Recently, Orlando Business Journal celebrated its 2025 40 Under 40 honorees, which include 19 Knights.
Meet the alumni, students and staff who are making an impact in their industries and across The City Beautiful.
Dana Damato ’10
Regional marketing manager, Greystar
Bachelor’s in English major with a minor in legal studies
Jennifer Hilaire
Executive director, The Desire Foundation
Incoming student pursing a bachelor’s in political science and minor in nonprofit management
Pedro Araujo
CMO, Orlando City Soccer Club and Orlando Pride
Senior finance student
Charlotte Leavitt ’10MPA
Operations director, Center for Independent Living in Central Florida
Master’s in public administration alum
Richardo Garcia
Co-Founder, vice president, Veterans Entrepreneurship Initiative
Former employee who worked as government resources manager for Business Inubation Program
Darrel Taylor ’09
Founder of BNA Sports
Bachelor’s in criminal justice
Cyndia Muñiz ’13EdD
Senior director of Hispanic Serving Institutions Institute, UCF
Doctorate in educational leadership
Bridget Jackson ’07
Owner, Key Life Fitness and Training Bachelor’s in health sciences and a minor in health services administration
Diego Diaz ’22
Business analyst, Innventure
Bachelor’s in finance
Adeta Gayah ’09MBA
Senior director of social media and content, Visit Orlando
Master’s in business administration
Monica McCown ’07
Consultant, Make it So Strategies
Bachelor’s in psychology
Ursula James ’23
CEO, JH Group Inc.
Master’s in business administration
Laura Lockner ’14
Executive director, Runway to Hope
Bachelor’s in theatre
Pedro Turushina ’10
President/CEO, Hispanic Chamber of Metro Orlando
Bachelor’s in art
Elizabeth (Stein) Forrest ’13MPA
COO, Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys
Master’s in public administration
Briana Rebello ’21
School partnerships program manager, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
Bachelor’s in political science, graduate certificate in public administration student
Theresa Smith-Levin ’08
Founder/chief executive director, Central Florida Vocal Arts & Opera del Sol
Bachelor’s in music education and minor in Spanish
Ryan Rapolti ’11MBA
Founder, Reception 24/7
Master’s in business administration
Latest Colleges
- UCF Researchers, City of Orlando Unveil Inaugural Mobile Resilience HubKelly Stevens, assistant professor of public administration, led the team in designing and building the solar-powered hub that will bring Orlando residents critical resources during emergencies and educational experiences year-round.
- UCFPD Adds 2 New Officers to Team, Celebrates PromotionsFamily, friends and colleagues gathered to welcome the newest patrol officers during a recent swearing-in ceremony.
- UCF Helps Develop AI Tool That May Assist Underserved HospitalsThe open-source AI model analyzes medical images, generates detailed reports, answers clinical questions and integrates multimodal data to streamline diagnostics and improve accuracy.
- UCF Expands Space Photonics Program with New Research Grants and Faculty Growth PlanStudents and researchers with the passion to explore the final frontier have new opportunities at the College of Optics and Photonics.
- 3 UCF Students Honored with the 2024 Astronaut ScholarshipThe Astronaut Scholarship aims to inspire university students to pursue scientific excellence and maintain the United States’ leadership in technology and innovation.
- UCF to Lead $5M Consortium to Train Nuclear EngineersThe goal is to develop a pipeline of nuclear engineers and scientists who can protect the nation’s nuclear stockpile.
