2025's Top 50 N. American Biz People & Over 4,700 Local Winners
All I can say is, WOW, what a race!
In six years, we've never seen so much energy and excitement on Alignable—fast and furious voting, heartfelt recommendations, Zoom calls buzzing, Smart Connects packed, and Contest Pep Rallies in full swing. It was electric!
And the final numbers? Simply mind-blowing: 333,272 votes! 🎉
That’s a new record! We thought 2024’s total of 309,000 was impressive, but this year, we shattered it—a whole week before the contest ended!
Final Alignable Contest Tally for 2025: 333,272 Votes 🙌
But that’s not all. So many amazing contest fans encouraged their peers to write recommendations along with their votes—and WOW, did that pay off! More than 77,000 recommendations came in—13,000 more than last year!
A huge shout-out to Evan Raoof, Paul L. Odendahl, Dr. Karen Fiorillo, Steve Levinson, JB Beckett, and so many others who championed the power of recommendations. Just look at the impact you’ve made! 👏
And let’s talk about the winners—4,750 walked away with top honors this year.
2025 also marked a game-changer: our first-ever N. American Local Business Person Of The Year Interactive Leaderboard —and what a HIT it was! 🎯
Watching the rankings shift for weeks kept everyone on the edge of their seats, especially those who remained on the list until the very end!
Want to see the final Top 5o Leaderboard? Check it out here.
But I’m also listing everyone below—because we’ll be celebrating this incredible group again and again over the next few months.
Alignable's Top 50 Local Business People of 2025
- Brian Gregory, Phoenix, AZ -- 530 votes
- Paul L. Odendahl, Port St. Lucie, FL -- 401 votes
- JB Beckett, W. Columbia, SC -- 390 votes
- Stacy Mueller, Welland, ON -- 309 votes (No. 1 in Canada)
- Steve Levinson, Boynton Beach, FL -- 299 votes
- LaToya Germaine, New City, NY -- 297 votes
- Shane Hicks, New Braunfels, TX -- 293 votes
- Dr. Thomas Hill, Naperville, IL -- 289 votes (178 testimonials)
- Yolanda Bennett, Las Vegas, NV -- 289 votes (173 testimonials)
- Helena Smolock, Blaine, WA -- 283 votes
- Michael Keller, Boca Raton, FL -- 276 votes
- Ruth Aldana-Ricketts, Ellsworth, WI -- 269 votes
- Paul Finkelstein, Delray Beach, FL -- 260 votes
- Dr. Mary Welsh, Warren, MI - 259 votes (164 testimonials)
- Sara Finkelstein, Ft. Lauderdale, FL -- 259 votes (126 testimonials)
- Dr. Janet, Fresno, CA -- 246 votes
- Char Ross, Stone Mountain, GA -- 231 votes
- Dr. Karen Fiorillo, Collegeville, PA -- 230 votes
- Len Marshall, Toronto, ON -- 219 votes (No. 2 in Canada)
- Maria Wirth, Allentown, PA -- 218 votes
- Evan Raoof, Canton, MI -- 204 votes (123 testimonials)
- Paul Kirch, Ft. Worth, TX -- 204 votes (79 testimonials)
- Sam Rafoss, Calgary, AB -- 203 votes (No. 3 in Canada)
- Amberly Shreve, Clarksville, MD -- 200 votes
- Sheri Hauser, Campe Verde, AZ -- 199 votes
- Jason Integrity, Concord, NC -- 190 votes
- Jill Cone, Mesa, AZ -- 189 votes
- Michael Stuck, Willoughby, OH -- 182 votes
- Cherri Pedrioli, Santa Rosa, CA -- 175 votes
- Susan Lubow, Bradenton, FL -- 168 votes
- Tom Kavanaugh, Ventura, CA -- 164 votes
- Susan Husa, Fall City, WA -- 163 votes
- Todd Mitchell, Alamogordo, NM -- 161 votes (89 testimonials)
- Mark Robbins, Denton, TX -- 161 votes (84 testimonials)
- James Clemens, Panama City Beach, FL -- 156 votes
- Alise Kabakoff, West Hills, CA -- 155 votes
- Nadya Tatsch, Plano, TX -- 154 votes
- Uzoma Ra, Southfield, MI -- 153 votes
- Carol Witt, St. Petersburg, FL -- 152 votes
- Marc Weathers, White Plains, NY -- 143 votes (82 testimonials)
- Geoffrey Kent, Philadelphia, PA -- 143 votes (71 testimonials)
- Ralph Danna, Spring Hill, FL -- 140 votes
- Christopher Carbaugh, Monterey, CA -- 133 votes
- Brian Nagle, Winter Park, FL -- 128 votes
- Tony Ransdell, Elgin, IL -- 127 votes
- Victor Felix, Orlando, FL -- 126 votes
- Gunther Kramer, Waterloo, ON -- 123 votes (No. 4 in Canada)
- Debbie Smith, Glenmoore, PA -- 120 votes
- Steve Liebroder, Palm Harbor, FL --- 119 votes (71 testimonials)
- Yvette B. Eldridge, North Conway, NH -- 119 votes (69 testimonials)
Congratulations to these North American winners. Please feel free to connect with them and hear their advice on making the most of networking here on Alignable.
