The halls of Bryant University’s Ellen Wilson Leadership Center are filled with energy as members of the university’s inaugural 40 Under 40 alumni class connect with current students, sharing their stories while advising the next generation.
Each 40 under 40 honoree — nominated by the entire Bryant community, including alumni, parents, faculty, and the university’s friends and partnering organizations — has achieved professional success while making meaningful contributions to their communities and others through innovation, leadership, service, or advocacy. The class spans the globe and a range of fields, including business, healthcare, law, finance, cybersecurity, media, sports, and global supply chain management — and nearly every discipline in between.
Together, they exemplify excellence, reflect the university’s values, and serve as powerful examples of the value of a Bryant education.
The group has returned to Bryant today to be honored for their accomplishments, part of a day-long celebration that also includes the annual Alumni Achievement Awards. But right now, they’re here to help.
Edson Mendes ’26, ’27MBA, moves around the room, eager to speak with all the alums and learn from their experience. He stops, however, when he reaches Brian Gowen ’13, the analytical manager in the Money Markets Directorate within the Open Market Trading Desk at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
“That’s my dream job,” exclaims Mendes, who pumps the honoree for every bit of information he can.
Those interactions aren’t rare for Gowen, or for his fellow honorees.
“This place leaves such a mark on people that it leaves this innate desire to try and give that back,” he notes.
It’s also fun to give back, he admits, and the networking works both ways. Through events like today, he has the chance to connect with other amazing Bryant alums — and future success stories as well.
Throughout the day, members of the 40 Under 40 class meet with faculty and staff, discuss the future of the institution with leadership, and tour campus — including the recently opened Sprague Center for Design Thinking and Entrepreneurship.
When the Sprague Center’s director, Kirstie DeJesus, walks them through the facility, making special note of its high-tech Makerspace, the group marvels as they take it all in.
As they explore the space, the honorees can’t help but be impressed. “It feels amazing to see this,” enthuses 40 Under 40 Honoree David Almonte ’09, senior financial planning and analysis manager at Amica Mutual Insurance Company — an experience made even more special because he’s joined by his fellow alums. “Every single time I come back to Bryant there's a new building or a new facility or something really incredible popping up.”
There’s a new excitement running through Bryant, suggests Brent Lavitt '15, partner and chief strategy and revenue officer for Dimension Consulting Inc. and the founder and CEO of VRSE Labs. This is the school he loves and remembers in so many ways but also better — and bolder.
Today’s visit, he notes later, is a day that he’ll be thinking about for a long time and the experience, he posts later on LinkedIn, is almost better than the 40 under 40 recognition.
But, as impressive as the center’s new equipment is, DeJesus says, she’s just as proud of the community they’ve built here — including students, faculty, industry partners, and alumni like 40 Under 40 honoree Will Tondo ’19, co-founder and chief operating officer of RestauRent, who regularly to campus for networking and mentoring sessions, pitch competitions, and more.
Though they’re theoretically here just to observe, the group can’t help but get involved, including Symphone'e Lindsey ’08, head of Human Resources – GTM for Twilio, and Almonte, who brainstorm ideas with student entrepreneur Augustine Boadi ’26 on expanding the reach of his Sankofa Vision Water Project, which funds wells for Ghanaian villages in need.
In the afternoon, after they’ve become reacquainted with the campus and discussed the university’s bright horizons, a formal ceremony for the 40 Under 40 class is held in the Black and Gold reception room of the university’s new Navigant Credit Union Field House.
“Tonight is not only a celebration of all that you have accomplished — it is also a reminder to our students of what is possible, and it is a reminder to all of us as faculty, staff, and administration on why we do the work we do,” notes Bryant University Provost and Chief Academic Officer Rupendra Paliwal, Ph.D., in his congratulatory remarks.
It falls on Jude Addo ’11, founder and chief executive officer of JA Group and a member of Bryant’s Global Advisory Council, to give a speech on behalf of the class. “The Bulldog spirit is about going from an underdog to becoming the top dog,” argues Addo. “And that is the spirit I believe every single member of this class carries in abundance.”
Today’s gathering is also an opportunity to pay tribute to the school they all love, he reflects. “I came here with a colleague and a dear friend of mine,” Addo says. “And as we approached Bryant’s gate, I told him, ‘Here lies the greatest university in the world.’
After the festivities conclude, and many pictures are taken, Kathryn Sembor Wishart ’25MBA, Executive Director of the South County Health Foundation, admits that the weight of the honor is just starting to sink in. “I'm very humbled. I feel like everyone here has been very successful career-wise, but they’ve also done great things for their communities,” she says — a value, she would note afterward, they honed at Bryant. “Being part of this group, you see the value that can have, and it inspires you to do even more.”
