An evening of innovation and recognition: FORTUNE 40 under 40

The much awaited FORTUNE 40 under 40 party which celebrates the hottest, youngest and most promising rising tech stars took place last week at the new Airbnb headquarters in San Francisco.

High technologies and innovations are the future. Let’s be honest: We text, we connect on facebook and twitter, we share pictures on instagram or pinterest, we order a Uber cab,  we read news and order on line and so much more. From our fingertips we control our life.

The world is changing and it seems to be taking a more environmental and sustainable approach. Most importantly, with high technologies we save on carbon footprint, we save trees, we emit less pollution while we help our planet too.

Guests and honorees enjoyed exquisite hors d’oeuvres and cocktails and mingled to the sound of DJ Jeff Bostic.

” Innovation is key to achieve success,” shares Marissa Mayer CEO of Yahoo and Fortune #1 Honoree. Since her arrival as CEO, stock is up 86%. Not bad indeed!

“Find a job you love, so it is like a daily hobby of some sort. Last but not least: Be ambitious! ” Meyers was eager to say. He is a champion at Fidelity, where he manages $10.5 billion in small-cap stocks.

Hailing a taxi or a black car has never been so easy with this smartphone app. ETA on driver is included. “The company has even seen growth in Paris, where we offer the UberMoto, which is a motorcycle taxis,” Kalanick proudly shares.

Blowouts are big in Europe but are not in the US, until Alli and her family got involved. We hear a new dry bar is opening soon in downtown San Francisco. Alli and her Co-Founder  opened 30 dry bars salons and hit $40 million in revenue this year.

Andrew Ng is a brilliant mind with a contagious smile. The company has raised $43 million this year—bringing its funding to $65 million from backers including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and the World Bank.

“Clarity, focus and perseverance are what you need to make it in this world,” he told us. He is a pioneer and has made an impact in the world of big data with his eight-year-old firm, which provides data and analytics services to a quarter of the companies on the Fortune 500.

“We saw an opportunity to create a new retail model within the beauty industry that focused on discovery (or first time purchase) online. The Birchbox model is a win for Brands because it is the most efficient way to connect with a high value customers, and a win for customers who are cutting through the clutter and can change their routines without having to invest a lot of time of money” shared Katia Beauchamp.

Launched in 2010 by trendy Harvard Business School graduates Barna and Beauchamp. The startup made the subscription “box” THE trend.

Kat Cole is another Fortune honoree and she is transforming Cinnabon into a multichannel consumer brand. Sales of all Cinnabon-related products are soaring and nearing $1 billion.

“ We love our new Headquarters and are honored to host the event here. Airbnb symbolizes the future when it comes to planning your next vacation, or simply renting your home. It is also the very green thing to do. We work hard and are thrilled with the growth of our company,” dashing Nathan Blecharczyk said smilingly.

Rachel Schechtman is the queen of retail with a new concept. Her New York boutique is unique and changes its “story” on regular basis. Boring does not exist, excitingly new is key.

“You have to come see it. But you have to come on a regular basis to see what’s new, as we are constantly changing the story, ” Rachel shares with a contagious laugh.

An emerging star worth mentioning is Michael Keoni DeFranco the Founder of Lua.

“Lua is a web and mobile communications system for mobile workforces, we are approaching the world that is introducing mobile devices into their workflow for the very first time, ” says Michael Keoni DeFranco with excitement in his voice.

One highlight of the evening was the quick appearance of super model Tyra Banks, who has been on Fortune’s list of “Most Powerful Women.”

She shared that she is launching a new project and is looking for female entrepreneurs to come on board. She wants women out there to believe in themselves to be bale to achieve their dreams: “Don’t be afraid to speak your mind, say it the way it is. Be honest, it will go along way,” she ends.

Guests left inspired, happy and motivated, hoping to make it on next year’s list.

Special thanks to Drew Altizer photography and Allison Speer.

To see slideshow click on ” Show picture list” below. You can also watch as flash slideshow.