40 Under 40 Alumni: Kathy Topp and Guerin Senter

Kathy Topp, president and owner of Red 7 Communications, poses in the lobby of the company’s offices Tuesday, April 30, 2019.

Kathy Topp

Owner, Red 7 Communications

Where were you when you received your 40 Under 40 award?I was head of marketing and community relations for Goodwill of Southern Nevada. At that time, one in 10 Las Vegans were out of work and lines at Goodwill career events wrapped around buildings.

Where are you now? I own Red 7 Communications, a public relations and communications firm in Las Vegas.

What’s been your biggest accomplishment since you were awarded? Red 7 produced several television specials called #VegasStrong for Vegas PBS in the months following 1 October.

The goal was to make people aware of issues that can arise and community resources that are available. I am incredibly proud to be part of a team that champions this type of important community television programming.

What do you want to accomplish?I want to make a difference.

Is there anything you learned the hard way? Follow your gut.It’s usually right.

What’s your favorite spot for a lunch meeting? Typically it’s a breakfast meeting at EggWorks, or I’ll meet over coffee at the Coffee Bean. I find mornings are an excellent time to connect. Plus, I love breakfast.

Who is your business hero? My dad.

He was also a small-business owner who taught by example the value of hard work.

What’s the best advice you have to offer? Believe in yourself, and be authentic.

Guerin Senter

Owner, Eleos Care

Click to enlarge photo

Guerin Senter is a former recipient of the 40 Under 40 Award.

Where were you when you received your 40 Under 40 award? I was just about to sell my first company in 2011.

Where are you now? I’ve realized I’m a much better owner than employee. I started Eleos Care 18 months ago to help those with mental and developmental disabilities. We went live March 1 and have hired nearly 20 people, and are providing almost 2,000 hours of care per month.

What’s been your biggest accomplishment since you were awarded? I’ve attended 90% or more of my 10-year-old daughter’s ballet competitions in other states, all while building a new company.

She is the most important thing in my life.

What do you want to accomplish? I want to build a business focused on altruism, fun and excellence.

Culture and employee engagement are key.You don’t have to be perfect every day, but you have to always challenge your team for the best idea, regardless of whose idea it is.

Is there anything you learned the hard way? Contracts don’t matter if you’re not aligned with the right people.

Who is your business hero? Mark Cuban. He’s smart and fun while maintaining passion in his projects.

If you ran Las Vegas, what’s the first thing you would do? I would mandate that all public officials (fire, police and government) spend some amount of hours per year training on interacting with individuals with disabilities.

What’s the best advice you have to offer? Wake up at 3 a.m. to work on your dream business until you start your “regular job” at 8 a.m.

Transition out of your “regular job” in a year and start living the life you want.

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