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Meet the 2025 East Central winners

These visionary leaders are shaping the future and paving the way for a brighter tomorrow.
Learn more about their inspiring stories.

Learn more about our winners

David Keehan | Advanced Polymer Coatings, Inc. | Avon, Ohio

Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC) is a global leader in protective coatings that protect cargo tanks across the chemical transportation industry. Their specialized coating systems protect ships, barges, rail cars and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) containers, ensuring both tank integrity and cargo purity throughout the journey.

What sets APC apart is their innovative coating technology that not only provides superior protection against corrosion and chemical attack, but also enables quick, efficient cleaning between cargo changes — a game-changing feature that significantly reduces operational downtime.

As an innovation-driven company, APC continues to push industry boundaries with breakthrough products. Their latest development, TriFLEX™, is transforming expectations for exterior coatings on rail cars and storage tanks. The company’s commitment to advancement is evident in their upcoming product pipeline, which focuses on enhanced performance, improved application efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Headquartered in Avon, Ohio, APC has established a robust global presence with offices in China, Turkey, England, The Netherlands, Mexico and Singapore. This worldwide network ensures reliable support and consistent quality across the globe.

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Yousuf Ahmad | AssureCare | Cincinnati, Ohio

Yousuf Ahmad is the President and CEO of AssureCare. AssureCare is a leading provider of population health management platforms and the only company connecting payers, providers and pharmacies. With 50 million members and growing, AssureCare has been able to support some of the largest national brands in the pharmacy and health insurance industries. 

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Richard Palmer | Eleeo Brands | Cincinnati, Ohio

Richard Palmer is the CEO of Eleeo Brands. Eleeo brands is a collection of safe, effective, family-focused health and household brands that ensure a happier, healthier life is always within reach. The company’s portfolio of brands includes three leading baby brands: Boogie, Dapple and Earth Mama.

Boogie is a fast-growing health and wellness brand known for Boogie Wipes, their patented natural saline nose wipes. Dapple is the No. 1 baby cleaning brand with a broad line of plant-based cleaning products and mom-care products. Earth Mama is the leading certified organic mom and baby brand, known for their Organic Nipple Butter and Organic Diaper Balm.

Our products are sold in major retailers, across the nation and we are a certified B-Corp focused on hiring individuals with barriers to employment.

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Joe Huber | Huber Equity Group and Verti Commercial Real Estate | Columbus, Ohio

Joe Huber is the Founder/CEO of Huber Equity Group and Verti Commercial Real Estate. Huber Equity Group is a private equity firm specializing in off-market multi-family acquisitions. Using its proprietary Direct-to-Seller System (DTS System™) — a technology and data-driven approach combining cold-calling and strategic outreach — HEG generates 150,000+ owner touchpoints annually. This system has fueled 1,700+ units acquired across the US, all sourced exclusively off-market.

In 2024, Verti Commercial Real Estate was launched as a brokerage to monetize HEG’s off-market deal flow. In its first six months, Verti identified 8,609 multi-family units new-to-market deals, demonstrating the scalability of the model.

Huber Equity Group and Verti prioritize innovation and community impact, donating 20% of profits to empowering vulnerable communities. Together, Huber Equity Group and Verti disrupt traditional real estate by combining acquisition expertise with a brokerage engine designed to create exclusive opportunities.

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Alexa Lowe | Huber Equity Group and Verti Commercial Real Estate | Columbus, Ohio

Alex Lowe is the Founder/COO of Huber Equity Group and Verti Commercial Real Estate. Huber Equity Group is a private equity firm specializing in off-market multi-family acquisitions. Using its proprietary Direct-to-Seller System (DTS System™) — a technology and data-driven approach combining cold-calling and strategic outreach — HEG generates 150,000+ owner touchpoints annually. This system has fueled 1,700+ units acquired across the US, all sourced exclusively off-market.

