2023 Rising Stars

about

Congratulations to this year’s brilliant cohort of young professionals chosen as the 2023 Living Classrooms Foundation Rising Stars Presented by the Baltimore Business Journal. These outstanding individuals, under the age of 40, embody the spirit of the next wave of Baltimore’s philanthropists and the next wave of visionaries.

2023 Rising Stars

Mike Barillo

Mike works as an Associate Portfolio Manager at Brown Advisory. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland. He stays involved on campus as a Finance Fellows Mentor and as an avid Terrapins fan. In his spare time, you will likely find him on the golf course.

Brian Ceraldi

Brian Ceraldi is a Chief Engineer at Amazon Web Services (AWS) in cloud computing infrastructure operations. Prior to AWS, he served as a nuclear reactor operator and diver aboard a Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine. He’s currently pursuing an MBA from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. 

Robert Hanlon

Robert is the Co-Founder of the marketing agency Far Outtt and Bob’s Pizza Tour. He previously worked in brand partnerships at Twitter. After studying at the Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management at the University of Massachusetts, he began his career in sponsorship marketing at MKTG.

Darius Jennings

Darius Jennings is a Baltimore native and graduate of The Gilman School and The University of Virginia. After a seven-year career in the NFL, Darius recently joined CBRE’s Mid-Atlantic Multifamily Sales Team. He serves as a board member for the nonprofit Next One Up and Brand Ambassador for Training House Gym.  

Rylie Shewbridge

Rylie Shewbridge is a Government Relations Representative for the Northeast Region at KinderCare Learning Companies. She received a B.A. in Political Science and Conflict Analysis & Dispute Resolution, Cum Laude, from Salisbury University. She received a Master of Public Administration and Policy degree from American University and was inducted into the Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration. She was honored as a TDR Leading Women Under 40 in 2022 and dedicates her time to various volunteer groups and nonprofit organizations. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, working out, and hiking. 

Jillian Willis

Jillian Willis is the COO of Fabpro Technologies, the premier precision metal manufacturer in Maryland. Recently honored as a champion of manufacturing, Jillian graduated magna cum laude from Rutgers University with a bachelor’s in IT and sociology.  She can’t resist spending time with family and friends, 90s R&B, extreme sports, and salsa dancing. 

Allison Bortner

Allison Bortner is an Associate at Duane Morris LLP with a national litigation practice and a high-honors graduate of Emory University. She received the Duane Morris Pro Bono Award for her outstanding work under international law that resulted in the return of multiple abducted children to their families. 

Mary Dunn

Mary Dunn is a Senior Designer at an interior design firm Patrick Sutton. Mary graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Interior Design.  Mary is passionate about interiors that are rich in detail, tell a story, and capture the lifestyle of a client, workplace, or brand.

Ashley Hare

Ashley Hare is a Senior Designer at the interior design firm Patrick Sutton.  Her 10+ years of experience includes luxury residential and hospitality projects across the country.  Ashley holds a Bachelor of Science from the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale in Interior Design.  She is the mother of three young children.

Noah Kness

Noah Kness graduated with a B.S. in Finance and Accounting from Salisbury University. After completing his CPA while working for PWC in Baltimore, MD, Noah started as an Analyst at The Meridian Group in Bethesda, MD to pursue his passion of Commercial Real Estate.

Luke Smith

Luke is a Vice President at CI Renewables. His team strives to be the renewable energy solution of the future, building an industry through the lens of sustainability, human equity, and community. Luke earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Lafayette College and completed his M.S. in Real Estate and Infrastructure at the Carey Business School.

Lauren Novsak

Lauren Novsak, Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at Stevenson University, cultivates relationships with foundations and corporations with the capacity for philanthropic support. With a B.S. in Business Communication from Stevenson, Lauren previously worked as Business Volunteers Maryland’s Nonprofit Services Coordinator. She enjoys being on the Maryland Public Service Scholars Programs Board and supporting VOLO Kids Foundation. 

Thomas Black

Thomas Black works at Brown Advisory in Baltimore as a Portfolio Manager within the private client division. He is responsible for providing innovative investment management, along with comprehensive goals-based planning for individuals and families. Prior to joining Brown Advisory, Thomas worked at Morgan Stanley as a financial advisor and financial planning specialist. Thomas began his career at T. Rowe Price. He graduated from Washington College in Maryland with a bachelor's degree in business management.

Ryan Gardner

Ryan Gardner is an Account Executive at G&G Outfitters, where he has worked full-time for seven years. He originally started with manual labor in the warehouse and is now working in the sales department.  He graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA in Economics. He enjoys going on the boat in Annapolis with friends and attending Ravens games on Sunday in Baltimore.

Patrick Harhai

Patrick Harhai is the Associate Director of High School Programs at Bridges Baltimore, where he manages college and career development programs for high school students in Baltimore City. Previously, Patrick held various roles with the Bard Early Colleges, completed a year of AmeriCorps service with The Literacy Lab in West Baltimore, and participated in a Fulbright Hays-sponsored research program in Rwanda and Mauritius. Patrick completed his B.A. in Social Science at Portland State University and his M.A. in Anthropology at Brandeis University. 

Lucy Schultz

Lucy Schultz serves as Project Leader of Enterprise-Wide Solutions for Kelly Benefits, where she is responsible for the development, management, and implementation of corporate-wide initiatives aimed at improving processes, reducing costs, and saving resources. Lucy graduated from Salisbury University with a bachelor's degree in communications and is a Salesforce Certified Administrator. Outside of Kelly Benefits, Lucy volunteers and provides support for Helping Up Mission, an organization dedicated to providing faith-based recovery services for people and families experiencing homelessness, poverty, or addiction. 

Jack Taylor

Jack Taylor joined CBRE in 2019 in the Retail Advisory and Transaction Services practice, where he provides strategic consulting and transaction services to retail users, investors, and developers. Prior to joining CBRE, Jack worked in racquets professionally, acting as assistant director and head professional at L’Hirondelle Club. Jack serves as a young associate for the Valleys Planning Council, acts as a volunteer at the Helping Up Mission and ShoreRivers, and is active with ULI in the Baltimore Young Leaders Partnership Forum. Jack graduated from Washington College in Maryland with a bachelor's degree in business management.