Forty Under 40: Amy Callahan

For the first time in three years, Amy Callahan took a vacation this summer.

“I read three books that had nothing to do with business,” she boasted. “I’d say that was a successful vacation.”

Such is life for Callahan, whose company recently appeared on Forbes magazine’s list of America’s Most Promising Companies.

Callahan was two years into a job as a marketing executive with MARS Advertising when her interest in the proliferation of social media led to the start of Collective Bias in 2009.

Described as a social shopper media company, the firm connects consumers with the brands and retailers they use in their daily lives.

The feedback drives conversation among consumers on a wide variety of social media platforms.

Revenue at the company was nearly $2 million in 2010. It’s projected between $17 million and $20 million this year.

Callahan credits the company’s “great talent” for its current and future growth.

“We know our model works,” said Callahan, who has a nutrition and food science degree from Texas Christian University. “We won’t change that but we want to bring it to a lot more retailers and brands.”

Callahan supports a number of organizations including the American Diabetes Association and the Northwest Arkansas Crisis Center.