Age: 27
Occupation: Business owner, TPH Strategies
Email: mdavis@tphstrategies.com
Education: Master of Business Administration, University of Illinois Springfield; Bachelor of Science, accounting, Millikin University
Affiliations/community activities:
Board member and treasurer, Land of Lincoln Goodwill; secretary, Springfield Old Capitol Art Fair; board member, United Way; co-chair, Impact Life; ambassador, Springfield Chamber of Commerce
What is your guiding principle in life?
Do honest work and own the outcome. I admit mistakes cleanly, take responsibility where it’s mine and protect the people who trust me with their finances.
What would you like your life to look like in five or 10 years?
Honestly, I would love to be a dad in the next five years. I want fatherhood to consume my life for a bit and really devote some time to my family. From a career perspective, I want to be in a place where I can continuously learn and grow. I want to lead a team and continue to make an impact.
What would you like to give back to your community?
Keep mentoring through the UIS VITA program and teaching. Helping students and lower-income families gain real financial footing is how I’d most like to pay forward the guidance I received.
What do you wish your younger self had known when you started on this path?
That just because you don’t see the light ahead doesn’t mean that it’s not there. The path I’m on is not straight by any means, and there are humps and hurdles, but it’s heading in the right direction.
What has been your greatest professional achievement?
Nothing can really top buying a brick-and-mortar business at 24 years old. It was a massive leap of faith and has been rewarding every day.
What’s the song you sing in the shower?
“Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross
This article appears in July SBJ 2026.