Local Leaderboards -- Over 4,700 Winners
Want to know how everything turned out in your hometown -- for you and your peers?
Then just go to your Local Leaderboard.
See your final ranking and then hit the big purple button underneath it to have the final leaderboard sent to you.
What's Next?
Well, you'll want to maintain the fantastic networking momentum you've established during this contest. The best way to do that is to dive into our brand new product offering: Alignable 360.
Go to the My Network icon at the top of this page and get started, asking for introductions to the people who've been designated as the best referral partners or potential customers for you.
Check out this great video describing how Alignable 360 works.
Congregate with The Top 50 2025 Leaders Every Week!
You should also join the most helpful networkers around at my Contest Club events on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. ET.
This group includes many of the Top 50 leaders, plus the Top 50 Women of Alignable and the Top 25 Canadian Entrepreneurs. Go here now and register to save a spot!
We've formed a very friendly and supportive family-like atmosphere in that group -- as all attendees exchange their success stories, and then there's a lot of time set aside to help newbies with questions.
Thanks Everyone!
In wrapping up this article -- and the 2025 contest -- let me pass along my heartfelt thanks to everyone who was part of this hugely successful effort.
A big shout-out goes to all Alignable members who helped their peers navigate every aspect of the contest, along with my team members at Alignable who joined forces to make this the best one ever: Roger, Ryan, Abby, Reina, Brittany, Willis, Amanda, Nick, Chris, Don, and, of course, Eric and Venkat, too.
Please feel free to share your best memories from the contest and how this contest and/or those in the past have helped you build your business.
Thank you all again—your support has been absolutely amazing and truly uplifting. I deeply appreciate the very joyful friendships I get to build each year through these incredible competitions. And I'm already looking forward to 2026's contest.
Comments (1-10)
Way to go, Alignable!
I am completely stoked and beyond honored to place where I have for this year with oh so many Super Stars! To be on the Leaderboard, #35, is a big blessing to me and not something I expected with me working such long hours and not able to be here as much as I wanted!
Thank you for the extreme kindness, deep bonds, and friendships forged. 2025 is gonna be phenomenal with you all standing with me! 🎯
And I send a major blast with big thanks to Sir Chuck and all of the many hard workers behind the scenes to make such an enormous power networking event happen and then to run so smoothly. Bravo! 🎯
It has been so much fun to vote and compete and I’ve been tirelessly encouraging my members of Alignable Alliance of Lehigh Valley/Poconos/Berks and Pennsylvania Business Forum to do the same.
A great story, at my networking event on Wednesday, just two days before the end of the contest, one of the attendees Cheryl Houtz (2nd on the right) commented she didn’t think she had a shot with only 3 votes so late in the contest. I told her to just text her friends and ask. She’s such a kind person, always helping others so people absolutely jumped at the chance to support her. The next day she texted me—she had gotten 33 more votes!
I’m so happy. I will now be able to honor her at my awards celebration on March 27th along with our many other local winners. You’re all cordially invited if you’re within driving distance of Lehigh Valley PA. Details: https://www.alignable.com/grou...
