RAMIN CHERAFAT

Born in Tehran, Iran, Ramin Cherafat, 34, came to the Kansas City area with his family in 1980, during the Iranian Revolution. Although his father is a banker, and his career choice surprised many, Cherafat was drawn to the construction industry. “I am a results-driven type of person. Construction is a tangible industry in a business.” He received his bachelor’s in construction science and management from Kansas State University in 1996. In 2000, he joined McCownGordon Construction, LLC, which at the time was newly-formed. Along the way, he completed his M.B.A. at UMKC in 2002. Named vice president of operations and partner last year, he handles operations management and business development. Cherafat’s community involvements include the
Design Build Institute of America Mid-America Chapter and the Olathe Economic Development Council, as well as charitable involvements like Community LINC, which provides transitional housing for homeless families. Looking back on nearly nine years with McCownGordon, Cherafat says, “It’s great to be part of an organization that started from scratch and has proven to be one of the leaders in the industry. What an inspiration that’s been!”

BILL CONWAY

Investment banker Bill Conway, 38, became interested in finance through some early business classes in college. “The more I got into it, the more my eyes opened up to the global marketplace and the global world of finance, and the more intrigued I became.” Conway, a Kansas City native who earned his bachelor’s and his M.B.A. at Rockhurst University, worked in commercial banking before crossing over to investment banking in 1995, the year he joined the investment banking firm Christenberry Collet & Co. Inc., which specializes in mergers and acquisitions, capital sourcing and corporate financial and strategic planning. “I had to come in and learn the business and I am still learning the
business,” says Conway, a principal in the firm. “The investment banking industry is constantly challenging. It forces you to be creative in your thought process and come up with creative solutions.” Conway participates in several charitable and professional associations around town, but the 3 & 2 Baseball Program is especially important to him. “I’ve been involved for fifteen years or so as a coach and now on the board as the treasurer. It’s rewarding to help kids learn a sport that I love and also help to build an organization.”

STEPHEN COSENTINO

Like many lawyers, Stephen Cosentino, 36, was active in debate and student
government and has always been politically minded. He earned his bachelor’s in political science from the University of Missouri–Columbia in 1994. However, it was his interest in technology that would shape his career. Now a partner and member of the intellectual property and technology division at Stinson Morrison Hecker, LLP, Cosentino explains, “I am a technology lawyer. I became involved during the tech boom. When the tech crash happened, most of the young lawyers who thought technology law was the way to go decided to do other things. I stuck with it through the tech crash and developed a practice.” Cosentino began as a summer associate at Stinson Morrison Hecker and has
practiced with the firm since earning his J.D. from UMKC in 1997. He serves on the law foundation board of trustees for the UMKC School of Law, the publications advisory board of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, and the board of the Community Resource Network. “The real sense of community we have and the people in the community who take care of each other make Kansas City a great place to live.”

THURSTON CROMWELL

Thurston Cromwell, 33, relocated from Nashville, Tennessee to attend the University of Missouri–Columbia, where he pursued a double major in journalism and political science, graduating in 1997. Following a tradition of attorneys and judges in his family dating back several generations, Cromwell stayed on to earn his J.D. in 2001. In the fall of 2006, after some years in private practice, Cromwell joined The Management Network Group, Inc., a management consulting firm that provides strategy and software solution services to the telecommunications industry. He is currently general counsel and corp-orate secretary. “Our niche is the convergence of such things as multi-service operators such as cable systems that provide telephone, internet and digital broadband,” he explains. “There are three main units: management consulting, a strategy unit and a soft-ware unit.” A member of the Fairway City Council, Cromwell also serves on the board of directors of the Jellybean Conspiracy, a non-profit that promotes understanding and acceptance of individuals with disabilities through play and theatre programming. Although his family’s roots are still planted in the South, Cromwell says, “I absolutely love Kansas City. It’s remarkably livable and a wonderful place to raise a family.”