(Lansing, MI) - The 17th annual 10 Over the Next Ten Awards were held on Tuesday, Sept. 19 at the University Club of MSU in East Lansing. This event recognizes Greater Lansing’s top 10 young professionals who are expected to contribute significantly to our community over the next ten years. The 10 Over the Next Ten Awards were sponsored by Independent Bank. The University Club of MSU served as the event venue sponsor. The 10 Over the Next Ten Awars were co-hosted by the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce (LRCC) and Lansing 5:01. Michigan Premier Events served as the event management partner.

The 2023 10 Over the Next Ten Award recipients include: 

Paul Anderson’s professional journey showcases diverse roles and significant accomplishments. Founding Stay Rooted Lansing, he led its transition to a non-profit, promoting community development and initiating green spaces. At Moneyball Sportswear, he excelled in e-commerce, enhancing customer engagement and relations. As a Fatherhood Coalition Advisor, he organized events and engaged communities. Paul has also left an impact through community service, memberships, and achievements, including working as a promotions committee member for Downtown Lansing Inc. As City of Lansing Leisure Services Advisory Board President since April 2019, he strategically advises on Parks and Recreation initiatives, optimizes community resources, and raises funds for community centers. 

Mikeyy Austin is a musician/artist, business owner, organizer, culture curator and an equity and leadership consultant for the Early Childhood Investment Corporation. He is founder and director of OurSpace (517), which produces Lansing’s largest cultural celebration in the 517 —Juneteenth weekend in Reo Town. In the past three years, Juneteenth celebrations have generated over $100,000 in revenue for Black and Brown businesses in Lansing. OurSpace (517) also supports other organizations by providing event planning, marketing and advertising, video production, fundraising support and consultation. Mikeyy and his OurSpace (517) team were recipients of the 2023 Lansing Built to Last award. 

Lisa Barna spent a decade working in economic and community development before deciding to take the plunge and open Black Dog Coffee in her hometown of Eaton Rapids. Black Dog has been one of the most rewarding and challenging things she has ever done. She feels the joy of running a profitable business that has become a gathering place and meeting the need of people in the community. Every month, Black Dog introduces a new, unique seasonal menu, which allows them to stay on top of food and drink trends. She has plans for build-outs and developments of their building for every year until 2029. Lisa and her husband Andrew have experienced the joy of hosting seven foreign exchange students in their home. After hosting the exchange students and learning they could not have children of their own, the couple have fostered 16 children. Lisa is very active in the community, including supporting the Eaton Rapids Farmers Market and is an active member of Rotary and the Eaton Rapids Chamber of Commerce. 

Kirsten Feldpausch is special gifts manager for the Greater Lansing Food Bank. Kirsten moved to Lansing shortly prior to the Covid Pandemic and it was during that time she witnessed the character of the region. She stood alongside volunteers in the early morning hours on countless Saturdays helping to load the trunks of hundreds of neighbors’ cars with groceries they might not otherwise be able to afford. She worked diligently to secure partners and funding for new programming to better ensure the equitable access of the GLFB services across Mid-Michigan and worked collaboratively across the organization to successfully complete a capital campaign which greatly expanded the food bank’s capacity. Kirsten has become very involved in the community including being a member of the 2022-23Leadership Lansing cohort, the local Association of Fundraising Professionals chapter, and is also a certified tourism ambassador for the greater Lansing area. 

Andrew Gauthier is founder and co-owner of Groovy Donuts in Williamston and East Lansing. A graduate of MSU, Andrew has a  successful background as a Wall Street investment banker that has served him well as he has led Groovy Donuts in becoming an award-winning donut shop. Inspring 2016, Groovy Donuts earned its first Top 5 ranking in Lansing City Pulse's "Top of the Town" competition and has earned a Top 3 spot in the Best Doughnuts category every year since. In June 2017, he was named "Rising Micro Entrepreneur" at the Entrepreneur Institute of Mid-Michigan's Annual Luncheon. Groovy Donuts is deeply connected to the community including delivering free donuts to teachers in East Lansing and Williamston Schools during Teacher Appreciation Week and weekly donations to Child and Family Charities, Saturday Morning Breakfast Outreach, Punks with Lunch, and many others. 

