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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 O C T O B E R 2 , 2 0 2 3 AWA R D N E X T U P | 4 0 U N D E R 4 0 A business developer with a history of advancing the future Ben Chesler, 31 Director of venture creation and acceleration, the Roux Institute Significant professional accom- plishment: I'm most proud of the work I did launching Imperfect Foods, a mission- driven online grocery store that took "ugly" produce that would go to waste and deliv- ered it to people's doors. We were an early leader in giving own- ership stakes i n t h e c o m - pany to every e m p l o y e e , including the hourly work- force in our ware- houses. That was fairly unheard of in the Bay Area back in 2015, and we were proud to be at the forefront of what has become a growing movement. Passion project: During COVID, I watched a bunch of YouTube videos and built a skin- on-frame canoe. I'm not a very patient person in general, so it was a fun chal- lenge to focus long enough to build an entire canoe. Audacious goal: I'd love to bike across the country with my wife and two kids. It's always been a dream of mine and it feels as if doing it with kids proba- bly counts as audacious. Favorite quote: "People will remember how you made them feel, not what you did." — Maya Angelou. I'm very task-ori- ented, but an old boss of mine said this to me and it stuck with me. It's so true. Influential book: "The Ministry for the Future," by Kim Stanley Robinson. It's fic- tion, but I think it lays out a path of both the scary challenges and the inspiring opportunities we face as we confront climate change. Favorite TV shows or movies: It really depends on the mood I'm in, but some of my favorite movies are "Clueless," "21," "Ocean's 11" and "Moana" (my toddler's favorite movie). How do you recharge: I get out into the woods. Hiking, backpacking, canoeing. Anything that brings me into nature and away from people. Expanding the economic horizon Downeast Denise Cilley, 39 Associate director, Sunrise County Economic Council Significant professional accomplishment: Over the past 2 ½ years, I've been directly involved in secur- ing more than $2.1 million in grant, campaign and sponsor- ship funding to support business and industry education programs involving more than 50 incredible part- ners and reaching more than 350 indi- vidual learners and 170 businesses. The work has also included the construction and launch of MaineStreet Business Build- ing, Washington County's first coworking and small business support and networking hub. Passion project: A concept I am passionate about and actively pursuing is engaging younger generations in town government decision-mak- ing. We need young people on our commit- tees and their voices heard at town meet- ings. This begins with sharing how deci- sions are made in our communities and inviting participation. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » P ROV I D E D P H O T O P H O T O / S O U B A H N P H A N T H AY Denise Cilley, a leader at the Sunrise County Economic Council, is passionate about engaging younger generations in town government. Ben Chesler plays a key role in developing startups at Roux Institute programs. your work and dedication inspire us. At KeyBank, we believe achievements that have a positive impact on people and the community should always be recognized. Making a difference is never easy, and we never stop being thankful for the people who do it. KeyBank is pleased to partner with MaineBiz as a Presenting Sponsor of the Next List: 40 Under 40 Awards. Congratulations to all the honorees. ©2023 KeyCorp. KeyBank Member FDIC. 221108-1326908-1263052152

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