Meet the 2023 Midwest finalists

Vaughn Moore is the Executive Chairman and CEO of AIT Worldwide Logistics.

AIT Worldwide Logistics is a global freight forwarder that helps its customers grow by expanding access to markets all over the world where they can sell and procure raw materials, components and finished goods. For more than 40 years, the Chicago-based supply chain solutions leader has relied on a consultative approach to build a global network and trusted partnerships in nearly every industry, including aerospace, automotive, consumer retail, food, government, healthcare, high-tech, industrial and life sciences. Backed by scalable, user-friendly technology, AIT’s flexible business model customizes door-to-door deliveries via sea, air, ground and rail — on time and on budget. With expert teammates staffing more than 100 worldwide locations in Asia, Europe and North America, AIT’s full-service options also include customs clearance, warehouse management and white glove services.

Scott Mayer is the Chief Executive Officer of Ambulatory Management Solutions.

Ambulatory Management Solutions (AMS) began in 2007 when Mobile Anesthesiologists, already a decade into pioneering a safe, cost-effective anesthesia model for office-based procedures, brought all administrative and business services in-house to meet the growing demands of the clinical practice. The move proved successful. In 2011, AMS was spun off from Mobile Anesthesiologists under the leadership of CEO Scott Mayer and became an independent MSO. Today, AMS and its practice-partners lead the industry, having delivered care to close to a million patients, and continue as the innovators of a care model that offers turnkey anesthesia, perioperative and administrative services for outpatient surgical procedures, all focused on the “quintuple aim” of value-based care: health equity, clinician well-being, and the pursuit of better health, improved outcomes, and lower costs.

AMS is passionate about its own continuous process development while also growing regionally and nationally to be the largest office-based anesthesia and perioperative service platform in the country. The AMS team continues to be committed and proud of what the office-based surgical setting can offer patients, physicians and the community.

Tracy Graham is the Founder and CEO of Aunalytics.

The Aunalytics mission is to empower mid-market businesses and enterprises located in secondary or tertiary markets to compete and stay relevant with cutting-edge technologies powered by the technical talent needed to achieve business value. 

The Aunalytics^® cloud-native data platform is built for universal data access, advanced analytics and AI while unifying disparate data silos into a single golden record of accurate, actionable business information. Its Daybreak™ industry intelligent data mart combined with the power of the Aunalytics data platform provides industry-specific data models with built-in queries and AI to ensure access to timely, accurate data and answers to critical business and IT questions. Through its side-by-side digital transformation model, Aunalytics provides on-demand scalable access to technology, data science and AI experts to seamlessly transform members’ businesses.

Aunalytics has established a physical presence across the mid-west in South Bend, IN; Kalamazoo and Traverse City, MI; and Bellefontaine, OH and also employs team members across the United States and globally.

Ryan O'Donnell is the CEO and Co-Founder of Ballyhoo Hospitality.

Ballyhoo Hospitality is the destination for feel-good dining. Founded by longtime hospitality industry veterans Ryan and Anna O'Donnell, Ballyhoo delivers the restaurant experience that guests crave. By pairing inspired menus with a unique ambiance, Ballyhoo focuses on all things quality — from the meals to the atmosphere and, above all, the service. Ballyhoo is redefining neighborhood dining throughout Chicago and the North Shore including with Gemini, Coda di Volpe, Old Pueblo Cantina, Sophia Steak, Pomeroy, Buck Russell’s and Pizza by Sal and continues to expand to more communities.

Stephanie Klein is the CEO of Braviant Holdings.

Braviant Holdings is a leading provider of online credit products and services for underbanked consumers. Its team of fintech veterans, technologists and data scientists has developed a next-generation approach to lending that combines breakthrough technology with cutting-edge machine learning to transform how non-prime consumers access credit online. Braviant's growing suite of financial products look beyond a traditional credit score to help deserving borrowers access the credit they need in the short term and achieve better long-term financial outcomes as they build credit history and graduate to lower rates over time on Braviant’s Path to Prime^®. Braviant has been recognized repeatedly as a top place to work by Crain’s, American Banker, and Built In Chicago and has been named multiple times to the Inc. 5000 and Deloitte Fast 500 lists.

