The People's Choice Awards
Honoring Excelerators Driving Value while Embodying Our Values
Recognition means more when it comes from your peers—they know you, they know your work, and they know how you carry yourself every day. That’s why, each year, we hold the People’s Choice Awards to honor Excelerators going above and beyond, shining bright as they show up for our clients and for their teammates. Awards are based entirely on team input through an annual survey, making them truly the People’s Choice.
The Empowered and Connected Award
The Empowered & Connected award recognizes Excelerators who embody the full essence of our common purpose: Create Connections. Be Empowered. Nominees are role models for our culture and bring to life all our values by delivering maximum impact while managing priorities and making tough decisions. Nominees create connections by mentoring and developing fellow employees and promoting a work environment that is collaborative and supportive.
2025 Winner: (tie) Amy Stencel and Dannielle Lowe
What Amy’s Coworkers Said About Her:
“Even before being my coach, Amy always reached out to me when she was in town for dinner or lunch to connect, and she consistently mentored me and offered me great advice.”
“I am not even her official mentee, but she still takes my development seriously and is always helping me along the way. She is an Excelerator par excellence, living our values and helping to spread them.”
“Amy thrives on connection and authenticity. She is continually focused on people's development.”
“Amy is always looking to bring our team together, and is willing to do whatever it takes to see those around her succeed. She is always positive and pushing forward through ambiguity, and generally a pleasure to be around.”
What Danielle’s Coworkers Said About Her:
“More people lean on Dannielle than is humanly possible to keep up with. Yet she does a fantastic job holding space for others, explaining the rationale of decisions that are made, serving as a sounding board, and pointing them to relevant tools and resources so that they can show up well for their clients.”
“Dannielle has a sharp pulse on what’s happening and excels at connecting people to what they need—whether it’s a framework, a deck, or the right person to share insight and answer questions.”
“Who has Dannielle not positively impacted? She connects with all of us, as a peer and as a leader. She helps us make tough decisions, mentors in an authentic way, and empowers us to learn more. She questions the status quo and makes us truly better as an organization.”
The Rising Star Award
The Rising Star award recognizes emerging leaders who have made significant contributions throughout the year to our clients, their practice area, or to the Excelerate community. Nominees have a demonstrated record of growth and improvement and have shown initiative as they continue to learn the ropes of their role. Nominees strongly display our Energy values.
2025 Winner: Justin Braun
What Justin’s Coworkers Said About Him:
“I’m excited to nominate Justin for the Rising Star Award. Over the past year, Justin has consistently stepped up—taking on new accounts with confidence, diving into the unknown, and committing to learning through action. He’s not only bravely embraced every opportunity he's been presented but approached each challenge with contagious positivity and a strong point of view, earning the trust of both teammates and clients alike. His willingness to stretch, grow, and contribute meaningfully across multiple fronts is a clear reflection of our Energy values in action. Justin’s trajectory is undeniable, and his impact already speaks to a bright future as a leader within Excelerate.”
“The impact Justin has had within one year of becoming a full-time employee is astounding. He’s always willing to jump in, he’s eager to learn what he doesn’t know, he’s focused on all of the right priorities and he’s crushing it at his new role in Account Management”
“Justin has a bright future ahead at Excelerate. He has leaned into his new role with a level head and balances thinking of the client's needs along with keeping an open mind and ear on the pulse and sentiment of the team. His presence at our biggest account is massive as the leaders there all see him as a thought leader, and he's really growing that account at an accelerated pace.”
The Unsung Hero Award
The Unsung Hero award recognizes Excelerators who have positively influenced a project, fellow Excelerator, or the organization from “behind the scenes” with a positive attitude, a willingness to help in whatever capacity necessary, and a commitment to excellence. They’ve shown commitment and passion for the work we do and have shown a willingness to support efforts across the organization. They help others achieve success in ways that demonstrate our core values and are not easily measured. Nominees strongly display our Humility and Integrity values.
2025 Winner: Lauren Piva
What Lauren’s Coworkers Said About Her:
“Lauren has been a recruiting machine behind the scenes. I’m not sure people realize how much she has leveled us up.”
“Lauren just jumped in and started taking care of stuff. It started with recruiting, then our interview process, then our interview forms, then onboarding, then ad-hoc tasks… it’s not uncommon for her to say, ‘Why don’t I just take that on?!’ and then run with it. She brings a discipline to talent acquisition that we did not have in the past, and has made us better as a company.”
“Lauren is working so hard to position our company and team members to succeed. Whether providing the support our team needs, or finding the right people to join this venture, she is passionate about building a thriving, mission-driven culture where people feel empowered, equipped, and excited to contribute.”
The Resilience Award
The Resilience award recognizes Excelerators that have found the best ways of overcoming adversity, pivoting quickly, and thriving in the face of unprecedented challenges. These individuals lean into ambiguity. Nominees strongly display our Flexibility and Energy values.
2025 Winner: Sarah Parsons
What Sarah’s Coworkers Said About Her:
“Sarah has proven strength in many areas. Over the last year, she moved into a part-time capacity due to many life reasons and did not let up on her contributions to our ecosystem. She continues to support multiple clients, business development and account management efforts, and the development of the people that have the fortune of working alongside her. Her resilience through this season of life is something we should all recognize.”
“Sarah leans in when the first sense of trouble arises. She asks for feedback, is reflective and pivots quickly when most would be frustrated and stuck trying to push the previously defined path forward. Sarah is smart, nimble and we can all learn a lot from her.”
“In our line of work, priorities are frequently shifting and the path forward isn’t always clear, but Sarah embraces this ambiguity and dives in headfirst to create structure out of the chaos. Her energetic demeanor, ability to pivot quickly and provide clients with thoughtful advice shortly after jumping into a project has made her a trusted partner by several leaders.”
The Roll Up Your Sleeves Award
The Roll Up Your Sleeves award recognizes Excelerators who have gone above and beyond to support a project, team member, a client, or the organization. Nominees go beyond their stated role and have jumped in to support difficult, intense, or demanding work. Nominees strongly display our Flexibility and Humility values.
2025 Winner: Kevin Masini
What Kevin’s Coworkers Said About Him:
“Kevin dove into a myriad of challenging projects (with many very early meetings) and has become trusted by the team for his thoughtful insights.”
“I’m proud to nominate Kevin for the Roll Your Sleeves Up Award. As a newly hired Excelerator, Kevin has leaned into every opportunity with enthusiasm and grit—quickly adapting, learning, and leveling up in the face of new challenges. He has embraced ambiguity with curiosity and confidence, demonstrating a rare ability to stay grounded and proactive even in fast-changing situations. Kevin’s flexibility, energy, and drive to make an impact have set the tone for his continued growth and made him an invaluable part of the team from day one.”
“Love Kevin's addition to the team. He is always hustling and making his projects a success. Super bright, creative, energetic, and driven.”