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Idaho Business Review announces 2026 icon awards and AU40 honorees
Idaho Business Review announced the 2026 Icon Awards and Accomplished Under 40 honorees, celebrating 51 influential Idahoans in business and community leadership.
Accomplished Under 40 – Alesha Willis
Alesha Willis is no stranger to hard work and perseverance. At the age of 15, she left the home she knew with her single-parent mother to move states and schools to live with her grandmother.
Accomplished Under 40 – Kayla Williams
Growing up, Kayla Williams wanted to become a marine biologist, but after realizing that she wanted to stay in Idaho, she determined that career path wasn’t going to work for her.
Accomplished Under 40 – Kaitlyn Widmyer
When asked who’s had the most positive impact on her life so far, Kaitlyn Widmyer credits the many women who believed in her early on.
Accomplished Under 40 – Miguel Villafana
Miguel Villafana has proven himself a rare combination of financial acumen and hands-on agricultural expertise that has made him a leader in Idaho’s banking and farming communities.
Accomplished Under 40 – Ashley Thompson
Ashley Thompson said that her parents always encouraged her to dream big and helped her believe that she could do anything she set her mind to.
Accomplished Under 40 – Josh Smith
Joshua Smith, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Pawspital Animal Hospital in Meridian, shares shares that looking back to his childhood, he didn’t know that he wanted to become a veterinarian in so many words — but everything in his life was pointing in that direction.
Accomplished Under 40 – Meg Short
In just a few years, Meg Short has transformed the communications and fundraising efforts at Faces of Hope, making a significant impact on the organization’s ability to serve survivors of abuse.
Accomplished Under 40 – Katie Russell
Katie Russell shared that her father has had the biggest impact on her life and growing up with him as her softball coach, she learned some of life’s most valuable lessons about leadership, friendship and the importance of a strong work ethic.
Accomplished Under 40 – Aaliyah Rodriguez
Aaliyah Rodriguez said that, as a child, she dreamed of becoming a chef. While she said that cooking was her first love and she still appreciates the creativity and passion behind it, as she grew up, she realized that her purpose was different.
Accomplished Under 40 – Mara Reed
From demonstrating soap-making at the New York State Fair as a teenager to spearheading industry-leading growth at Artisan Labs, Mara Reed has built a career that blends scientific expertise with leadership skills. As vice president of product development, she has been instrumental in Artisan Labs’ expansion, which includes 50% growth in 2024 and projected 200% growth in 2025.
Accomplished Under 40 – Scott O’Connell
Scott O’Connell has built a career in emergency management by consistently answering the call when disasters strike. As regional disaster officer for the American Red Cross, O’Connell manages operations across a 240,000-square-mile territory covering Idaho, Montana and eastern Oregon, where he has helped coordinate responses to catastrophic events.
