Optimal Home Rehab (Philadelphia)
“The pandemic forced me to become innovative and creative to ensure the safety of our clients and therapists.”
Ingrid Schmiederer, 33
MD ’16
Post-doctoral surgical education research fellow, Stanford University, and general surgery resident, New York Presbyterian Queens Hospital
“As a physician who worked in a COVID intensive care unit during the initial pandemic surge, it is difficult to capture the full influence this last year has had. People deserve respect and peace of mind above all else.”
Rabiah Asif, 28
MPH community, health and prevention ’19
Contact tracing coordinator, Philadelphia Department of Public Health
“Drexel’s interdisciplinary approach to tackle real-world problems through scientific study showed me how we can create healthier communities and provide equitable solutions.”
Arts, Education & Community
Adriana Abizadeh, 31
Property by property, Adriana Abizadeh is leading the charge to revitalize a corner of Philadelphia as the inaugural executive director of the Kensington Corridor Trust and in the process, creating a pioneering framework of steward ownership that could serve as a national model. The nonprofit corporation, governed by local residents and business owners, buys parcels at market value along Kensington Avenue, the once-thriving main drag of a North Philadelphia neighborhood that has faced hard times, and places them in a trust to preserve affordability in the face of gentrification.
Salina Almanzar, 30
MS arts administration ’17
Visual artist; photography and printmaking technician, Franklin and Marshall College (Lancaster, Pennsylvania); co-initiator, The Seed Project (Lancaster, Pennsylvania)
“This year has forced me to slow down and radically re-evaluate what social practice looks like in a world where we can’t meet at tables and eat snacks and paint together.”
Chris Sulit, 37
BS music industry ’06
Owner/engineer, Trading 8s Recording Studio (Paramus, New Jersey)
“I am uplifted that we’ve found ways to keep making music, even with the limitations of the past year.”
Gabriela Marginean, 34
BS psychology and sport management (double major) ’10 and MS global and international education ’17
Pro basketball player, Landerneau Bretagne Basket (France)
“Two things that I focus more on now are enjoying to the fullest time spent with my family and close friends, and being present each moment.”
Richard Kopp, 39
MS higher education ’09
Assistant dean of students, Community College of Philadelphia
“I’m continually reminded to not take anything for granted, to not sweat the small stuff, and to keep a sense of humor while remaining hopeful.”
Scientists & Scholars
Babak Anasori, 39
Babak Anasori not only discovers nanoparticles, he illuminates them so that the rest of the world can experience them. Anasori is currently an assistant professor and principal investigator in the Anasori Research Lab in the Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, but his career began at Drexel.
Sharon Stoll, 38
BS biology ’05
Assistant professor, Department of Neurology and neuro-immunologist, Yale Medicine (New Haven, Connecticut); CEO, Global Consult MD (Philadelphia)
“Navigating people through their COVID questions via media appearances has been a source of comfort to me and a silver lining during this period.”
Brielle Ferguson, 30
PhD neuroscience ’17
National Research Service Award postdoctoral fellow, Stanford University
“I have realized that so much of how we choose to spend our time is habitual rather than intentional, and I am looking forward to carrying intentionality into post-pandemic times.”
Kelsey Hatzell, 34
PhD materials science and engineering ’15
Assistant professor, Princeton University
“I hope the pandemic has taught me how to identify work-life balance in the future; slowing down is a necessity for forward progress.”
Mitchell de Snoo, 28
BS biomedical engineering ’15
National Lacrosse League Player, Toronto Rock (Toronto)
“This year has highlighted the importance of strong leadership and how appropriate investments in science can be leveraged to rapidly develop technologies for the betterment of humankind.”
Allison Andrews, 37
PhD biomedical engineering ’12
Assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University
“Success to me is … leaving a lasting contribution to science and future scientists.”
Legal Eagles
Stephen Kulp, 32
As a gay, Korean American attorney who was adopted, Stephen Kulp says he constantly looks for ways to bring together the affinity groups he represents. Last year, he was elected as the first person of color to chair the Philadelphia LGBTQ Bar Association, offering him an opportunity to mentor other LGBTQ attorneys, as he was at the start of his career, and to advocate for civil rights and equal access.
Eamon Gallagher, 39
JD business and entrepreneurship law ’13
Director, strategic innovation and startup acceleration at the University City Science Center; and director, Entrepreneurial Law Clinic at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law
“Talent occurs uniformly across our population; opportunity needs to be reflective of talent.”
Nicole Allen, 34
JD ’12
Director of government and external affairs and interim deputy director of diversity, equity, inclusion and access, Philadelphia Museum of Art
“I just feel so incredibly fortunate to be alive, not to have lost someone to COVID, and to have my job.”