
Kate Retherford, 29
Senior Social Media Manager, T-Mobile
Residence
Snohomish
Hometown
Granite Falls
Education
Pacific Lutheran University, Bachelor of Business Administration; Bachelor of Arts in History
First job
Seafood clerk at Safeway
Hobbies
Traveling, weightlifting, cycling, blogging at allthingskate.com, and trying to find the best chocolate chip cookie
Favorite podcast
“Revisionist History”
Millennial Myth Pet Peeve
“I hate that millennials have a reputation for being lazy. So many of us hustle day in and day out, juggling full-time careers with side hustles, hobbies, families, and more.”
Kate Retherford knows the hustle. Her life is a balance of managing public social media at T-Mobile and managing personal social media at allthingskate.com, her lifestyle blog. In both of these pursuits, Retherford uses her success to mentor others. Her blog began as a plus- size style blog in 2012, where she encouraged women of all sizes to be comfortable in their own skin. In 2014, Retherford began a health and fitness journey; lost 100 pounds; and now she writes on a wide range of content, from travel, to wedding planning, to body image. She also accepts the fact that her to-do list may never be empty. — OL

Joey Rothstein, 25
Residence
Bellevue
Hometown
Las Vegas, Nevada
Education
Some college
First job
Paperboy
Hobbies
Sports
Favorite podcast
“Pod Save America”
Millennial Myth Pet Peeve
“That we’re all lazy.”
In only two years, Joey Rothstein has carved his way into a leading position at Audi Bellevue, one of the most prestigious car dealerships in the area. In fact, in his first two months with Audi Bellevue, Rothstein became the top salesperson at the dealership; after a year, he was the youngest finance manager the company had ever had. Not long after, he was leading the department as finance director. It was his strong work ethic that earned him such a quick advancement. This is reflected in his favorite piece of professional advice: “Work like someone is trying to take your job.” — ZB

Devin Santamaria, 23
Residence
Bellevue
Hometown
San Mateo, California
Education
University of Oregon, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
First job
Assistant black belt instructor
Hobbies
Hiking, camping, 4×4 driving, and reading
Favorite podcast
“Joe Rogan Experience”
Millennial Myth Pet Peeve
“That all millennials feel some sense of entitlement from the world.”
Devin Santamaria has come a long way since his first job as an assistant black belt instructor at age 15. But he said that job actually prepared him for his future career as a sales manager. It taught him how to develop a plan, how to read people’s personalities, and how to make changes on the fly to achieve a desired outcome. He said he’s still learning and preparing for bigger and better jobs. “I like to think I have an entrepreneurial streak,” Santamaria said. “I enjoy taking calculated risks, and I love the feeling of standing up a new project. Whether it’s a software idea coming to life or building a ridiculous wooden structure with some friends for a bonfire on a beach, setting a goal and reaching it is what drives me.” — CW

Austin Schneider, 26
Residence
Kirkland
Hometown
Woodinville
First job
Serving meals at Brittany Park Retirement Home
Hobbies
Golf, reading, and listening to podcasts
Favorite podcast
“GaryVee Audio Experience,” “The MFCEO project,” “The School of Greatness,” and “Churchome”
Millennial Myth Pet Peeve
“Millennials have bad work ethics.”
At age 15, Austin Schneider was serving meals at a retirement home in Woodinville when he came upon a realization so simple and effective, it carried over to his career today as a real estate agent: A smile and warm greeting could make someone’s day. Fast-forward a decade, and Schneider blended that attention to customer service with flat-out hard work at Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty, where he earned his real estate stripes, and now at Compass Real Estate. “Austin entered the real estate industry like he was a savvy tech startup entrepreneur,” said Stacy Jones, Schneider’s former boss at Sotheby’s. “He passionately outworks anyone I’ve ever seen in this business. He stands out in a saturated market of real estate agents.” When asked what he hopes to accomplish by age 40, Schneider, an avid traveler said, “Learn three languages!” — TM

