Thirty young professionals named to Conexus Indiana Rising 30

Honor recognizes exceptional advanced manufacturing and logistics talent

INDIANAPOLIS (May 12, 2022) Conexus Indiana announced the 30 young professionals who have been named to the 2022 Rising 30 cohort. These honorees represent Indiana’s top talent under the age of 30 who will drive Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics industries successfully into the future.

The Rising 30 program is part of Conexus Indiana’s mission to strengthen Indiana’s advanced manufacturing and logistics industries and create pathways for Hoosiers to succeed in Indiana’s largest industry sector.

“The advanced manufacturing and logistics industries account for more than 30 percent of Indiana’s economic output and employ more than 600,000 Hoosiers,” said Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. “Recognizing young professionals who contribute meaningfully to Indiana’s largest industry sectors is incredibly important and helps to shine a light on the many rewarding career opportunities available in advanced manufacturing and logistics. I’m thrilled to join Conexus in honoring these young professionals and eager to see how they lead the industries into the future.”

“This year we are honoring 30 young professionals who not only are doing amazing work now, but who will help our industries lead during a time of dramatic change,” said Fred Cartwright, president and CEO of Conexus Indiana. “This is the second year for Rising 30, and now we can count 60 young industry leaders who will inspire the next generation of talent and be at the forefront of new technologies, such as 3D printing, artificial intelligence and cobots, that define the 4th Industrial Revolution and beyond.”

Rising 30 honorees represent diverse professions, including chief technology officers, business owners, engineers, supply chain and health and safety managers as well as talent development specialists. Honorees also hail from companies located throughout the state including Bloomington, Evansville, Elkhart, Jasper, Jeffersonville, Indianapolis, Columbus, Greensburg, Richmond, Michigan City, Warsaw, Princeton, Lafayette, South Bend and Vincennes.

Conexus Indiana celebrated the 30 young professionals in an evening event on Wednesday, May 11. Honorees will play an important role in Conexus Indiana’s work, serving as thought leaders on subjects ranging from emerging technology, smart manufacturing, public policy and talent development. Rising 30 is an annual event and nominations will be open on November 1, 2022, for the 2023 class.

2022 Rising 30 honorees are:

Jack Anderson
Engineering Manager
PWR North America

Grace Beach
Supply Chain Management Rotational Development Associate
Roche Diagnostics

Brittany Busse
Production Engineer
Cook Medical

Jacob Coffing
Director of Testbed Operations
IN-MaC Purdue University

Matthew Cooper
Group Leader, IPC Engineering
Subaru of Indiana Automotive

Kerry Egan
Chief of Staff
OAI Global

Max Faiman
Product Engineer
Indiana Furniture

Elizabeth Fisher
Supply Chain Supervisor
Kem Krest

Vivian Galey
High School Student
Perry Central Commodore Manufacturing

Gina Gianfagna
External Manufacturing Operations Leader
Corteva Agriscience

Malachi Greb
CEO
Elite Automation

Jena Hammonds
Lathe Department Assistant Manager
Konrady Plastics

Kalese Howse
Safety Operations Manager
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana

Kelsey Huelsenbeck
Chief Operating Officer
Antique Candle Co.

Michael Hurst
Controller
Stellantis

Kevin Keith
Chief Technology Officer
MITO Material Solutions

Jack Lopez
Graduate Researcher
Purdue University

Henry Lynch
VP of Product
Vsimple

Jessica Meeks
Health and Safety Manager
Adidas

Charles Messmore
Electrical Engineer
Honda

Bryan Ott
Inventory and Production Specialist
California Closets

Jacob Perkins
Manufacturing Engineering Team Lead
Amatrol

Brandon Ruggles
Manager, Strategy and Operations
LDI, Ltd.

Paige Sandel
Corporate Controller
WishBone Medical

Natalie Scott
Industrial Engineer
Cummins

Alex Topalovic
Management Analyst
enFocus

Christopher Tracy
Junior Environmental Engineer
Heritage Environmental Services

Tommy VanHook
Production Engineering Manager
TBK America

Kyle Varble
Global Commodity Manager
Rolls-Royce

Caleb Wayman
AIM Site Director
Vincennes University

To view bios of each honoree, visit www.conexusindiana.com/rising-30.

About Conexus Indiana

For more than a decade, Conexus Indiana, one of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) non-profit initiatives, has been positioning the Hoosier State as the best place for advanced manufacturing and logistics industries to innovate, invest, employ and succeed. By collaborating with industry, academic and public sector partners on a shared vision for an innovative, skilled workforce and stronger business climate, Conexus Indiana has helped to create opportunities for advanced manufacturing and logistics companies, prepare Hoosiers to succeed in the state’s largest industry sectors and maintain Indiana’s competitive advantage. For more information, go to www.conexusindiana.com.