The business landscape continues to evolve, guided by entrepreneurs who bring fresh thinking and a clear sense of direction. These leaders are at the forefront of that movement, introducing new ideas, refining proven strategies, and adapting to changing market needs. Their work represents a forward-looking approach to business, one built on innovation, resilience, and steady progress.
Crawford K. McDonald
Crawford K. McDonald and his wife Dr. Shujuan T. McDonald has built a reputation for translating ambitious ideas into streamlined, high-impact solutions. As Principal of Taggart Atlantic Healthcare, he challenges the status quo of bloated senior-care systems. Driven by a belief that dignity and fiscal discipline can go hand-in-hand, he’s proving that exceptional long-term care doesn’t have to come at an exceptional cost.
At Whispering Pines, a facility under his leadership, a quiet revolution took place. What began as a small-scale operation has become North Georgia’s leading destination for affordable, relationship-centered senior living. By combining efficient operations with deeply personal care, Crawford showed that agility and empathy don’t just coexist—they elevate one another. The result: higher resident satisfaction and measurable investor returns.
To scale this success model, Crawford brought in renowned architect Steven Johnson to reimagine what senior campuses could be. Their joint designs accommodate 120 residents in warm, light-filled communities that balance human comfort with operational efficiency. With Steven now part of the Taggart Atlantic team, they plan to build 5,000 beds—each optimized for financial sustainability and human-centered care.
The initiative has caught the attention of socially conscious investors who see more than strong returns—they see a platform for lasting impact. Crawford’s framework intertwines cost-effectiveness with purpose, transforming every dollar into both a profit and a promise.
His long-term vision is ambitious yet grounded. He aims to establish a ribbon of senior living campuses across the Eastern Seaboard, where modern design meets compassionate care. Through this effort, he’s reframing senior housing not only as a smart investment—but as a movement that aligns social responsibility with long-term growth.
Ashwani Singh Bedi
Ashwani Singh Bedi, the visionary force behind Bedi Group, a multi-sector corporation based in Ontario, is setting new benchmarks for sustainable business growth. Under his leadership, the group has expanded into food, hospitality, logistics, real estate, healthcare, and construction. His strategic foresight, adaptability, and focus on innovation have positioned Bedi Group as a trusted and diversified powerhouse.
His entrepreneurial journey began with a simple yet powerful mission—to build ventures that create value while uplifting community living standards. Through resilience, creativity, and an unshakable belief in progress, Ashwani has scaled businesses across multiple industries under the Bedi Group umbrella. His leadership continues to inspire growth, generate employment, and empower individuals through opportunity and innovation.
Bedi Group’s diverse portfolio reflects Ashwani’s holistic approach to development. BG Foods delivers high-quality products that meet evolving consumer needs, while Biryani Bar and Naan House offer authentic dining experiences rooted in hospitality excellence. A standout among his ventures is Local Ride—an innovative logistics and transportation company that is revolutionizing the mobility sector in Canada. By integrating smart technology, efficient delivery systems, and a strong customer-first model, Local Ride is redefining convenience, connectivity, and last-mile delivery for both individuals and businesses. BG Pharmaceuticals delivers trusted healthcare products while advancing impactful initiatives in real estate and construction.
Throughout his career, Ashwani has earned recognition for driving measurable impact across industries. He has founded and scaled multiple companies under Bedi Group, each contributing to job creation and community empowerment. His ventures stand as examples of how entrepreneurial vision, when guided by purpose, can produce sustained economic growth.
Looking ahead, Ashwani’s focus is on scaling Bedi Group into a globally recognized brand across food, hospitality, logistics, real estate, and healthcare. He aims to expand BG Foods beyond North America while broadening the reach of the BG Foundation through educational and charitable programs that continue his mission of empowerment and positive change.
Dr. Jennifer L. Barkin
Some entrepreneurs build products. Others build movements. Dr. Jennifer L. Barkin has built both. Now serving as the Associate Dean for Research and Professor at East Carolina University’s College of Health and Human Performance, she brings her vision to a larger national stage—a role formally highlighted in ECU’s 2025 press release and a milestone that reflects her growing influence in public health.
Central to her impact is the Barkin Index of Maternal Functioning (BIMF)—a patient-centered assessment that gave medicine a language for what it long overlooked: how new mothers actually function. What began as an academic innovation has evolved into a globally licensed instrument used by clinics and universities around the world. Supported by collaborations with Sage Therapeutics and Biogen, her creation bridges two worlds rarely in conversation—the academic and the entrepreneurial. Barkin says of the BIMF, “I am eternally grateful to the University of Pittsburgh and their Innovation Institute. At Pitt, I was provided with the environment and expertise necessary to build a measure that resonated with new mothers and their caregivers.”