Amanda Hadley serves as a financial advisor for Full Circle Financial Planning in Lansing. She works primarily with women entrepreneurs, divorcees, working and single moms, and widows. Working together with other strong women in the community, Amanda feels the best part of her job is helping clients to feel educated and empowered in their decisions. She is a licensed Fiduciary with a Series 65 license, having passed an exam that required several hundred hours of study, most of which she completed while taking care of her new baby and working full time.

Amanda is continually involved in activities associated with the organizations that she is a part of, including events taking place in Old Town Lansing, Impression 5, and the efforts and community commitments made by TWIGS (To Work in Grateful Service). In June, she organized and co-hosted the family-centered “Touch a Truck Family Fun Fest” event in Old Town. 

Ryan Hundt serves as chief executive officer of Michigan Works! Association. In that role, he leads a statewide association of workforce development boards and agencies that serves thousands of job seekers and employers annually. He has a proven record of delivering innovative and impactful programs and initiatives that foster talent attraction and retention, and growth in Michigan. He is very active on boards both locally and statewide includingthe Michigan Economic Developers Association; Michigan Adult, Community & Alternative Education Association; State of Michigan Apprenticeship Advisory Board Member; Michigan Workforce, Training and Education Collaborative Board Member; and the Michigan College Access Network Educated Workforce Advisory Board Member. 

Myles Johnson is a Lansing native who has always had a passion for politics and making an impact in the community. After graduating from Lansing Sexton High School and receiving a degree in advertising from Bowling Green, he returned home and decided to run for Ingham  county commissioner. He won his election with a 75 percent majority. In his first year as commissioner, he has implemented targeted infrastructure improvement initiatives, including securing funding and resources for road maintenance, public transportation, and utility services, to address the pressing infrastructure gaps in District 5. Myles is also using his background in advertising in his role as a digital sales specialist for WILX Media in Lansing. 

Samantha Le brings over 11 years of sales and marketing experience, specializing in real estate, to her role as associate, retail advisor at Martin Commercial Properties. Raised in Lansing, Samantha has a familiarity with and understanding of the local and regional market. She returned home from Chicago in early 2020 to be more involved in her community. Samantha is eager to take all that she has learned in a larger market and translate it here in Mid-Michigan. This will further her personal goal of fostering economic development in Lansing, making Mid-Michigan a thriving region for new business. She is very active in the community, including serving as a board member of the Capital City Film Festival and a table captain for the Ele’s Place Healing Hearts Breakfast. 

Jacqueline Rhine serves as a sales and leasing consultant for Feldman Chevrolet of Lansing. She has thrived working in male-dominated industries her entire career. “Jac” as she is known to her friends has worked her way up in the automotive industry since 2016 to entering sales in 2018. She is a four-time certified top performer as a General Motors Mark of Excellence Winner. In 2022, she generated over $600,000 in sales and was the top salesperson in her building and in the top eight in the entire company. Community is essential to Jac. She joined a BNI group which made a profound impact on her life and showed her how strong the Lansing area’s business network is. She appreciates being able to be involved in community groups including HBA, BNI Networkers of Okemos, Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Lansing Women’s Forum, all of which have helped her build business connections and more importantly, relationships and friendships. 

Lansing 5:01 strives to retain and attract young professionals in the Lansing region by connecting both college talent and young professionals to the community’s emerging quality-of-life opportunities. Lansing 5:01 partners with over 35 companies and organizations across the Lansing region, including Fortune 500 companies, non-profit agencies, and creative small businesses.

About the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce:
The Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce works relentlessly to help businesses connect, grow, and thrive. No mid-Michigan business stands alone when they are a member of the Chamber. For 122 years, the Lansing Chamber has served as the voice of the Greater Lansing business community. More information about LRCC and its programs and services can be found online at lansingchamber.org, Facebook, Instagram (@lansingregionalchamber), Twitter (@lansingchamber), and LinkedIn.

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