2026 40 Under 40 Winners

Frances Richards and Amara Rozgus

Each winner is a multidimensional person who actively engages with the building profession, family and community

Across disciplines, the 2026 40 Under 40 winners are consistently drawn to work that makes buildings safer, more resilient, more efficient and more humane. Their work is technical and the underlying motivation is both civic and human: protect occupants, improve operations, reduce waste, support communities and prepare institutions for the future. Beyond their careers, the commonality becomes even richer. Their personal interests suggest a cohort defined by curiosity and active engagement with the world. Family, mentorship and service appear frequently. Physical pursuits show up repeatedly. This physical drive points to shared traits: endurance, discipline, self-renewal and comfort with challenge. Taken together, these winner profiles portray a generation of leaders whose identity is broader than technical specialization. They are stewards of critical systems, translators between complexity and human need and multidimensional people whose passions reinforce the same qualities that make them effective professionally.