20 Under 40 | Damon Shore
Written and compiled by LAUREN JURGENSEN | Photos by JOHN BURNS
Continuous Improvement Engineer | Mars
At Mars, Damon leads a team focused on improving efficiency, safety and quality on the Snickers production line. Beyond the factory, he pours his energy into serving others. For more than 13 years, Damon has volunteered with Junior Achievement, teaching students financial literacy and entrepreneurship. He’s also a certified facilitator with Omni Circle’s Business Academy, where he mentors aspiring entrepreneurs and supports Topeka’s growing startup ecosystem.
A graduate of Leadership Greater Topeka, Damon reestablished Mars Wrigley site visits for the program, coordinated corporate volunteer teams and even helped lead his team to victory in Be Filled of South Topeka’s Charity Truck Pull fundraiser. Outside of work, he coaches youth basketball, football and soccer with a focus on building character.
What legacy do you hope to leave?
On the surface, I hope people feel grateful our paths crossed, even if only briefly. I’m in competition with no one and genuinely want to see others achieve their full potential — if a bit of my time can help make that happen, I’m all in. My legacy is also closely tied to my children. They carry my name, and I want that name to hold value for them.
If you were a character in a movie, who would you be?
If Jim Carrey played The Hulk. Sounds odd, but that’s me. I’m funnier than I look, but my wife jokingly says I’m funny looking. I’m just a larger person and I try to bring humor and levity into everyday life. My size causes me to stand out and creates so many opportunities to engage with people. I use it to try and put a smile on their face.
What role does failure play in your journey toward success?
Failure is the reason I am where I am today. I’ve come close to losing everything, and at times I barely had anything to begin with. My biggest failure was living without purpose and faith, and focusing too much on the opinions of others. One of my passions is working out, which is all about pushing yourself to the point of failure so you can grow stronger — and the same principle applies to leadership. As the saying goes, “A hungry stomach, an empty wallet and a broken heart can teach you the best lessons of life.”
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