Constant change makes some people uneasy, but Nathan Boone thinks it’s the best aspect of his job. “I love the dynamic nature of how we approach projects and challenges,” says the chief operating officer of Chesapeake, Va.-based Green Forest Cabinetry. “We embrace the constant evolution.”

“To me, a great kitchen design is centered around a massive range and has plenty of space for my friends to hang out and get a taste test.

Nathan joined the leading-edge custom cabinet maker as a summer intern in 2015 while earning a business degree from James Madison University. He later received his master’s degree in finance from Virginia Commonwealth University. Today, he leads a team of 70 employees who are constantly looking at everything from new products and boxing solutions to macro changes in the industry and evolving consumer tastes. Their primary goal, according to Nathan, is keeping products simple, on-trend and affordable to everyone by being forward-thinking. “Be disruptive — we love that,” he says. “And we combine that with a commitment to openness.” Hardly anyone at the company has an actual office, he says, because the free flow of ideas is a central facet of its culture. “We hate walls, both physical and mental.”

Nathan, who says the word that best describes him is “curious,” recalls a childhood filled with activity. “I was extremely competitive and channeled my energy into sports and games,” he says, noting that he and his brother would create obstacle courses with anything they could find around the house. These days, you’re more likely to find him cooking for friends. In April, he plans to drive to Texas to pick up a new custom-built smoker by Sunny Moberg. “I’ve named her Lola and I can’t wait to have a pig roast when I get her home,” Nathan says. Not surprisingly, kitchen design that caters to a chef’s needs is also a priority: “To me, a great kitchen design is centered around a massive range and has plenty of space for my friends to hang out and get a taste test.”