Jeff Meredith is the CEO of Chamberlain Group.

Chamberlain Group, a Blackstone company, is a global leader in smart access solutions across residential and commercial properties. Its prominent brands LiftMaster^®, Chamberlain^®, Merlin^® and Grifco^® are found in millions of residential and commercial access applications across the globe. Its innovative products and partnerships, powered by their myQ^® smart technology, provide customers with smart access solutions to move safely through garages, homes, communities, businesses and storage facilities. Chamberlain Group pioneered vehicle-to-home connectivity through patented technology aboard hundreds of millions of vehicles. Chamberlain Group includes Controlled Products Systems Group, a leading wholesale distributor of perimeter access control equipment in the US, and Systems, LLC, one of North America's leading dock leveler manufacturers.

David Stern is the CEO of Experity.

Experity is the leading software and services company for on-demand health care in the US urgent care market, providing an integrated operating system complete with electronic medical record, practice management, patient engagement, billing, teleradiology, business intelligence and consulting solutions. Nearly 50% of the US urgent care market runs on Experity solutions. With Experity, providers can best meet the demands of the evolving on-demand space and deliver high-quality, high-velocity care by streamlining operations, improving patient experiences and optimizing revenue. A GTCR portfolio company, Experity’s leadership comprises growth-minded urgent care experts and business leaders committed to improving on-demand healthcare for all.

Stephen Hagerty is the Founder and President of Hagerty Consulting.

Hagerty Consulting is an emergency management consulting firm that helps clients prepare for, respond to and recover from disasters. Established in 2001 and incorporated in July 2002, Hagerty’s work includes some of the nation’s largest recovery projects, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Michael, and the Camp Fire (among other major disasters). Our professionals have further supported disaster preparedness and response across the nation, including major preparedness initiatives for the federal government and 45 different response and recovery missions associated with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic. The firm is (and has been) consistently recognized throughout the industry for its innovative thinking, client-centric service, and the superior results it delivers to every project. Hagerty professionals reside across the United States in all 10 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regions. Our corporate headquarters is in Evanston, Illinois, and we have offices across the nation.

Bob Oros is the Chairman and CEO of Hightower Advisors.

Hightower is a wealth management firm that provides investment, financial and retirement planning services to individuals, foundations and family offices, as well as 401(k) consulting and cash management services to corporations. Hightower's capital solutions, operational support services, size and scale empower its vibrant community of independent-minded wealth advisors to grow their businesses and help their clients achieve their vision of “well-th. rebalanced.” Based in Chicago with advisors across the US, the firm operates as a registered investment advisor (RIA).

Brandon Barnholt is the CEO of KeHE Distributors Holdings, LLC.

KeHE Distributors is one of the nation’s top pure play wholesale food distributors with 16 distribution centers across North America, delivering over 78,000 natural and organic, specialty, and fresh products to more than 32,000 retail outlets in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. KeHE helps natural and organic, specialty and fresh brands and products get onto retail shelves and online. KeHE also partners with grocery stores, supermarkets, natural retailers, and online e-commerce drop shippers to access a curated assortment of innovative products via a one-truck delivery.

Dr. Jennifer Holmgren is the CEO of LanzaTech.

Headquartered in Skokie, IL, LanzaTech transforms waste carbon into materials such as sustainable fuels, fabrics, packaging, and other products. Using a variety of waste feedstocks, LanzaTech’s technology platform highlights a future where consumers are not dependent on virgin fossil feedstocks for everything in their daily lives. LanzaTech’s goal is to challenge and change the way the world uses carbon, enabling a new circular carbon economy where carbon is reused rather than wasted, skies and oceans are kept clean, and pollution becomes a thing of the past.

Chad Peterman is the CEO of Peterman Brothers.