Finally, having a moment to catch my breath and write something to Chuck, and the "Merry men/women" who worked tirelessly during the contest, my utmost and sincerest gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to you all. Measuring my growth from where I began up until this moment, is nothing short of God's grace and statistically, a nearly 98% growth in votes over last year (154), 2025, 289 wowweewowwow! SMB lives touched. Maybe, I was inspired by JB, Brian Gregory, Shane Hicks, Paul Odendahl, Stacey Mueller, Steve Leninson, Latoya Germaine, whose butts I had to look at, not being the "lead dog". Still, my sites are set on growing, doing more, being more, loving more, and sharing this incredible platform MORE! To all the LBPOTY Winners, congratulations and well done. Without any of you, this contest would not be the same-CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL!
A huge congratulations to all the winners AND to all who used their votes to become a Community Supporter 🎉🎉 I’m honored to maintain a spot in the Top 50 again this year. What an amazing group of individuals. Thank you, Chuck, and the entire Alignable team for supporting all of us so we can support each other! 💜
Chuck, wow... what a phenomenal article—and what a ride this year’s contest has been! The energy and excitement are truly contagious, and it’s so inspiring to see the record-breaking numbers and the powerful impact Alignable has made. I can’t believe we’ve reached 333,272 votes and shattered last year’s total—such an incredible accomplishment!
Congratulations to all the winners, especially Stacy Mueller for being our top Canadian and Len Marshall for being number 2! I’m grateful to be third and among the top 50 and to be part of such a dynamic and supportive community. Your leadership and vision have really made this contest a game-changer, and I’m so thankful for all the valuable connections and insights we’ve gained through this journey.
Thank you again for all of your hard work and for always fostering an environment of connection and collaboration. I look forward to continuing to build on the momentum from this contest and seeing what we can all achieve in 2025!
Congrats to all of the winners and especially to the spectacular women of Alignable. Can'r wait to see the top 50 women list. I am honored and humbled to be the winner again this year for Naples, Florida and I give all the credit to the wonderful friends I have made here on Alignable... and thanks to this contest and the incredible Smart Connects I met and became friends with a lot of incredible new people in the past 3 months. Thank you Chuck and the Alignable team for pulling off the greatest contest yet. It was a blast to participate in!
San Antonio Rocks! A Great Contest, I've Won a Three Peet for the Local Business Person of the Year!
I am honored to be in the Top 50 Business Leaders nationwide list. As well as representing beautiful Monterey California for the second year in a row. However the real reward is all of the amazing testimonials and feedback I received from everyone who voted for me. Thank you to the Alignable team and everyone who voted for me. I am very excited and I have a lot more planned to create another great year with all of you here on Alignable! Congratulations to all the winners!
I’m truly honored and grateful to be named one of the Top 50 Local Business People of 2025. This recognition means a lot to me, not just for my work as an entrepreneur, but for the values of strength, confidence, and support that I strive to embody.
I am proud to be part of a community of strong, confident individuals who are not just building businesses but leading with heart, purpose, and a passion for helping others succeed and who lead with purpose and passion. I’m excited to continue connecting with and learning from this amazing community.
Thank you again for this incredible honor!
Congratulations to all the 2025 winners! 🎉
Thanks to the Alignable team for creating this amazing platform and sponsoring the contest to encourage business owners to network and start building relationships!
In only 6 weeks, I met dozens of business owners and had meaningful conversations with them about our businesses, our missions, and our values! 🔥 I don't believe there is another platform that fosters this level of powerful relationship-building for entrepreneurs. 💥
I loved getting to know my fellow entrepreneurs in the community and creating supportive relationships, partnerships, and friendships. I also loved witnessing other business owners stepping outside of their comfort zones, expanding their mindsets, and stretching their belief in their ability to win their local markets. 🚀
I am so excited and proud that several of my direct connections won their local markets! Congratulations, champions!!! 🏆
This was my first contest, and I had a blast! I won my local market, and I am ready to build on this momentum to make 2025 a phenomenal year! 🚀🚀🚀