Before joining ECU, Dr. Barkin directed South Georgia Healthy Start (SGHS) and Project Elevate at Mercer University, bringing maternal health programs into underserved communities with systems grounded in compassion, consistency, and equitable access. Under Barkin’s leadership SGHS achieved national accolades, hit record enrollment levels and became a high-visibility force in the community.
Occupying a distinctive space between research and real-world application, Dr. Barkin designs frameworks that translate insight into meaningful outcomes. Featured in the International Business Times, NPR, and The Hill, her work resonates for its clarity and authenticity. In her view, success is less about hierarchy and more about community impact and professional development. “A key to success is to surround yourself with talent and to develop that talent. Check your own ego at the door and lift up others – that’s where the magic happens.” In her hands, compassion becomes structured, scalable, and capable of reshaping how care is delivered and understood.
Ray Sheehan
In a crowded marketing landscape where consumer attention is harder to earn than ever, Ray Sheehan has carved out a lane of his own. As the Founder of Old City Media, Inc., he has become a driving force behind a new era of experiential marketing, one rooted not just in visibility, but in genuine, in-person connection. While many agencies talk about innovation, Ray built it, most notably through Old City Media’s widely adopted GIFT Program.
That reinvention paid off. Old City Media earned the title of “Most Innovative Experiential Marketing Agency” at the 2023 Media Innovator Awards, along with a Stellar Business Award recognizing its forward-thinking approach. The agency also secured a spot on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies, a milestone that underscored just how quickly its model resonated with clients across the country. Ray’s work has captured national attention as well, with features in publications including Forbes, Entrepreneur, Rolling Stone UK, Esquire Australia, and Maxim. In 2024, he co-authored Leadership DNA: Shaping a Thriving Business Culture, which went on to become a national bestseller.
At the center of Ray’s impact is the GIFT Program, Old City Media’s signature initiative launched in 2020 when the events industry hit an unexpected standstill. Rather than pausing operations, Ray and his team looked for a way to keep brands visible and communities engaged. The result was a modern take on pop-up sales activations, powered by in-store interactions where customers receive gift cards from the host retailer. The concept is simple: when customers walk away feeling rewarded, the brand wins, and so does the retailer. More than 50,000 events later, the program has generated millions in partner payouts and become a widely embraced model among local businesses, national chains, big box retail, supermarkets, movie theaters, and hardware stores.
Old City Media was founded on a straightforward mission: to help brands connect with the right audiences in meaningful, memorable ways. Today, Ray Sheehan’s focus remains the same: keep helping clients grow, keep innovating, and continue scaling a company built on real human interaction. His long-term goal is as ambitious as it is clear, to build the world’s leading experiential marketing agency, one authentic engagement at a time.
Ruth Ismayelyan
When you meet Ruth Ismayelyan, you don’t immediately think “beauty industry disruptor.” She’s thoughtful, soft-spoken, and disarmingly honest about how her journey started—not with a business plan, but with embarrassment. “My nails were a mess,” she’s admitted in past interviews. Years of acrylics had left them thin and splitting, and nothing on the market seemed to help. Instead of giving up, she went looking for an answer.
What she created in her kitchen wasn’t meant to become a bestseller. It was simply a blend of natural oils she hoped would bring her nails back to life. But after weeks of consistent use and results she couldn’t deny, she realized she’d stumbled onto something bigger: a formula that genuinely worked.
The turning point happened not in a boardroom, but on a livestream. Someone casually asked what she used to keep her nails looking so healthy. That question opened the door. Viewers wanted details, then wanted the product, then wanted to buy it. What followed became the foundation of Radiant Cosmetics and its now-famous Nail Growth Oil, a product that has since become one of TikTok Shop’s top-selling cuticle pens.
What’s remarkable is how quickly the momentum spread. In under two years, Ruth’s homemade solution turned into a brand with millions of supporters and a viral presence most founders only dream of. Her authentic approach—showing the messy, unfiltered journey to healthier nails became its own marketing engine. That transparency also caught the attention of Forbes, earning her a coveted spot on the 2024 30 Under 30 list.
But Ruth’s mission has never been about abandoning acrylics or pushing trends. She’s built a community around restoration, helping people repair the damage, grow stronger natural nails, and feel confident doing it. Now, as Radiant Cosmetics prepares for expansion into major retailers like Target and Sephora, it’s clear her story is only getting started.
Ruth didn’t set out to build a beauty empire. She set out to fix her nails. The empire just happened along the way.