CANDACE OURISMAN AND ASHLEY TAYLOR BRONCZEK Founders, Secretly Gifting Through their personal gift giving concierge service, best friends Ourisman and Bronczek, both 35, provide gift options to individual and corporate clients and then order, wrap and deliver them. “Essentially, we do all of the work and our clients get all of the accolades,” Ourisman explains. The duo has also been named D.C.’s “Queen Bees” by Bumble, the online dating and networking service. It’s a task that entails curating events that create a buzz.
VINODA BASNAYAKE Chairman, D.C. Government Relations Practice, Nelson Mullins Principal, Versus Equity In addition to HEIST and the newly opened Morris American Bar, Washington can expect three more projects out of Basnayake’s hospitality venture this year: a second location of Karma by Erwin Gomez in Potomac, a second cocktail bar with David Strauss in the West End and a jumbo slice pizza spot in Dupont. On balancing two demanding jobs with his personal life, the 36-yearold says: “I actually love what I do, so my work and life are pretty seamless.”
CHRIS THOMPSON Running Back, Washington Redskins After a season-ending knee injury, Thompson, 27, is ready to get back in the game. His goal for the upcoming year is to “inspire others on and off the field. Make a difference in others’ lives and be the best man and NFL athlete that I can possibly be.”
P H O T O G R A P H E D AT M O R R I S A M E R I C A N B A R