Crain’s Grand Rapids Business is excited to announce the 2025 class of 40 Under 40. This year’s honorees represent the diversity, strength and promise of West Michigan’s business community. All are rising stars in their own right who are founding growing startups, climbing the ranks at the region’s largest companies, and serving the public through elected office. While some charted their career path early on and others made leaps of faith as they sought new opportunities, they all share a commitment to personal growth. And West Michigan is better off because of it.
Average age
By the numbers
36
The youngest honoree is 24, the only Gen Z on this year's list, and the oldest are 39.
C-suite
Despite their young age, 12 honorees have C-suite titles and eight of those are CEOs.
12
Industries
Nineteen different industries are represented with the most honorees working in finance.
19
In their own words
"So much of the success that you have in your life is dependent on the people that you surround yourselves with and that community that you build."
— Brian Monette
"At the end of the day, I like to feel that I’m helping people. I like knowing that justice is being pursued in one form or another. I want people to know that laws matter, their story matters … and that somebody is there to fight for them."
— Crystal Bultje
"I wanted to come home. I wanted to be close to family, and I wanted to be here in the community that I grew up in. West Michigan means the world to me."
— Max Rispler
"When I was graduating college, I (thought that) you need to make this amount of money, you need to have this level of title to be successful. But as I’ve really gone on in my career, I realized that I actually
just want to be stress free.”
— Lydia Kauffman
"I love the problem-solving of finding the right person for the right role at the right company."
— Erika Scanlin
See all the 40 Under 40 honorees
See all the 40 Under 40 honorees
See all the 40 Under 40 honorees
Photography by Justin Razmus