Bridges Form Bright Future

It was Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw who said, “Youth is wasted on the young,” and anybody old enough to have a creaky knee or investment blunder in their history almost certainly would agree.

This year’s Fast 15 class, however, the fifth to be honored by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal, might make even Shaw soften his stance. This group of twentysomethings does a lot of things, but wasting time or opportunities isn’t one of them.

Instead, whether they’re working at banks or law firms, in entrenched industries or with emerging technologies, the 15 individuals profiled on the following pages always are up for a challenge — and the next one and the next one and the one after that.

And that’s just in their primary professional lives. Many members of this year’s class possess what seems to be an unquenchable entrepreneurial spirit, one that has them involved in side enterprises that satisfy a particular interest or bent.

Beyond that, most members also find a way to give back to their communities and make time for personal hobbies, too. A lot of them serve as mentors in one way or another, and several have strong ties to particular charities.

There’s at least one singer in the bunch, and a tennis player, too. Some have started families and light up when talking about their little ones.

As you read their individual stories, we’re sure the same thing we discovered will strike you: Youth is far from wasted on this group.

Click HERE to meet the 2013 Fast 15.