The 40 Under 40 honorees are then joined by the recipients of Bryant’s 2026 Alumni Achievement Awards — alumni and faculty who have made outstanding contributions to their professions and communities while also demonstrating a deep commitment to Bryant — as well as family friends and other Bryant community members for a special reception.
Sandwiched between important discussions and collaborations, this portion of the day is more of a party. As the alumni mingle, representing different decades of Bryant history and a wide range of life experiences, the conversation is robust, and the hall is filled with laughter and smiles as the alumni reconnect and make new friends.
As 40 Under 40 honoree Juan Pablo Roda ’15, chief commercial officer at Cerámica Gladymar S.A. and a member of Bryant’s Global Advisory Council, notes, it is Bryant’s sense of community that has always made the university special — and what has made this return to campus so incredible, he shared online later on. The very same openness that made him feel welcome as an international student from Bolivia unites all Bryant grads, he says, even as they pursue different paths.
Lindsey brought her three children and her husband Marcus, a member of Bryant’s class of 2007, with her to celebrate the day. She’s spent much of the visit reflecting on memories of inspiring professors, experiences that prepared her to excel and a community that supported her — and sharing those experiences with her kids.
“Now they're like, ‘We want to come to Bryant too!’” she laughs. It’s a satisfying full circle moment, she’ll reflect on LinkedIn.
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“What a special evening for Bryant,” proclaims David Wegrzyn '86, vice president of University Advancement to the crowd gathered in the Janikies Innovation Forum of the university’s Quinlan/Brown Academic Innovation Center, which is fully decked out in black and gold for the 2026 Alumni Achievement Awards. “Tonight, we honor and celebrate our Alumni Achievement Award recipients, an exceptional group that represents the very best of Bryant. Their accomplishments speak to the talent, drive, leadership, and sense of purpose that are hallmarks of a Bryant education.”
In his own address, Bryant University President Ross Gittell, Ph.D., notes that the university’s rising rankings and renown owes much to community members like those being honored tonight.
“Through your professional achievements, your service to others, and your continued generosity, you exemplify the values that define a Bryant education — and the meaningful impact it can have well beyond our campus,” praises Gittell. “The strength of our university is built on the engagement of exceptional alumni and faculty like you.”
Then, it’s the attendees’ turn to speak. In accepting the Emerging Leaders Award, Joseph Capezza, Jr. '08, the founder of Cove Private Wealth, sets the tone early, taking the audience with him on his life journey — and how that journey started at Bryant. “My experience at Bryant was foundational in shaping both my career and the person I am today,” Capezza states.
In speeches thanking their families and their mentors, the five Distinguished Alumni honorees also reflect on how Bryant has aided them throughout their lives. Jennifer Martin ’05MBA, general partner and chief financial officer at Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, shares how Bryant’s MBA program exposed her to new ways of thinking that inform how she does her job and her desire to constantly do better.
David Tikoian ’90, who represents District 22 in the Rhode Island State Senate and serves as the Senate Majority Whip, reminisces about how this time at the university shaped how he sees character, community, leadership, and perseverance.
“To think that the grandson of two immigrant orphaned teenagers who fled a genocide in Armenia in 1915 is now among the select group of bright alumni is truly something special,” he muses.
Bryant, says Denise Millard ’96, chief partnership officer at Dell Technologies, pulled her out of her comfort zone and left her ready to take on the world. Citing her choice to enroll at the university as a “defining moment,” Millard praises the university’s mix of experiential learning, community, and focus on critical thinking as vital to the success of the next generation.
Noel Watson ’97, chief financial officer and chief operating officer at LegalZoom, can’t help but share his own excitement for Bryant’s future. Today, students are programming robots in the new AI lab while his class had been excited to be assigned homework over email, he notes, which draws laughter from the crowd.
For Gerald Cooper ’96, partner and global co-head of Secondaries at Campbell Lutyens, his love of his alma mater extended beyond the university’s ROI. “I know that Bryant is not only graduating great students that are doing wonderful things in business, but more importantly, it is developing model citizens that will hopefully make a difference in the world,” he said.
Robert Massoud, Lecturer of Management and recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Award mixes gratitude with a call to action. “I've never worked with a more dedicated group of people, and it's an honor to be part of what we do here,” he says and encourages everyone in attendance to do everything they can to assist Bryant’s students.
While accepting the Nelson J. Gulski Alumni Service Award, Laurie (Barron) Fromer '92, P'22 and Jason S. Fromer '92, P'22, capture the spirit of the day.
“To be recognized by a place that has shaped so much of our lives, individually, together, and as a family, means more than we can say,” Laurie notes. “There is a special feeling that we get every time we drive onto this campus, and I am sure you all know what I am talking about. It is a mix of nostalgia, pride, and an unmistakable sense that we are coming home.”