Jake Halusic, 36

For Jake Halusic, every step of his career has been driven by one principle: relationships open doors. At the University of Tampa, he scribbled down business ideas and introduced himself to anyone who might listen. 

Then, as a young banker, he asked Tribridge founder Tony DiBenedetto for coffee after hearing him speak about his life and the cloud computing firm he founded. Halusic arrived with the business plans he had written in college, hoping for funding. What he gained instead was a mentor in DiBenedetto, who set him on a new path.

Photo by Mark Wemple