Another record number of nominees have been considered, and PPAI judges have completed the difficult task of narrowing them down to 12.
This year, 220 submissions were made by promotional products pros, far surpassing the previous record of 170 set in 2023. Truly, the 2024 class emerged as the best of the best, joining almost 200 past recipients of the honor.
The 2024 PPAI Rising Stars have been selected for their achievements, leadership, volunteerism and potential for even greater impact in the years and decades to come. The same judging criteria in place since the program’s 2010 inception was used, except for the first time a true age limit was imposed. No candidates over age 40 were eligible.
The group will be in honored at PPAI’s upcoming Leadership Development Conference in North Texas, which for the second year in a row will feature an Emerging Leaders educational track designed to arm the Rising Stars and their brightest contemporaries with skills to grow in the promo industry. The Rising Stars will also be featured in the November cover story of PPAI Magazine.
Many candidates received multiple nominations, including seven of this year’s honorees. Read below to meet the new class of Rising Stars and find out why nominators say they’re deserving.
Mikas Agarwal, 19
Chief Digital Officer, Akran Marketing
“At a young age, Mikas has been very active in the promotional products industry throughout North America. [He] spearheaded a tech overhaul from a legacy system to a modern tech stack and developed and created the Akran Gift Program, passing down supplier incentives to Akran clients.”
-Mark Graham, commonsku
Alex Bradley, 35
Territory Sales Manager, Vantage Apparel
“Alex is a Rising Star through his work ethic, commitment to his customers and the industry, and his ability to follow up. He is President of GAPPP. He has grown his territory every year, participated in LEAD in 2024 and LDW in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Recently, due to his success he was awarded with an increased territory. His professionalism, hustle and ability to connect impress me.”
-Brian Deissroth, Edwards Garment
Lindsay Bons, 24
Senior Business Development Manager, IDLine
“She is constantly thinking about what’s next? This forward-thinking mentality is really how good things get done in today’s world. As we’ve all learned in our own careers, these are often difficult traits to teach or train; but we know them when we see them.”
-Christopher Duffy, Signature Group
Brittany Frase, 34
Vice President of Sales, Hirsch
“Her strategic focus on expanding the company’s national footprint through innovative marketing and sales initiatives has been pivotal in Hirsch’s growth. She has also played a crucial role in product development and establishing valuable brand partnerships, further enhancing the company’s market presence.”
-Malik Hemani, Graphic Stylus
David Geiger, 36
Vice President & General Counsel, Geiger
“Simply having your name on the building doesn’t equate to being valuable to the organization. It’s the dedication and effort that count. David Geiger exemplifies this through his commitment to the organization and its stakeholders. He consistently puts the company first, whether it’s through extensive travel to drive our ambitious M&A strategy, implementing health and wellness initiatives, or spearheading product safety efforts.”
-Stephanie Whitman, Geiger
Jason Lipsett, 34
President, Charles River Apparel
“Jason has transformed Charles River Apparel’s company culture by initiating and leading quarterly town halls and team-bonding events. These efforts have improved transparency and communication, fostering a more inclusive and engaged workplace.”
-Maria Yaitanes, Charles River Apparel
Natalie O’Leary, 38
Business Development Director, BAMKO
“She is always posting about ideas for her clients to take from, and that to me is a prime example of growing the industry. Additionally, she’s impressed me by her ability to create relationships. Our relationship started with a cold email from myself. She didn’t have to engage, but she was open to learning what I had to say and committed to being creative.”
-Ben Drysdale, Raining Rose
Brian Roney, 30
Senior Director of Product Design, Proforma
“He has brought valuable insights into professionalism, management, go-to market strategies, and enhancing Proforma’s value proposition to the industry. Some examples include overseeing the rapid rise of ecommerce during the pandemic and successfully leading our internal efforts, doubling the size of the ecommerce team, enhancing service levels by 80% and creating new industry leading features and functions of Proforma’s ProStores platforms.”
-Jordan Sura, Proforma
Anthony St. Peter, 29
President, Stellar Lanyards
“He has taken a company from one order in 2021 to what it is today in only three short years. If you look online in the promotional products Facebook groups, Anthony is always mentioned when someone needs custom lanyards. His reputation is rapidly growing as a leader in the industry.”
-Erik Walasek, Stewart Promotional Products
Shivani Thapilyal, 27
Chief of Staff, CompanyStore.io
“Over the course of the past four years, under Shivani’s leadership, CompanyStore.io has grown its team, capabilities, solutions and business to a best-in-class provider within India. She ensures that her team is equipped with the knowledge, skills and tools that are required in the modern world of sales and customer service, providing the world’s leading brands and level of service that is unsurpassed within India.”
-Eric Janssen, Staples Promotional Products
Andrew Titus, 27
President, Fully Promoted
“As a young president and the son of the CEO, Andrew faced a lot of headwinds related to preconceived notions of nepotism and doubts about his leadership capacity. However, Andrew quickly earned respect by presenting a clear vision and plan and inspiring the entire organization to execute it. He has proven to be a strong and decisive leader, well beyond his years, and has been highly instrumental in driving our success.”
-Kurt Tempelmeyer, Fully Promoted
Dominique Volker, 33
Vice President of Sales, Whitestone
“Dominique has been a star for years! She has spoken at industry events, skucamps and skucons. She was an ASI Sales Person of the Year finalist. She has helped integrate companies we’ve acquired. She has led our company from $1 million to $20 million in sales in her tenure. She is wise beyond her years, polished and experienced. She leads by example, manages with grace and has helped develop countless professionals in our industry.”
-Joseph Sommer, Whitestone
PPAI congratulates all the nominees and invites the industry to share in the celebration for the 2024 PPAI Rising Stars.
