2025 Northeast Ohio Smart 50 Awards
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About the Event
Since 2014, the Northeast Ohio Smart 50 Awards recognize the top executives of the 50 smartest companies in the Northeast Ohio region for their ability to effectively build and lead successful organizations. All 50 winners will be honored at a special celebration, and three organizations will receive specialty awards for their achievements in three category areas – innovation, impact and sustainability. The Smart 50 Awards currently takes place in the cities of Cleveland and Columbus. Eligible Smart 50 nominees must be a top executive of an organization with a physical office in the Northeast Ohio region. Specialty award winners will be recognized for Innovation, Impact and Sustainability.
2025 Northeast Ohio Smart 50 Honorees
Jennifer Ake-Marriott
Owner & CEO
Redmond Waltz
Grayson Alexy
President | Founder
Alexy Metals
Shane Bigelow
CEO
CHAMP Titles
Flo Brett
CEO & Founder
Effective Leadership Academy
Mike Crislip & Carole Sanderson
President; CFO
Onyx Creative
David Carr
Chairman CEO
Brennan Industries
Vishnu Chandran
CEO
K & M International Inc. dba Wild Republic
Dan Charney
President & CEO
Direct Recruiters
Gerard Daher
CEO
Speedeon Data
Lannie Davis-Frecker
President & CEO
Julie Billiart Schools
Hardik Desai
Managing General Partner
JumpStart Ventures
Lauren Devere
President
Fire-Dex
Steve Dimengo
President / Managing Partner
Buckingham, Doolittle & Burroughs, LLC
Tim Dunphy
Chief Growth Officer
Home Genius Exteriors
Todd Federman
Managing Director
North Coast Ventures
Marty Felder
Chief Operating Officer
Apex Skin
Lauren Hanna-Masuga
Division President
Blue Technologies
Jeff Herzog
President & Co-Founder
Nexus Engineering Group
Domonic Hopson
CEO & President
Neighborhood Family Practice
Rob Jackson
President
IP Systems
Eric Kahle
President
Visual Marking Systems, Inc.
Bradley Knapp
CEO & President
Clearstead
Ashley Lawson
Vice President
Achieve Incentives & Meetings
Ray Leach
President
The O.H.I.O. Fund
Jennifer Malcolm
Founder, Chief Visionary Officer
Jennasis & Associates
Rocco Mango
President & COO
Leaf Home
Melanie McGee
Co-Founder
SkillSpout
Bill Mehalco
General Manager
Kimpton Schofield Hotel
TJ Monachino
CEO / Owner
United Business Supply
Matt Nipper
Regional President
Fifth Third Bank, Northern Ohio
Jim & Lauren O'Neill
Owners
Imperial Plastics
Ted & Kelly Otero
President, CEO
Otero Living
Katie Payne
CEO
Lifebanc
Jason Phillip
Commercial Director
BLEACHTECH
Diana Ponsky
CEO
Ponsky Facial Plastic Surgery
Jerry Senk
Owner - President
Equipment Manufacturers International
Neil Sethi
CEO
NexaMotion Group
Erick Sharp
CEO
ACE Laboratories
Douglas J. Sibila
President & CEO
Total Distribution, Inc. A Peoples Services Company
Preston Smith
CEO
The Union Club
Matthew Soble
Owner / Founder
BrandDog
Patty Starr
President & CEO
Health Action Council
Nicholas Stroup
Chief Operating Officer
North Coast Community Homes
Ryan Studer
Chief Operations Officer
Sgt Clean Car Wash
Linda Uveges
CEO
The City Mission
Suzanne Walker Buck
Head of School
Western Reserve Academy
Brian Wilson
President & CEO
North American Coating Labs
Sonia Winner
President & CEO
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Kenneth Young
Chairman & CEO
Babcock & Wilcox
Brian Zimmerman
CEO
Cleveland Metroparks
For more information, contact Suzi Linn at slinn@sbnonline.com
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