New Hampshire’s future is already being built: by the students stepping up before they’ve even graduated, artists creating spaces for families to connect, entrepreneurs choosing to invest here, employers proving great careers and great lives can coexist, and young leaders opening doors for the people coming in behind them.

On Thursday, October 8, we’re bringing all of these people together at The Rex Theatre in Manchester for the 2026 Rising Stars Awards presented by Eversource Energy and held in partnership with New Hampshire Public Radio.

Join us from 5:30–8:30 PM for a night dedicated to the individuals and organizations making New Hampshire a more exciting, welcoming, and opportunity-filled place for young people to stay, work, play…and build what comes next.

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Before we celebrate them on stage, meet five of this year’s Rising Stars:

Student of the Year: Madison Duffy

Madison Duffy is still in high school, but she’s already showing us what the next generation of New Hampshire leadership looks like.

A senior at Concord High School in the top 10% of her class, Madison has already become a Licensed Nursing Assistant after completing the two-year Health Science program at Concord Regional Technical Center. She serves as NH HOSA State Secondary Secretary and class president, participates in National Honor Society and Tri-M Music Honor Society, competes in field hockey, tennis, and Nordic skiing, works as an LNA at Merrimack County Nursing Home — and has earned the Girl Scout Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards.

It was what she did with those opportunities that especially stood out to this year’s jury.

For her Girl Scout Gold Award, Madison created a peer-to-peer melanoma education initiative focused on awareness, prevention, and early detection among teens. She secured 300 bottles of sunscreen for outdoor athletes at her school, launched the @Melanoma.Awareness.Teens Instagram account, appeared on WMUR’s Kids Corner, and later founded a Melanoma Awareness Club at Concord High.

With plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Madison is already connecting her future career to advocacy, prevention, and making sure patients feel heard.

She isn’t waiting until someday to make an impact. She already is.

Artist of the Year: Aaron Jones

For Aaron Jones, art is about more than putting on a great show. It’s an opportunity to help kids learn, give families quality time together, and create experiences everyone can access.

Better known as Mr. Aaron, the Concord-based composer and performer creates interactive, story-driven music for kids and families, with approximately 95% of the songs he performs being his own original work. Each summer, he also writes new music inspired by New Hampshire’s statewide summer reading program theme — turning reading, imagination, and learning into something kids can sing and dance along with.

That spirit of accessibility extends beyond his performances. On September 12, Aaron recently hosted the third annual Mr. Aaron’s Kid Fest in Concord, bringing original live children’s music to the community completely free of charge for families.

Aaron is also part of a small but mighty community of children’s performers across New Hampshire doing incredible work around learning, accessibility, community, and meaningful family connection. His work adds something distinctly his own to that ecosystem: imaginative, high-energy music built intentionally around bringing people together.

That’s the kind of art that doesn’t just entertain a community. It helps build one.

Entrepreneur of the Year: Erik Mogensen

Erik Mogensen’s story is about more than launching innovative businesses. It’s about making a deliberate choice to build them here.

As Founder and CEO of Entabeni Systems and Managing Director of Indy Pass, Erik and his teams chose New Hampshire as the new headquarters for both organizations — bringing growing outdoor-industry businesses, technology, talent, and investment to the Granite State.

At the same time, Erik serves as General Manager of Black Mountain Ski Area, where his work has helped ensure one of New Hampshire’s longstanding independent mountains remains open and accessible to the greater community of lifelong skiers and riders who have made memories there for generations.

His work tackling the challenges facing independent ski areas has attracted national attention from WIRED, OUTSIDE, the Associated Press, SKI Magazine, and others. But what especially resonated with our jury was the combination of entrepreneurship and stewardship behind it.

Erik is choosing New Hampshire as the place to build innovative companies while simultaneously investing in the outdoor culture and community assets that make people want to live here in the first place.

Young Person of the Year: Fisto Ndayishimiye

Fisto Ndayishimiye has built a powerful voice in New Hampshire, and he’s using it to build pathways for other young people to find theirs.

Originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Fisto’s journey from displacement to community leadership in New Hampshire has shaped his commitment to public service, representation, and creating opportunities for others.

As Founder and Executive Director of the Young Adults Development Network, Fisto leads a youth-led organization working to equip refugee, immigrant, and low-income young people with the skills, opportunities, and platforms to participate in civic life, grow as leaders, advocate for their communities, pursue professional development, and help build a more inclusive future.

Fisto has brought that same commitment into civic life himself, including running for Concord City Council At-Large with a focus on stronger community representation and greater involvement of young people in local government. He was named one of the New Hampshire Union Leader’s “40 Under Forty” in 2024 in recognition of his leadership and service.

And he’s continuing to build his own leadership toolkit along the way. Fisto is currently studying Business Communications at Southern New Hampshire University and exploring Political Science as part of his growing interest in leadership, public policy, and civic engagement.

What stood out to our jury is the way his impact multiplies: when Fisto finds a door, he doesn’t just walk through it. He works to hold it open for others.

That’s what Young Person of the Year is all about.

Coolest Employer for Young People: HEB Engineers, Inc.

What makes an employer “cool” to young people?

At HEB Engineers, Inc., it isn’t one flashy perk. It’s creating a workplace where young professionals can see a future for themselves: professionally, financially, personally, and right here in New Hampshire.

Today, 65% of HEB’s workforce is age 40 or younger, as are 44% of its managers. Young employees are trusted with meaningful responsibility early, paired with mentors, included in conversations about the company’s future, and given clear pathways into leadership. As an employee-owned company, HEB also gives eligible employees a financial stake in its success.

That culture is backed by paid professional development, continuing education and licensure support, paid volunteer time, flexible and remote work, family and medical leave benefits, and a commitment to being a true 40-hour-per-week company rather than treating burnout as a requirement for getting ahead.

And headquartered in North Conway, HEB understands the play part, too. Skiing before work, getting outside on a sunny afternoon, mountain biking, company ski racing, volunteering, and participating in community life aren’t treated as distractions from a successful career, they’re part of building a full life in the Mount Washington Valley.

This year’s win is also a special one: HEB first earned the Coolest Employer title in 2013. Many of the young professionals helping shape the company then are now its leaders, creating those same opportunities for the next generation.

That makes HEB only the second employer ever to win this award twice, following 2025 winner Mainstay Technologies, which became the first.

Two repeat winners…and a pretty impressive standard for New Hampshire employers to emulate!

Come Celebrate New Hampshire’s Rising Stars

These winners come from different corners of our state and very different fields, but they share something important: they’re showing what’s possible here.

They’re building careers and companies. Creating art and community. Opening doors. Investing in people. And making New Hampshire a place where the next generation can imagine a future for themselves.

Now it’s time to celebrate them!

Join Stay Work Play for the 2026 Rising Stars Awards on Thursday, October 8, 2026 from 5:30–8:30 PM at The Rex Theatre in Manchester for an evening celebrating the people and organizations helping move New Hampshire forward.

And we’re not done with the reveals just yet 👀

We’ll also announce the 2026 Young Professional Network of the Year LIVE at the Rising Stars Awards, so you’ll have to be in the room to find out which NH network takes home the title.

Come cheer on this year’s winners, hear their stories, celebrate the people building what’s next for New Hampshire…and be there for one more big winner reveal.

We’ll see you at The Rex! ⭐