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Crain's 40 Under 40 honors the exceptional achievements of young professionals across diverse industries and showcases dynamic leaders who are shaping their communities.

For more than three decades, from Chicago to Cleveland, Michigan to New York, we have highlighted CEOs, founders, innovators, and community champions under 40 who are making significant impacts. Selected through a peer nomination and editorial review process, we celebrate their contributions and inspire future leaders. 

To be eligible, 40 Under 40 nominees must be working in West Michigan and be 39 or younger as of Oct. 1, 2025. Nominations are due by April 11 at 11:59 p.m. EST. 

Click here to nominate a 40 Under 40 candidate. 

Get alerted when 40 Under 40 publishes and learn more about the West Michigan Business scene by subscribing to Crain's Grand Rapids Business newsletters and updating your email preferences here.


How to nominate: 

  • To get started, click the application link and sign into your account. If you do not have an account, you will be asked to create one before you can proceed with the nomination form. We recommend using Chrome or Firefox web browsers to complete your application. 
    • To finish an incomplete nomination: Sign into your account and choose either the "incomplete" or "in progress" option as shown on the next page. Then, select "edit" on the following page to complete the previously started submission.
  • To submit someone for consideration, there is a nomination fee of $49, which must be paid before the nomination can be formally submitted. The nomination fee ensures that your nominee will be considered for inclusion in the final published story; it does not ensure your nominee will automatically be included.
    • Candidate forms: After the nomination form is submitted, the candidate will receive an email to complete a separate candidate form with questions specifically for the 40 Under 40 nominee. This candidate form is required for consideration.  

Honoree notification: 40 Under 40 honorees will be notified by phone or email approximately 5 weeks before publication. Please note that we do not notify all applicants, only those we have chosen to include.

Got questions? We have answers. Click to our FAQ page to see answers to the most common questions.

Contact us: To address technical issues with the submission form or payment process, please contact us GrandRapidsRecognitions@crain.com


By submitting a nomination for this feature, you consent to receive marketing or editorial promotional emails from Crain's Grand Rapids Business; you may unsubscribe or change your email preferences through the opt-out link in emails you receive.

Click here to nominate a 40 Under 40 candidate. 

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