JASON HOUSEWORTH

At a company compelled by technology to re-invent itself, Jason Houseworth has the keys to the car—and he’s driving change. Since assuming the duties of senior vice president at H&R Block’s Digital Tax Solutions line in 2010, Houseworth has a long list of accomplishments. He recently founded the Innovation Lab, where he leads change and brings new opportunities to enhance the retail and digital lines. The lab allows him to remain an entrepreneur while still reaping the benefits of being part of a Fortune 500 company. After he led Block to its best performance ever with on-line tax filing, the company made Houseworth’s position a permanent fixture in its executive management. His digital unit has 6 million clients and generated more than $160 million in revenue last year. And although a federal judge ultimately blocked it, Houseworth had been a leading advocate of acquiring TaxACT, an on-line tax preparation competitor.

Working directly with CEO Bill Cobb and being a member of Block’s executive management team, Houseworth, 37, is an important figure in the company’s overall decision-making processes. He says he’s a “product of the people I have the pleasure of working with every day.” He’s been a team captain for Block’s Harvester’s campaign in 2010, yielding a record number of donations, and the treasurer for Ozanam, which helps children with disabilities, for four years. His wife, Beth, and their three children reside in Olathe.

CHRISTOPHER JAVILLONAR

His election to partner at the Bryan Cave law firm was a moment of personal pride, but it summoned something else in Christopher Javillonar: A deeper appreciation of the unwavering support his family had made to his career. A member of the firm’s commercial litigation and the securities litigation and enforcement groups, he manages litigation and class actions for multiple regional and national clients.

He has handled multiple outstanding pro bono matters locally, as well, working with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Legal Aid of Western Missouri and World Outreach Foundation. “As a lawyer, I have unique opportunities to provide service to the community,” he said. Most memorable, says this 37-year-old, was leading the litigation involving courts in California and Kansas to reunite a mother, an immigrant from Thailand, with her child, who had been taken by the woman’s estranged husband.

He also works on behalf of the Asian-Pacific American community, helping found both the Asian American Bar Association of Kansas City and the National Association of Asian American Professionals-Greater Kansas City. He says his most challenging accomplishment was his work to secure Kansas City as host for the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association convention. But after four years of extensive effort, networking and promoting the city, it all paid off: The association will hold its 25th annual convention here.

RYAN KRAMER

Leadership matters to Ryan Kramer, managing director for the Kansas City office of Northwestern Mutual’s RPS Financial Group. Kramer, 36, says his biggest achievements include acceptance into Northwestern’s corporate leadership program. At a company that has been consistently recognized for organizational excellence, that matters, too. “Our company takes leadership responsibilities very seriously,” says Kramer. “So you can imagine my sincere sense of gratitude for this wonderful opportunity.” Making the most of that opportunity, he knows, means leveraging his own track record into something larger for the firm by successfully mentoring younger associates. Kramer himself was ranked as the top new representative in his first year with RPS Financial Group.

He hopes to use his new leadership skills to drive growth over the next three years. “We currently have 40 representatives,” Kramer says. “My goal is to increase our work force to 60 representatives and to increase our production by 60 percent.” For those
keeping score, that’s not just a bigger staff, but a 20 percent productivity premium from it.

Kramer has served for three years on Children’s Mercy Hospital’s entertainment committee for the Red Hot Nights and Hands & Hearts board, a taste of community service he hopes to expand on. He and his wife, Jennifer, are home in Overland Park with two children, ages 4 and 2.

MIKE LYNCH

“Without a doubt it’s not just what we accomplish, but it’s how we go about doing it that’s just as important,” advises Mike Lynch, executive vice president and general manager of ATI Nursing Education, a unit of Ascend Learning. Recognized by the 2011 Ascend Summit Award for being an outstanding role model, having a positive influence and for exceeding company goals, Lynch, 39, was rewarded for his own “how”—as in how he had accomplished so much. He leads all aspects of ATI Nursing Education, everything from product development to customer service. Under his watch, ATI revenues have increased 25-fold—that’s 47 percent a year since Lynch has been on board. Starting with eight salespeople, he has helped grow the unit to more than 70 people. That growth drew attention from Providence Equity, which purchased ATI and created Ascend Learning. Now, ATI is a leader in innovative nursing-education technology.

Lynch approaches life with a simple Jesuit motto: being one for others. Not only does he have a role in a profession based on selflessness—nursing—he also commits himself to civic involvements, in which he finds great reward. “There is meaningful opportunity to change the world and impact the future if you improve the life of a child,” he said, speaking of his involvement with the Global Orphan Project and Three and 3 for Kids, organizations that help children through healthcare and education.