2008's Forward Under Forty Award Recipients

  • Josh Bycel
    Writer by day, philanthropist by night, Bycel founded OneKid OneWorld to provide sports and education materials for children in Kenya.
  • Lisa Peyton-Caire and Kaleem Caire
    The Caires work together to create social justice by improving education.
  • Anand Chhatpar
    A highly successful entrepreneur, Chhatpar founded BrainReactions to provide a channel for creative college students to give new ideas to aid established institutions.
  • Ryan Christianson
    A high school principal in Northern Wisconsin, Christianson has a knack for forging school-community partnerships.
  • Kenny Dichter
    Dichter is founder of MarquisJet, a $750 million company that offers access to private jet travel and MarquisCare, a program that supports more than 50 charities.
  • Leslie Goldman
    The author of Locker Room Diaries, Goldman has found her calling in writing about women’s health, self-esteem and body image issues.
  • Claire Herrick
    In addition to Herrick’s profession as an Ob-Gyn resident, she also dedicates her time serving in the international health community.
  • Adam and Chrissy Jeske
    The Jeskes live and work with underprivileged residents in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
  • Ben-Tzion Karsh
    An associate professor of industrial engineering at UW-Madison, Karsh recently received tenure at age 35.
  • James Kass
    Kass founded Youth Speaks, the nation’s leading presenter of spoken-word performance, education and youth development programs.
  • Paula Kluth
    An expert in the field of autism education, Kluth is the author of seven books including, You’re Going to Love This Kid!: Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom.
  • José Lerma
    Lerma is an internationally recognized artist and teacher.
  • Marc Lewis
    A public middle school teacher, Lewis leads training in school districts throughout Massachusetts on GLBT and other diversity issues.
  • Timothy Miller
    Miller spent his first year out of college teaching math and science to girls in Rwanda.
  • Janet Olson
    A veterinarian and veterinary medicine cardiology resident, Olson founded a nonprofit organization to train and equip first responders who rescue companion animals.
  • Neil Peters-Michaud
    Following his MBA, Peters-Michaud started Cascade Asset Management, a firm focusing on the recycling of computers and other electronic devices.
  • Amanda Rockman
    Rockman is one of America’s youngest judges and a leader of the Ho Chunk nation.
  • Mary Rohlich and Lesley Feinstein
    Rohlich and Feinstein co-founded the Hollywood Badgers, a nonprofit group that provides career resources and mentorship to UW students and alumni in the entertainment industry.
  • Ben Schumaker
    Schumaker founded the Memory Project, a nonprofit program that works with schools nationwide to create portraits and books for orphaned children around the world.
  • Eric Wilson
    Wilson has devoted nearly a decade to helping people around the world through the Peace Corps; he is currently working in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.