Jessica Sellers-Duggan, 29
Program Manager, GSA
CEO, NWPMC
Residence
Sammamish
Hometown
Anchorage, Alaska
Education
Webster University, Master of Business Administration; Harvard University, Graduate Certificate in Disruptive Innovation; University of Alaska Southeast, Bachelor of Business Administration
First job
Arctic Roadrunner, an Alaska family restaurant
Hobbies
Golf, camping, watching hockey, baseball, and football, wine tasting, water activities
Favorite podcast
“Tribe of Mentors”
Millennial Myth Pet Peeve
“The misconception that only millennials check their phones constantly.”
Though Jessica Sellers-Duggan works an average of 65 to 70 hours each week, she lives by the philosophy that when you love what you do, you won’t work a day in your life. For her day job, Sellers-Duggan is the program manager for GSA, where she fuels her passion for analyzing ways to save taxpayers money on transactions. “One of my favorite moments was negotiating a lease whereas I was already well within our established benchmarks for an acceptable range and could have moved on the next project. I had this idea to negotiate further … and ended saving $650,000 on one project,” Sellers-Duggan shared. Beyond her 9-to-5, Sellers-Duggan works with her husband on their own Northwest Project Management and Construction Inc. to develop and consult on luxury homes. — SS

Naveen Singh, 26
Residence
Bellevue
Hometown
Bellevue
Education
University of San Diego, Bachelor’s degree
First job
Product manager at Concur
Hobbies
Traveling, hiking, snowboarding, and reading
Favorite podcast
“a16Z”
Millennial Myth Pet Peeve
“Millennials all live on social media.”
“Some people get nervous about technology’s impact, but I’m excited by it,” explained tech entrepreneur Naveen Singh. “Technology holds a lot of promise in automating monotonous tasks and enabling humans to make better, more well-informed decisions.” Singh’s latest endeavor is Center, a 35-person Bellevue startup he co-founded in 2014 with his father, Steve Singh. Center made headlines with its release of CenterCard, a corporate digital credit card made of sleek metal, e-ink screen, rechargeable battery, and Bluetooth technology that tracks spending in real-time. Outside of work, Singh has traveled to rural India to teach English at the Jangi Singh Girls College, which aims to educate and empower women to build their futures and families. On weekends, he’s likely to be found boating, swimming, and paddle boarding on Lake Washington. As for the future, Singh wants to “build a business that helps people and companies by pioneering a new future of data-driven software applications” before he turns 40 years old. — TM

Avi Soor, 26
Residence
Kirkland
Hometown
Thousand Oaks, California
Education
University of California, Irvine, Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics
First job
Corporate finance associate
Hobbies
Fashion and volleyball
Favorite podcast
“The GaryVee Audio Experience”
Millennial Myth Pet Peeve
“That we think we know everything.”
Avi Soor always knew he wanted to pursue entrepreneurship, and he had a passion for men’s fashion and social media, but he didn’t take the leap until recently. Previously a corporate professional, Soor quit his day job to pursue his side hustle full-time. His company, Seattle Gents, is a community for men’s fashion influencers and enthusiasts who partner with brands to promote their products and services through social media. Their track record is pretty impressive, too: They’ve partnered with The Art of Shaving, Four Seasons Seattle, Gene Juarez, and more. Soor and co-founder Antonio Smith hope to put the area on the map as a fashion hub by connecting with individuals across the region to inspire their fashion goals. — ZB

Nathan Straub, 26
Managing Director, Awsom
Residence
Renton
Hometown
Kirkland
Education
Master of Arts in Music and Voice Performance
First job
Red Apple courtesy clerk
Hobbies
Being with family, stressing over the news, and obsessing over box office revenues for mega-movies ever since The Force Awakens came out
Favorite podcast
”The Tim Ferriss Show”
Millennial Myth Pet Peeve
“That we’re lazy. I work very hard to live like no one else, so that later I can live like no one else! Credit to Dave Ramsey.”
Directly after graduating from Washington State University with a Masters in Opera Performance, Nathan Straub started teaching voice lessons through AWSOM. The company offers music lessons to more than 250 people of all ages in the Greater Seattle area. Three months into teaching, former Managing Director Andrew White promoted him to assistant director; three months after that, he was told to prepare to run the company, which he started doing in January. “Nathan exemplifies the definition of a servant leader, going the extra mile for each and every student he works with,” said White. “It is no surprise that his team is pioneering one of the PNW’s fastest-growing music schools.” — ZB

