Future Leaders
The Innovation Group and Global Gaming Business magazine (GGB) celebrated the honorees of the 2025 class of Emerging Leaders of Gaming/40 Under 40, a program that recognizes professionals under the age of 40 already making significant impacts in the casino gaming industry. The group met in the Networking Lounge at the Global Gaming Expo in October to be honored.
A diverse cross-section of professionals were recognized for their achievements within and for their dedication to the gaming industry. More than 150 nominations made it a difficult choice for the Selection Committee—comprised of respected gaming leaders, including:
- Melissa Aarskaug, Vice President of Business Development, Bulletproof;
- Justin Carter, Senior Vice President, Regional Operations/Chair of Diversity, Penn Entertainment, Inc.;
- Alex Dixon, President & CEO, Q Casino and DRA;
- Daron Dorsey, Executive Director, Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers (AGEM); and,
- Sheila Morago, COO and Partner, Trilogy Group.
“The latest class of honorees well reflects the modern gaming industry, with a record number of individuals already holding impressive, senior-level positions and a noticeable increase in professionals leading the critically important areas of compliance and government affairs,” said Michael Soll, president of The Innovation Group.
“The quality of this year’s Emerging Leaders class is really extraordinary,” said Roger Gros, publisher of GGB. “Their accomplishments at such a young age are an inspiration to all who strive for excellence in our industry.”
Nominations for the 2026 class of Emerging Leaders of Gaming/40 Under 40 will open in April. Check GGBMagazine.com for details.
In this issue, we profile 10 of the 40-under-40 honorees. Each subsequent month, you’ll be able to read about the other honorees until all 40 have been profiled.
Emerging Leaders of Gaming 40 Under 40, Class of 2025
Timothy Aguilar, Vice President Business Development, Caesars Digital
Jonathan Aiwazian, CEO, idPair
Kyle Anderson, Vice President of Property Marketing, Yaamava’ Resort & Casino at San Manuel
Gabrielle Angle, Business Development Director-North America Gaming & Licensing, GeoComply
Andrew Baca, Executive Director, Global Head of Product, Gaming, J.P. Morgan
Mark Barrath, Director, Retention & Monetization, Golden Hearts Games
Boris Borisov, Vice President of Finance, Caesars Entertainment
Cassie Brickman, CEO, Betting Hero
Stephanie Bruckner, Executive Director, Global Portfolio Strategy-Gaming, Light & Wonder
Joe Casole, Vice President, Legal & Regulatory Affairs, IC360
Jody Collins, Vice President, Global Development, MGM Resorts International
Darryl DeRaedt, Vice President of Operations, Everi
Jocelyn Fietkiewicz, Deputy Attorney General, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
Ben Freedland, General Counsel, Minnesota State Lottery
Kasra Ghaharian, Director of Research, International Gaming Institute, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Jeremy Hirst, Director of Casino Optimization & Analytics, Tangam Systems
Akshay K. Khanna, Co-founder and CEO, Jackpot.com
Clint Koehn, Vice President of Gaming Operations, Gaming Capital Group
Alesha Konskey, Gaming Operations Specialist
Anthony Kosturos, Chief Financial Officer, Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians
Jordan M. Maynard, Interim Chair, Massachusetts Gaming Commission
Ashley McCulloch, Director, Account Management–North America, Inspired Gaming Group
Geneva Mojado, Vice Chair, Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians
Jeff Morales, Vice President of IT Operations, Cordish Gaming Group
Sarah Murray, Food and Beverage Shared Service Manager, River Spirit Casino Resort
Megan Nation, Vice President of Professional Services & Sales, Wondr Nation
Paul Parry, Senior Engineering Manager, Gaming Laboratories International
Karolina Pelc, Founder, BeyondPlay; Vice President, BeyondPlay, FanDuel
Declan Raines, Senior Director, U.S. Gaming, TransUnion
Presley M.C. Redeye, Councilor, Seneca Nation Council
James Seils, Co-founder and CTO, BettorEdge
Lisa Singer, Vice President, Brand & Strategy, High 5 Games
Ashley Skeen Unga, Senior Director of Customer Success, Gaming Analytics
Jonathan Smith, Senior Director, Sales Operations and Strategy, IGT
Jo’Elle Thompson, Compliance Officer, National Indian Gaming Commission
Rickard Vikström, CEO & Founder, Internet Vikings
Julia Weygandt, Chief Operations Officer, G Gaming Ltd.
Kassi Yellowitz-Melton, Vice President of Sales, Gift & Go
Tres York, Senior Director, Government Relations, American Gaming Association
Alexx Zawada, Chief Marketing Officer, Potawatomi Casino Hotel
