Name
Katie Burrell
Age
29
Company/Organization
Mighty Dog Roofing of Benton Harbor
What Does Your Company/Organization Do?
Roofing, siding, gutters, windows. Primarily residential, some commercial. Replacements & repairs
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Public History from Western Michigan University
Accomplishments
Magna Cum Laude, Phi Kappa Phi academic honor society, Dean’s List at Lake Michigan College, starting and running a business with my father at age 25.
What else do you hope to accomplish by the age of 40?
I hope to stay involved in community volunteer work and grow the business with my dad to a level where we can expand geographically and monetarily to better serve our community. It’s my personal goal with the business to be able to get to a point where we can help provide 2 donated roofs to those in need each year.
Current City
Coloma
Place You Were Born
Indiana
What was your first job?
Cleaning vacation rental homes
What’s the best advice you ever got?
n/a
Who inspires you most?
n/a
That one thing about you we’d be most surprised to learn.
n/a
What do you love to do in your downtime?
Go to concerts, read books, spend time with friends
What book are you reading now?
I read several books at the same time, usually 1-2 a week: Butter by Asako Yuzuki, All About Allergies by Zachary Rubin M.D., Among Thieves by MJ Kuhn, and others
Volunteer activity you love the most.
My favorite volunteer event every year is handing out candy at the Trunk or Treat at the Boys & Girls Club in Benton Harbor. I also enjoy helping at food banks and picking up trash
What motivates you to give back to your community?
Right now we are living in a time where the rise of hate toward many groups of people is thriving, and it frightens and disturbs me. I have always enjoyed volunteering and trying to help those in need, doing the right thing, but I think now more than ever it is crucial for those of us in more fortunate circumstances to help where we can and not just at the holidays. Compassion, empathy, and kindness are key for communities to prosper and there is a distinct lack of those qualities in the general public in recent years.
What Superpower would you most love to have?
n/a
What would you like to leave behind as your legacy once you are gone?
Perhaps just that I always tried to be kind to others
What does the honor of being named to the 40 Under 40 most mean to you?
I’m very honored to have been nominated for this award, although I don’t know if I truly deserve it over others who have prospered a better and longer career, and really built a legacy that has helped impact our Southwest Michigan community.
