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Alexa O’Rourke, 25
Director of Marketing & Business Development, Jefferson Valley Mall
It takes commitment to transform a mall into more than just a place for retail therapy and window shopping. As director of marketing for the Jefferson Valley Mall, Alexa O’Rourke’s long-term goal is to leverage hyper-local partnerships in order to turn the Yorktown retail center into a community hub. Last June, for instance, the shopping complex hosted the 2015 Yorktown Community Day, featuring carnival games, nonprofits, local emergency teams, rock-climbing, and food trucks. While it required a ton of coordination, O’Rourke found it rewarding—so much so, she’s currently gearing up for this year’s Community Day, which will take place at the mall again in June. Securing community partnerships like these are just part of her day- to-day responsibilities, which also include planning mall events, kids programs, wellness workshops, senior expos, fashion shows— and, of course, prepping the place for the busy holiday shopping season. October through December, O’Rourke’s days go into holiday overdrive. “It’s all about work/life balance to get through those extra work hours,” says O’Rourke, who makes it through the hectic shopping season by carefully outlining her priorities each morning. —TK
Zeshan A. Chaudhry, 24 CEO, Royale Car & Limousine Service
Zeshan A. Chaudhry always knew what he wanted to be when he grew up: a successful businessman. In August 2014, at age 23, after four years of putting in 60-hour workweeks as a car salesman in Scarsdale, Chaudhry decided to pursue that long-term goal. Taking advantage of his sales and marketing skills, he used the money he saved from working at the car dealership and launched a luxury-car-service company, Westchester-based Royale Car & Limousine Service. The small startup has gone from generating a few hundred dollars to more than $250,000 in annual revenue within a year, with projections to double sales in 2016. What makes Royale stand out? “I want our clients to have a personal touch with our company and not just feel like another ‘customer,’” Chaudhry says. Today, the company has 17 employees and vehicles, including full- time independent operators and their vehicles, which consist of Chevy Suburbans, Cadillacs, Mercedes-Benzes, and Lincoln Town Cars. With more than 350 accounts—which include major corporations and professionals throughout Westchester (clients include CitiGroup, PepsiCo, and Clear Channel)—Chaudhry keeps busy making his childhood dream a reality. —MI
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