How do you define most influential?

From the pages of In Business magazine.

The word influence is defined as “affecting someone or something in an important way.” Generally we associate it with a positive impact. With this in mind, it’s safe to say the Madison area is made up of many individuals, companies, and organizations that have a wide sphere of positive influence each and every year. This July, IB plans to once again publish what we call our “issue of influence,” and we need to hear from you in order to shine a light on some of these impactful stories. 

Our cover story in July will be our third annual “25 Most Influential People in Greater Madison.” IB’s editorial staff will be making very difficult decisions again this year, and we’ve been busy compiling a list of deserving candidates. However, there is no way our staff can keep track of all of the influencers in this community, so we’re asking IB readers to assist us by nominating individuals who should be considered for this year’s “Most Influential” feature.

Since this is an annual IB feature, we focus on the individuals who have demonstrated influence during the past 12 months, not throughout their career. Every year, there are some obvious choices but there also are many influential people whose stories don’t get into the public eye. We’d love to hear those stories! Nominations should be sent to IB Editorial Director Joe Vanden Plas (joe@ibmadison.com) no later than April 22. In your email, identify the nominee and make the case for them.

On a similar “influential” note, IB will be publishing our Charitable Giving Guide again this July. While this is a special advertising section, it’s also a win-win opportunity for the profiled charitable organizations and the corporations that sponsor them. This is an opportunity for companies to shine a light on some of the many great nonprofit organizations they support while also getting advertising exposure within In Business magazine. Simply put, it’s the best advertising opportunity we offer and all for a very good cause. If you are a nonprofit organization or a company that would like more information on how you can get involved this year, contact me directly at jon@ibmadison.com.

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