20 IN THEIR 20s.

• Position: Cover story

There's no minimum age for starting a business, making a difference in your community or darting up the corporate ladder--and these young professionals know it. Our honorees have let youthful energy, daring innovation and tenacity be their calling cards as they've struck out on their ambitious career paths.

THIEFAINE MAGRE, 28

FOUNDER AND COO, PROUDUCT, LLC

THIEFAINE MAGRE IS NOTHING IF NOT adaptable--a quality he learned emigrating from Paris, France, to rural Vermont as a kid. Today, that skill helps him quickly adjust to new teams, atmospheres and responsibilities. His multilingual abilities don't hurt either; in addition to French and English, Magre is also fluent in Mandarin.

That international experience comes in handy as Magre now travels the world visiting factories, tradeshows and exhibitions looking for products and suppliers for his customers. He launched Prouduct, a sourcing and supply chain consulting company, two years ago with one client. The firm now has customers across the United States and in Germany, French Polynesia and Australia.

Along with a hefty dose of ambition, Magre says little can top a strong work ethic and good listening skills. "I like to roll up my sleeves and work hard," he says. "I believe I am a good listener and know how to ask the right questions, which allows me to focus on the root of the problem and work towards the right solution. The combination of these two qualities allows me to see projects through to their completion."

CHILDHOOD HEROES: "Asterix and Obelix has always been my favorite. I don't know if they count as super heroes, but the comics are amazing!"

BRADI HILL, 25

OWNER & DIRECTOR, RHYTHM WORKS DANCE

ALTHOUGH BRADI HILL HAS ALWAYS loved dance, it was in high school that the bug bit her hard. Today, that love is the driving force behind her thriving dance studio. Hill studied at Rhythm Works Dance when she was a child, continued working there as she attended college, and ultimately bought it from the studio's co-founder--and Hill's childhood Instructor. Despite her youth, Hill embraced the challenge. Since taking over in 2014, Hill has increased enrollment in the 25-year-old business by 25 percent despite competition from other studios, and is proud of the studio's growth and its commitment to its values.

"In the dance world it has become common for dancers to become sexualized at a very young age. Rhythm Works is known to be a more conservative studio with modest costumes, clean moves and age appropriate music," she says. "I have seen growth in numbers at my studio each year and I know it is because the challenge of other businesses around keeps me working harder."

And Hill says she's just getting started. "I have a lot of goals that I have already accomplished at my age and I feel like I can continue to do bigger and better things. I don't like to quit on something if it doesn't work out, rather I keep working toward my end goal."

NETFLIX BINGE: "I love to watch cooking shows and cooking competitions."

KORY STEVENS, 28

CEO AND FOUNDER, TAFT

KORY STEVENS AND HIS WIFE MALLORY started Taft as a Kickstarter for men's socks in 2014. Since then, the brand has grown into a luxury direct-to-consumer shoe company, with shoes crafted from high-quality materials by artisans in Spain. Stevens designs all of the shoes himself, visits his manufacturers abroad frequently, and has seen his brand featured in Forbes, GQ, Business Insider and other publications. Taft reached $5 million in revenue this year.

Even with his success, Stevens would not call himself entrepreneurial. "I am ambitious, but not particularly entrepreneurial. I avoid taking risks and thrive on predictability and stability," he says. "Running a business is anything but those things, so it's a daily battle to be ok with how my life looks right now."

Stevens says instead, he focuses on the positives in his career: he tries not to compare his own business to others, finds time to be there for his wife and two children, and has been using the influence he's been gaining to raise awareness about mental health issues. When he can, he interacts personally with Taft's customers to bolster his brand's loyal followers--some with as many as 50 pairs of Taft shoes, he says.

CHILDHOOD HERO: "Thierry Henry."

RYAN STRINGHAM, 27

FRONT END ARCHITECT, LUCID SOFTWARE

IN THE SUMMER OF 2012, RYAN STRINGHAM became Lucid Software's first engineering intern. Today, he is the front end architect on a team of nearly 60 engineers. In this role, Stringham has led many ambitious projects for the company, including redesigning the LucidChart editor using Angular 2--a project that then saw him invited to speak at the keynotes of ng-conf in SLC and AngularConnect in London.

Stringham and the teams he's led have twice won Lucid Software's annual 48-hour hackathons, including this past summer when he and his team converted 600,000 lines of JavaScript into TypeScript--an undertaking that Stringham says even Lucid Software's CTO was highly doubtful could work. But, Stringham says, he has always been drawn to challenges.

"I seek to be ambitious in my endeavors. When I was in college, I took aggressive class loads in order to get a double major in four years," he says. "In my professional career I have sought out challenging problems and looked for impactful projects.... Find opportunities to take initiative and ownership. Don't wait to be asked to identify and solve hard problems. Work together with your team to find the best solutions for problems. Don't be afraid to ask for help."

FAVORITE ACTIVITY TO UNWIND: "I enjoy solving Rubik's cube-like puzzles and occasionally play video games like The Legend of Zelda."

JEFF ROBINSON, 28

VICE PRESIDENT OF RISK & OPERATIONS, ALPHA WARRANTY SERVICES, INC.

A MONTH BEFORE HIS 20TH BIRTHDAY,

Jeff Robinson got a job as a claims adjuster at Alpha Warranty Services. Almost nine years later, Robinson is still there and has become a pillar in the growing...