In 2024, Verti Commercial Real Estate was launched as a brokerage to monetize HEG’s off-market deal flow. In its first six months, Verti identified 8,609 multi-family units new-to-market deals, demonstrating the scalability of the model.

Huber Equity Group and Verti prioritize innovation and community impact, donating 20% of profits to empowering vulnerable communities. Together, Huber Equity Group and Verti disrupt traditional real estate by combining acquisition expertise with a brokerage engine designed to create exclusive opportunities.

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Tony Lamb | Kona Ice | Florence, Kentucky

Tony Lamb is the Founder and CEO of Kona Ice. Founded in 2007 by Tony Lamb, Kona Ice launched its first Kona Entertainment Vehicle (KEV) in Florence, Kentucky, offering a unique combination of cleanliness, friendliness and a one-of-a-kind experience, featuring the opportunity to create your very own shaved ice on the self-serve Flavorwave™, while enjoying the soothing sights, sounds and smell of the tropics, all while giving back to every community Kona Ice serves.

Since its inception, Kona Ice has given back more than $200 million to neighborhood schools, organizations and teams. Today, Kona Ice has grown to more than 3,000 points of sale that serve 49 states across the country. Striving to stay ahead of the competition and offering more customers a refreshing treat, Kona Ice launched a new line of products in 2025 with its new Blended™ line of fresh smoothies in addition to its traditional shaved ice offering.

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Mitchell Eviston | Meristem Crop Performance Group, LLC | Powell, Ohio

Mitchell Eviston is the Founder and CEO of Meristem Crop Performance Group, LLC (Meristem). Meristem Crop Performance® helps farmers produce more bushels for less cost per bushel. Meristem is the global leader in delivering live, in-field biologicals through the patented BIO-CAPSULE™ Technology platform. Meristem significantly reduces waste in crop input systems through improved supply chain efficiency and advanced concentrates.

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Neil Sethi | NexaMotion Group | Cleveland, Ohio

Neil Sethi is the President and CEO of NexaMotion Group. Founded in 1975, NexaMotion Group began its journey as Transtar, a dedicated leader in transmission and driveline solutions. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, the company established a strong presence with over 70 branches, becoming a worldwide leader in the distribution of aftermarket transmission repair parts.

By providing high-quality components from the industry’s leading brands, Transtar built its reputation on excellent customer service and reliable same or next day delivery. In 2023, Transtar expanded its vision by acquiring several warehouse distributor businesses across the country that focused on general automotive repair.

This strategic move led to the launch of NexaMotion Group — a collective of industry-leading brands and businesses serving the automotive aftermarket, all purposed to pursue a common mission, simplifying complex vehicle repair to keep the world moving. NexaMotion Group boasts over 125 locations, a team of 1,500 professionals and an industry-leading e-commerce platform called Transend, further solidifying its position as a trusted partner in the automotive sector.

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Stacey Wade | NIMBUS | Louisville, Kentucky

Stacey Wade is the CEO and Managing Partner of NIMBUS. NIMBUS – is a fiercely independent strategic marketing and communications agency. The NIMBUS team is passionate about combining intelligence with ingenuity to generate and nurture authentic connections between their clients’ brands and targeted audiences.

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Dr. Dawn Wade | NIMBUS | Louisville, Kentucky

Dr. Dawn Wade is the Chief Strategy Officer of NIMBUS. NIMBUS – is a fiercely independent strategic marketing and communications agency. The NIMBUS team is passionate about combining intelligence with ingenuity to generate and nurture authentic connections between their clients’ brands and targeted audiences.

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Greg Lignelli | System One Holdings LLC | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Greg Lignelli is the President and COO of System One Holdings LLC (System One). System One is a leading provider of specialized, highly technical services and solutions to critical infrastructure, technology, life sciences and government sectors. The company partners with large private and public organizations who trust them to execute their complex, mission-critical initiatives through their outsourced services and workforce solutions.

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