BILL GRANT

“I love to help build businesses and create a work environment that people truly
enjoy,” Bill Grant says, with no small amount of understatement. Take, for example, his time as vice president of the former LabOne, a medical-testing company, when his Midwest Clinical Division saw revenues rise from $5 million to $75 million in just five years.

After CEO Tom Grant—Bill’s father—orchestrated LabOne’s sale to Quest Diagnostics for a cool $934 million, the family invested in SelectQuote Insurance Services, where Bill co-founded a subsidiary, SelectQuote Senior. Since its launch in March 2010, the company has created 75 jobs in Kansas City—that’s one new hire roughly every two weeks, for three years—and it’s now the nation’s fourth-largest direct-to-consumer health-insurance brokerage for seniors.“

As a long-time Kansas City resident,” he says, “growing these businesses and adding great jobs and true career paths within the community is very important to me, and satisfying as it becomes a reality.” But his current role also combines two key interests—work and family. “I am fortunate to be able to work with my father and both of my brothers,” says Grant, 38. He and his wife Sarah have three children—Will, Remley and Mary—under age 10 and he says, “I enjoy coaching my son’s basketball team, traveling with family or just spending as much quality time as I can with them.”

BRIAN HAGENHOFF

Like most chief financial officers, Brian Hagenhoff is a busy guy. Unlike most, he’s got numbers coming at him from all directions. His primary role is monitoring financials for Grassmere Partners, a private investment firm in Kansas City. But while this 35-year-old St. Louis native is responsible for financial and accounting aspects for that firm, he also oversees finances for its controlled operating companies—Box Office Analyst, Sweet Creations and Grassmere Acquisition Corp. The latter is a special-purpose acquisition corporation that he took from formation to SEC filing in less than four months.

Hagenhoff also is heavily involved with Dineplex International and its new-concept dinner/movie venue Standees, preparing to launch its first location. “We’ve created every aspect of Dineplex and Standees from scratch,” he says, “and that is one accomplishment I’m quite proud of.” Before joining Grassmere in June 2010, Hagenhoff spent two years working for Euronet Worldwide, the Leawood specialist in global payment processing, and previously worked in both the assurance and tax units of KPMG and Arthur Andersen.

This University of Kansas graduate holds degrees in accounting, business administration and East Asian languages and cultures. He spent a year abroad teaching English to Japanese students, in fact. He also has served on the board of Comfort the Children International and supports other children’s-focused charities—all while raising three young ones with his wife, Meaghan—Henry, 3; Teddy, 2; and Mary Kate 1.

HAYLEY HANSON

Her specialty is law, but make no mistake: Hayley Hanson’s primary interest is children. Like most mothers, that starts at home, where she and husband Todd McGuire are raising six-year-old Campbell and his sister, Alaina, 2. But her work on behalf of kids follows her to the offices of Husch Blackwell, where she started as an associate in 2000 before becoming a partner within just six years. “I’m fortunate to serve the interest of children as a lawyer specializing in education law,” says Hanson. Representing public school districts and universities throughout the state, she’s been able to expand the firm’s education-law practice, while helping those clients “develop and enforce policies to protect children,” she says.

She graduated magna cum laude from Northwest Missouri State University, then earned her law degree—with high honors—from the Drake University Law School, where she also served as executive editor of the school’s law review. The balance she’s deftly struck between law career and family duties has allowed her to devote personal time to causes like the Friends of the Kansas City Zoo, where she’s been a board member since 2008, her alma mater’s foundation board in Maryville since 2012, the board for Teach for America/Kansas City. And, since 2005, on the board for Debate Kansas City, working to help students develop their critical thinking and oratorical skills. “Students, by participating in debate, become more analytical, studious and better communicators,” Hanson says, “skills that will unquestionably enrich their lives and expand their opportunities.”

TYLER HENSON

His stepfather’s work in construction took Tyler Henson around the country when he was growing up, but that industry didn’t get its hooks into him until his own professional toolbox had a law degree in it. After graduating from law school at Wake Forest, Henson did construction law for firms in Texas and Virginia before connecting with J.E. Dunn in 2004.

Today, the 38-year-old is vice president and division general counsel for the region’s largest construction company and—dare we say it—quite likely the only 40 Under Forty applicant who has ever interned for a member of the British Parliament. That gig coincided with his undergraduate work in political science, studying abroad for a year at the London School of Economics and Political Science. In his current role with J.E. Dunn, Henson advises senior executives on risk-management tools dealing with insurance, safety, quality and other issues. He’s also the compliance officer, national records manager and oversees crisis-response planning.

A biking fanatic, Henson was on the executive committee that brought the Tour of Missouri international race to fruition in 2009 and was a founding member of Bike-WalkKC. He also served as board president for Kansas City B-Cycle/BikeShareKC, working with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City and others to raise more than $1 million and put in place a privately funded bike-sharing system in Downtown Kansas City—and did that in less than six months.

Henson and his wife, Amy, have three children: Ellie, 7; Cooper, 4; and 1-year-old Thomas.