Peterman Brothers is a family-owned residential services company. They provide HVAC, plumbing and electrical services to homeowners across central Indiana from our six locations. Over the past five years, Peterman Brothers has grown from a small team of 50 team members to a team of over 600 people. In 2020, Peterman Brothers founded the Peterman Top Tech Academy where, in 2023, they will train over 150 new technicians in the trades. With a focus on training and development, Peterman Brothers works to create a place where people can grow personally in order to provide the best possible service to our customers.

Kevin Williamson is the Chief Executive Officer of RJW Logistics.

RJW Logistics Group is a leading provider of end-to-end retail logistics and consolidation services for the entire US retailer distribution network, out-performing by getting its customers' products to the retail shelf faster, with greater accuracy, and at a lower overall cost. Their unique operational model and single-node inventory strategy generates a more consistent flow of goods to shelf with lower inventory requirements, fewer supply chain redundancies, and higher in-stock levels. RJW Logistics Group owns and operates the entire middle mile, including transportation, warehousing, and proprietary technology, to offer guaranteed capacity, transparency, and oversight that drives decision-making and improves control. Their teams are true experts who possess deep retailer knowledge to help customers comply with strict requirements and create the most resilient, efficient supply chain. With a full suite of in-house services, we’re able to generate efficiencies, contribute to a sustainable supply chain, reduce costs and lead times, and drive scorecard performance — benefitting not only the customer, but the retailer and the overall global supply chain as well.

Jeffrey Shapack is the Founder and CEO of Shapack Partners.

Shapack Partners is a Fulton Market-based, multi-asset class real estate development company that acquires, repositions, develops and invests in properties throughout Chicago. With an expertise in acquisition, design, leasing and development, Shapack focuses on office, residential, hospitality, retail and restaurants.

Shapack created Fulton Market District in 2014, converting a former leather belt factory into Soho House Chicago, serving as the neighborhood’s catalyst. The firm is an instrumental force behind transforming Fulton Market into a morning, noon and night Central Social District and the fastest-growing office market in the US.

After catapulting Fulton Market into a branded neighborhood with defined geographical boundaries, Shapack seized the opportunity to develop and bring to the neighborhood innovative brands, hotels, start-ups and headquartered companies centered on food, design, hospitality, art, culture, technology, financial services and commerce. Shapack's projects include Soho House, WeWork Fulton Market flagship location, The Parker Fulton Market, Shake Shack, The Hoxton Hotel, 811 Fulton and 167 Green.

Shapack continues to develop in Fulton Market and other Chicago neighborhoods.

John Williamson is the CEO and Co-founder of Songfinch.

Songfinch is the leading music creator platform enabling anyone to choose from thousands of professional musicians to create one-of-a-kind, custom songs.

Michael Stomberg is the CEO of The Planet Group.

The Planet Group consists of a group of related global consulting organizations and renowned staffing brands and has been purposefully built to address the professional services needs of leading companies in the technology, diversified energy and engineering, infrastructure, accounting and finance, human resources, healthcare and digital marketing areas. 

ProPharma's purpose is to improve the health and wellness of patients by providing advice and expertise that empowers biotech, med device, and pharmaceutical organizations of all sizes to confidently advance scientific breakthroughs and introduce new therapies. As the world’s largest RCO (Research Consulting Organization), ProPharma partners with its clients through an advise-build-operate model across the complete product lifecycle. With deep domain expertise in regulatory sciences, clinical research solutions, quality and compliance, pharmacovigilance, medical information, and R&D technology, ProPharma offers an end-to-end suite of fully customizable consulting solutions that de-risk and accelerate our partners’ most high-profile drug and device programs.

Jamie Teets is the CEO of Transportation One, LLC.

Transportation One is a results-driven transportation company that offers full-service, multi-model logistics solutions. Transportation One focuses on retail, food and beverage, consumer products and goods, and OEM verticals. Our pioneering and spirited team is dedicated to exceeding the demands of a continuously evolving environment for our shipper and carrier partners alike.

Creating success is their passion, which has 360-degree meaning. They want success for their Transportation One teammates, customers, vendors and most importantly — the communities which Transportation One supports.