Introducing the 2019 Fast 15 class

It should come as no surprise that the young professionals named to the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s 11th annual Fast 15 class, presented by United Bank, aspire to great things.

But by the same token, they also inspire great things, whether they know it or not. As the old adage goes, you never know who is watching.

Take Dr. Mikaila Calcagni, a member of this year’s Fast 15, who is completing her residency at UAMS. To highlight how “different” it is to encounter a female physician, she recalled a story of a recent encounter at Mercy Hospital in Rogers.

A little girl and her mother were on the same elevator as Calcagni, and the child started tugging at her mom’s shirt and pointing at Calcagni, who had her stethoscope and white coat on.

“The mother finally asked if I was a physician, and I replied that I was,” Calcagni recalled. “She said her daughter had a book of careers, and they were focusing on how she could be any of the things in the book. And her daughter’s favorite page was the doctor page.”

When they got off the elevator, the parent asked if Calcagni would mind taking a picture with her daughter. She planned to glue the photo to the doctor page in the book of careers.

“It truly was a moment I would never forget because that girl was able to see that she too could dream big,” Calcagni said.

The Fast 15 issue is traditionally one of our favorite issues of the year. It’s devoted to recognizing the accomplishments of a group that is just now beginning to make its mark on Northwest Arkansas’ business and cultural scene.

And the best part, possibly, is what lies in front of them. They all have big dreams, and we’re inclined to believe they are on the right path to becoming part of the next generation of leaders in our area.

We are pleased to introduce the 2019 class of Fast 15 honorees.