Indy's Best & Brightest - Celebrating and fueling excellence!
Author: Jennifer Burk, Mariah Maier
Corporate Responsibility
Published:
Friday, 08 May 2026
Sharing
Image caption: #IBNB26 Winner Group Photo (credits, Tony Vasquez): Jennifer Burk (Junior Achievement of Central Indiana); Chelsea Linder; Kionna Louise Walker, AIA, NOMA; Alejandra Reichard; Rebecca McNally Keehn, PhD, HSPP; Sarah Hayward; Daniel Graham; Adam Shaffer; Justin Verbeten, CPA; Eric Sutphin (KPMG)
Mission Moment
Congratulations to the 22nd Annual Indy’s Best & Brightest finalists and winners!
⭐️🏆
It's true! Indy's Best & Brightest finalists are outstanding professionals making profound impacts in their careers and communities. Still, once upon a time, they were students sitting in a classroom, wondering what their futures would look like. Some were students who experienced Junior Achievement (JA) programming that opened their minds to possibilities they had never heard of. All were young people whose spark was ignited by an experience or a person who inspired them.
JA instills hope and confidence in students at every stage, K-12 and beyond, so they can grow up to be their best & brightest. Thank you to all of Indy's Best & Brightest for being great role models to students in our community!
“I’m grateful to have participated in JA programming at a young age, and through JA BizTown, I gained firsthand experience in budgeting, teamwork, and business management while exploring future career possibilities. I’m honored to be recognized by an organization that inspires and equips students for the future.”
— Leigh-Ann Richardville, #IBNB Media, Entertainment, & Sports Winner
Join us! Share your Career Story with Students
Volunteers needed for the following programs:
5/13 | Fall Creek Valley Middle School
"Mini" JA JobSpark Event
Share about your career and showcase hands-on activities with 8th-grade students.
5/15 | Brookview Elementary
Share about your professional career and insights with 3rd-4th grade students.
The #IBNB Role Models in Action
Indy's Best & Brightest finalists took a trip to JA BizTown to help 5th graders learn what it's like to be a responsible grown-up!
Finalists helped students learn how to work a job, open a bank account, vote, and more. It's moments like these that help the students to envision a bright future for themselves
Image caption: #IBNB26 Photo (credits Tony Vasquez): Pictured: Jennifer Burk, Alesha Johnson
A Future Forward Spotlight
Special shoutout to Alesha Johnson, Director of Special Events, who executes every event with such innovative thinking and intentionality!
Alesha's leadership empowered the team to exceed its fundraising goals for Indy's Best & Brightest by 20%. 🎉Thousands of students will be impacted because of this work and community support.
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