2017 40 Under 40 Yearbook: Bryan Simpson, 28

Then: Co-owner, Five Pound Apparel LLC
Now: Volunteer entrepreneur in residence, Drury University

This past January, Bryan Simpson sold his brainchild, the Five Pound Apparel retail store, which he started in his college dorm room in 2010. With no plans to speak of, Simpson says he felt like he was ready for something else. After closing the deal, he became an entrepreneur in residence at Drury University and is helping the new owners of Five Pound Apparel transition. Not one to sit idle for long, Simpson says he’s in the process of pursuing a couple business ventures.

“I think that life just kind of has a way of pulling you in different directions and as soon as I sold [Five Pound Apparel] then a couple opportunities popped up, so that’s where I’ve been spending my time,” he says.