Ryan Sullivan, 27
Residence
Clearview
Hometown
Brier
Education
Some college
First job
Union ironworker
Hobbies
Golf; fishing; classic cars; working in his yard; and spending time with family, friends, and his dog Hank
Favorite podcast
“Serial”
Millennial Myth Pet Peeve
“That all millennials are lazy.”
Ryan Sullivan is a dream come true for employers and employees. As vice president of Evergreen Erectors Inc., Sullivan has helped take the company from $8 million per year to over $30 million per year, making it one of the largest steel erectors in the country. But this bountiful bottom line doesn’t mean he isn’t looking out for the little guy — Sullivan said helping his employees feel fulfilled in their work is the best part of his job. Before he turns 40, Sullivan said, he wants to “continue the growth of the company — not just monetarily, but by creating opportunities for my employees to continue to grow and thrive in their careers.” — CW

Eric Tinnell, 28
Residence
Seattle
Hometown
Ephrata, Washington
Education
Central Washington University, Bachelor of Science in Finance and Economics
First job
Baseball camp counselor
Hobbies
Reading, running, dining, hiking, learning, and getting out of his comfort zone
Favorite podcast
“Financial Advisor Success”
Millennial Myth Pet Peeve
“Millennials are lazy.”
Eric Tinnell moved from Eastern Washington to the Eastside four years ago to pursue an internship at Northwestern Mutual in Bellevue. Today, he is a full-time financial advisor who has earned top industry honors. A former infielder for the Central Washington University Wildcats baseball team, Tinnell now puts his natural athleticism toward more altruistic interests by regularly participating in the Seattle Brain Cancer Walk, Nordstrom’s Beat the Bridge to Beat Diabetes, and the November Project. He’s also an avid reader who volunteers his time to the children’s literacy program Page Ahead. Tinnell believes his professional success comes from listening to good advice — “The person you become is determined by the books you read and the five people you spend the most time with,” said Tinnell. — TM

Chirag Vedullapalli, 17
Residence
Sammamish
Hometown
Fremont, California
Education
Currently a student at Mount Si High School
First job
Tutor
Hobbies
Hiking, paddle boarding, swimming, painting, organizing community events, researching world issues, and listening to music
Favorite podcast
”Digest” on Spotify
Millennial Myth Pet Peeve
“We are addicted to social media. Social media is a powerful tool that can be used for good.”
This 17-year-old serial philanthropist has done more good for more people before his 18th birthday than most people do in a lifetime. Not only has the high school senior volunteered between 500 and 1,000 hours of his time per year and raised more than $25,000 through the sale of his own art; he also started the youth foundation Creative Children for Charity — or 3C, as it has come to be known — when he was only 8 years old. Despite his young philanthropic success, Chirag Vedullapalli said he often is worried he won’t be taken seriously. “A lot of adults will not invest money in youth initiatives, especially when they are organized by youth, for youth,” he said. Though Vedullapalli conceded this is a struggle that gets easier with age, experience, and the cultivation of relationships. He is still deciding where to attend college, but he knows he is far from done helping others. — JK

Norman Wu, 28
Residence
Mercer Island
Hometown
Seattle
Education
University of Washington, Bachelors Degree in International Business
First job
Nordstrom
Hobbies
Cooking, traveling, tea ceremony
Favorite podcast
“Masters of Scale”
Millennial Myth Pet Peeve
The myth that millennials are self-absorbed
Norman Wu is half of the dynamic duo that is the ownership of the expanding Eastside fast-casual restaurant Just Poké. Growing up within many cultures, Wu was exposed to various cuisines at a young age. Wu loves how food can bring joy and community to people of all cultures. The opening of Just Poké in 2016 with childhood best friend Danny Brawer is what Wu would say is “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pursue a lifelong dream.” In the next decade, Wu hopes to become a professor at the University of Washington to teach a class focused on practical conceptualization, entrepreneurship, and diversity. — SS