There are certain things a community simply cannot afford to leave to chance.

Its future is one of them.

For years now, through the Greek America Foundation’s Forty Under 40 initiative, we have done something that I believe matters deeply—not only for this moment, but for the long-term health of our community across North America. We have intentionally recognized young leaders of Greek descent who are not only excelling in their professions, but who also care about the world around them and are actively trying to make it better.

That matters.

Because if all we do is celebrate our past, but fail to invest in the people who will shape our future, then we are not building anything lasting. We are simply preserving memory without creating momentum.

Forty Under 40 was created to do the opposite.

It was created to identify, recognize, and elevate a new generation of leaders—people in business, medicine, law, academia, the arts, public service, entrepreneurship, philanthropy, and so many other fields—who are doing more than building careers. They are building lives of meaning. They are pursuing excellence, yes, but they are also giving back, showing up, lifting others, and demonstrating that success without service is incomplete.

And that, to me, is the whole point.

We didn’t create Forty Under 40 to be a popularity contest. We didn’t create it to be a vanity list. We didn’t create it to reward whoever is the loudest, the most connected, or the most visible online. We created it because merit matters. Achievement matters. Character matters. And a demonstrated commitment to something bigger than oneself matters, too.

In a time when so much public recognition feels hollow, performative, or driven by optics, I wanted this institution to stand for something real.

I wanted it to reflect the best version of our community. A meritocratic one.

And by meritocratic, I don’t mean cold or impersonal. I mean fair. I mean substantive. I mean rooted in actual accomplishment and meaningful contribution. I mean recognizing people who have earned distinction not because of who they know, but because of what they have done and how they have done it.

That is what gives this honor its credibility.

And over time, something else became clear. Forty Under 40 was not just becoming an award. It was becoming a community.
That may be the most important part of all.

Because when you bring together young Greek American and Greek Canadian leaders from different cities, professions, and backgrounds—but who share a common sense of purpose—you begin to create something powerful. You create relationships.

You create cross-generational inspiration. You create a network of people who may collaborate, mentor, support, and challenge one another for years to come. You create a living example of what our community can look like when excellence and service are held up together.

That doesn’t happen by accident.

It happens because we choose to build it.

And I believe our community needs this now more than ever.

We need to show younger generations that being Greek in North America is not just about inherited pride, parade-day nostalgia, summer visits, or beautiful memories passed down at the dinner table. It is also about responsibility. It is about what kind of people we become. It is about what we contribute. It is about whether we use our gifts, our education, our opportunities, and our success in a way that leaves something better behind.

That is why the people we honor through Forty Under 40 matter beyond their own individual achievements.

They become examples.

They show what is possible. They show that you can be ambitious and generous. Accomplished and grounded. Successful and socially conscious. They remind us that leadership is not just about title or prestige. It is about impact. It is about integrity. It is about whether your presence in the world improves life for someone else.

And that is exactly the kind of leadership worth elevating.

The truth is, communities become what they celebrate.

If we only celebrate wealth, we will become shallow. If we only celebrate status, we will become performative. If we only celebrate visibility, we will confuse noise for value.

But if we celebrate people of substance—people who strive, who achieve, who serve, who care—then we begin to shape a culture around those values. We tell our young people, clearly and unapologetically: this is what we admire. This is what we honor.

This is what matters.

That is what the Greek America Foundation is doing through Forty Under 40.

We are building an institution that says to young leaders across North America: we see you. We honor what you’ve accomplished. We respect the way you are living your life. And we believe that your example can help strengthen the future of our wider community.

That future won’t build itself.

It will be built by serious people. Thoughtful people. Generous people. People with talent, discipline, compassion, and vision. People who are willing not only to succeed, but to remain connected to something larger than themselves.

That is the community we are trying to nurture.

And that is why this matters.

As nominations open once again, my hope is that people will understand that Forty Under 40 is not just about selecting names for a list. It is about strengthening an institution that reflects the kind of Greek America many of us want to see—forward-looking, values-driven, inclusive of many professions and paths, and rooted in both excellence and philanthropy.

We need institutions like this. We need ways to recognize people who are quietly doing extraordinary things. We need a language for honoring not only success, but substance. And we need to keep building a community where the next generation of leaders feels seen, challenged, inspired, and connected.

That is what Forty Under 40 has become.

Not just an award. Not just an announcement. Not just a night of recognition.

A growing community of young leaders who remind us that the future of Greek America is not something to worry about from afar. It is something we can shape—deliberately, thoughtfully, and with purpose.

And that is exactly what we intend to keep doing.

If you know a young leader who embodies these ideals— someone who is excelling professionally while also making a meaningful difference in the world around them— I hope you will take a moment to nominate them. These are exactly the kinds of people our community should be recognizing, elevating, and connecting. Help us continue building a community rooted in excellence, purpose, and impact by submitting a nomination for the Greek America Foundation’s Forty Under 40 Class of 2026.