After a decade at the helm of Sacramento State’s College of Business Administration, Sanjay Varshney in late August accepted a position as a vice president and wealth advisor at Wells Fargo Bank—Wealth Management  Group. Varshney is a professor of finance at Sac State. He is also the  chief economist for the Sacramento Business Review, making him one of the region’s preeminent voices on economics, business and higher education.

Momentum is shifting in the Capital Region, and young professionals are leading the charge. General skepticism is being replaced with emerging optimism and a renewed energy that’s providing the catalyst for growth and innovation across our cities.  Here are the top ten young leaders we think you should be watching. They are driving the Capital Region’s evolution, and we anticipate you’ll see them at the forefront in 2015 and decades to come.

Newly minted Assembly Minority Leader Kristin Olsen has developed a well-earned reputation around the Capitol as a woman on the move.

Although initially a bit shocked, I was excited when I heard a work by Jeff Koons may be showcased at the center of our city. This excitement was followed by an involuntary pang of dread as I thought to myself,  “Oh no, this $8-million price tag is going to make people in Sacramento hate art!”

Can you believe it? People are talking about art again. Not since Sacramento’s own David Garibaldi was on “America’s Got Talent” has our community talked at about art at the water cooler.

During meetings this past fall, Jeff Koons’ “Coloring Book” was approved by six of seven members of the ESC art panel and seven of eight Sacramento Metropolitan Arts commissioners. Two panel members and three commissioners were absent for the respective votes. I was the only dissenting vote in both cases.  

Sacramento’s downtown is in the midst of a major facelift, and this year, local businesses are getting involved by transforming parking spots into artful public meeting spots … Well, just two actually.

On March 4, Sacramento’s incoming Entertainment and Sports Center welcomed its first pieces of steel in what, come 2016, with with the Sacramento Kings new practice facility.

On Feb. 8th, 2015, Comstock’s magazine gathered some of the Capital Region’s hottest young professionals together at the Sacramento railyards. This is what happened…

Has the day has finally arrived to move your business into a new home? Learn how to survive the transition without losing your patience, computers or sanity.