BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP MAY 11 - MAY 17, 2018 33
Oh, what a night! as Stars Under 40 are celebrated
BY HELEN KLEIN
HKLEIN@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
The stars over Brooklyn were
blazing bright on the evening
of May 3, as Schneps Communications
feted its newest class
of Stars Under 40 at an awards and
networking event at the Grand Prospect
Hall.
For the first time, honorees were
selected from beyond Brooklyn and
as far as Pennsylvania as the event
— which highlights achievement by
some of the best and brightest rising
talents — strove to broaden its reach.
In total, 45 individuals were recognized
for the strides they have made
in business and public service, despite
the fact that not one of them had
celebrated his or her 40th birthday.
“The Stars Under 40 Business
Awards & Networking Event Honors
young professionals under the age
of 40 who exemplify outstanding
leadership skills not only in their
chosen fields but in their communities,”
stressed Victoria Schneps, the
founder of Schneps Communications
Events. “Yes–these are successful
young business people who also find
time within their busy lives to give
back to their communities!”
This year’s honorees were: Rookie
Of The Year Francesca Cheney,
Owner, Sol Sips; Dynamic Duo —
Business Mike and Nicole Bloomfield,
President and Vice President,
Tekie Geek; Dynamic Duo — Community
Outreach Cindy Godla (Events,
Marketing and PR Manager) and
Alexandra Silversmith – Executive
Director, Alliance for Coney Island;
Family Business Legacy Derek
and Daniel Johnson, Co-Owners,
Bob & Sons Refinishing; Cinematic
Entrepreneurs Michael Ayjian
and Stephen Skeel, Co-Founders, 7
Wonders Cinema; Entrepreneurs
Of The Year Cameron Fischer and
Alfred Schofield, Co-Owners, Vitalfit
Nutrition; Michael Blinder, AVP,
Branch Manager, Investors Bank;
Regina Boukhvalova, Vice President,
Business Development Officer,
Northfield Bank; Jose Candia, Partner/
Pack Leader, Brooklyn Canine
Club; Robert Casatelli, Co-Owner,
Ho’Brah – A Taco Joint, the Kettle
Black Restaurant & Bar, Lockyard;
Voncille Cheney, Author/Founder,
I Am Queen JVC; Teresa Cirelli, Director
of Community Relations, On
Your Mark, Inc.; Harley Courts, CEO,
Nooklyn; Kimiko Gordon, CEO/
Team Leader, Keller Williams Realty
Empire; Obiano Huntley, Associate
Director of Emergency Management,
NYC Health + Hospitals|Kings
County; Danielle V. Johnsen, Vice
President of Compliance, Digital
Edge Ventures; Ravi Kantha, Senior
Real Estate Advisor, Leslie J. Garfield;
Nicole Kneessy, Premium Sales
Manager, Brooklyn Cyclones; Farrah
Lafontant, Community Initiatives
Associate, Brooklyn Arts Council;
Reverend Edward L. Lai, Corporate
Director of Asian Initiatives, the Allure
Group; Emma Manson, Senior
Project Manager, Brooklyn Navy
Yard; Christine Medina, Owner,
the CM Brand–Marketing & Brand
Agency; Nathalie Michel, Police Officer,
Immigrant Outreach Unit–Community
Affairs Bureau, NYPD; Julia
Moak, Owner/Publisher, Brokelyn/
Greenpointers.com/DumboNYC;
Stephen Molloy, Owner, Molloy
Electric; Shawn Mullahy, CEO, MySpace
NYC; Rob Myers, Vice President,
IDB Bank; Ramfis Myrthil,
Filmmaker/Founder/Co-President,
Beast of the East Productions; Leslie
Offley, Director of Coordination,
the Avondale Care Group; James R.
O'Neill, Managing Director, CPEX
Real Estate; George Procovas, Owner,
13th Avenue Florist; Joseph Quadara,
Social Media Manager/President &
Founder, the Von Agency/the Manfredi
Movement; Halina Radchenko,
Esq., Hach & Rose, LLP; Jonathan M.
Stern, Managing Director, Meridian
Capital Group; Jaclyn M. Tacoronte,
Partner, JMT Media; Violetta Ustayev,
Owner/Designer, Vi Design;
Esmeralda Xhelehsi, AVP, Marketing
Director, Empire State Bank;
Leonard J. Wiener, Attorney at Law,
Marder Eskesen & Nass; Anthony
R. Wilson, AVP, Branch Manager,
Dime Community Bank; and Igor
Zakh, Chief Operating Officer, the
Cornerstone Group of NY.
The event sponsors were Dime
Community Bank, Empire State Bank,
Northfield Bank, the Brooklyn Navy
Yard, Investors Bank, CPEX Real Estate,
Cornerstone Group of NY; the
Avondale Care Group, the Brooklyn
Cyclones, Tekie Geek, MySpace NYC,
Broadway Stages, Medcast Plus and
the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce.
The exhibitors were the Brooklyn
Cyclones, the Brooklyn Navy Yard,
the Cornerstone Group of NY, Diet
Coffee, Dime Community Bank, Doterra
Essential Oils, Empire State
Bank, Investors Bank, Lady Lair by
AVM, Northfield Bank, Qi Financial
Strategies, Reiki Master Teacher,
Success by Health, Tekie Geek and
Touchstone Jewelry .
A raffle raised $2,200 for On Your
Mark, a not for profit organization that
turns dreams into reality for people
with disabilities and their families.
Margaret Kelly, star of Broadway
and a member of the Highland Divas,
sang the national anthem.