Young Entrepreneurs To Watch: Forbes 30 Under 30 List
If you’ve ever wanted to make money off your passion or start a business, entrepreneurs can inspire you. Forbes’s “30 Under 30” list commemorates the top entrepreneurs under the age of 30. These young adults include everything from country singers to restaurant owners to cryptocurrency managing. Here are some of the most exciting young people on that list.
Eric Sze – Restaurant Owner
At age 28, chef Eric Sze owns two restaurants. The first is 886 in New York City, a Taiwanese restaurant that he co-founded with Andy Chuang. The restaurant also ran a meal donation line for healthcare workers and those impacted by the pandemic.
Sze also owns Wenwen and plans to open a third restaurant. He has an $18 million net worth.
Gage Allen – Video Game Scripts And Trailers
Gage Allen, 24, is the CEO, founder, and creative director of Player One Studios. The two distinct branches of his company create trailers for video games and original scripts for movies and shows.
Allen experienced a tough childhood around cartel violence in Mexico, but his passion for storytelling led him to create a multi-million dollar company.
Ingrid Andress – Country Singer
Ingrid Andress, a country artist from Nashville, Tennessee, produced her first album at age 28. Her debut single, “More Hearts Than Mine,” reached number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 list.
Andress was nominated for the Grammy Awards in 2021. She also performed on many shows, including TODAY, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Benjamin Arabov – Education Finance
At only 28 years old, Benjamin Arabov is the CEO and founder of Grow Enrollments. Since 2014, this digital agency has helped education companies double their enrollments and lower costs.
Some of Arabov’s clients include The Los Angeles Film School and Purdue University. His father is Jacob Arabo, the jeweler who decorated artists such as Diddy and Jay-Z.
Adrien Bettio And Hyla Nayeri – Swimsuit Company
Hyla Nayeri and Adrien Bettio, both 24, run a multi-million dollar swimsuit company. The young women started their business, called 437, from their dorm at Queen’s University in Canada.
Bettio and Nayeri each invested $1,000 into the company, which earned over $6 million in 2020. Nayeri runs sales and marketing while Bettio works on the designs and operations.
Imane Anys, Or “Pokimane” – Twitch Streamer
Imane Anys, 24, is better known by her Twitch handle “Pokimane.” Anys has streamed on Twitch since 2013, usually video game content such as League of Legends and Fortnite.
Anys is also the creative director for the clothing brand Cloak and is one of the founders of Offline TV, a group of content creators on YouTube. Her net worth is over $2 million.
Payam Pourtaheri And Ameer Shakeel – Pesticide Replacement
Payam Pourtaheri and Ameer Shakeel started their business while they were students at the University of Virginia. Troubled by the environmental damage from pesticides, Pourtaheri and Shakeel invented bio-based crop protection that replaces chemicals.
Their company, Agrospheres, now has 30 patents worldwide and works with dozens of global companies. It has raised over $11 million so far.
Angelique Ahlstrom – Environmental Drones
At age 29, Angelique Ahlstrom has already co-founded one of Canada’s most environmentally-friendly drone businesses. Her company, Flash Forest, uses drones to plant hundreds of thousands of seedlings across Canada.
The reforestation company aims to plant over one billion trees by 2028 to have a positive impact on global warming. Ahlstrom is receiving more and more investors every year.
Soona Amhaz – Crypto Fund Managing
Soona Amhaz, 27, is the founder of Volt Capital. Her company is the crypto fund managing capital for investors. By 2021, she backed businesses such as Matrix League, Magic, Valiu, Cozy, and BuyCoins.
She may be young, but Amhaz is experienced in cryptocurrency. Before Volt Capital, she launched Token Daily, a crypto venture firm that garnered over 20,000 followers.
David Alvarez – Broadway Actor
David Alvarez is a 26-year-old Broadway actor and dancer. His best-known role is Billy Elliot in Billy Elliot the Musical, but he has appeared in many plays and on many news programs across Canada.
At just 15 years old, Alvarez won the Tony Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre. He later left to join the Army, but he has a promising career when he returns.
Molly Alter – Capital Firm Investor
After graduating from Harvard University, 27-year-old Molly Alter became the youngest principal Index Ventures. This international venture capital firm invests in tech and finance companies such as Robinhood.
Alter also runs many side hustles, such as her Caesar Salad food blog and co-hosting the SiriusXM radio show. She is even an amateur filmmaker.
Nabeel Alamgir – Digital Restaurant Company
Raised in Bangladesh, Nabeel Alamgir later moved to New York and learned English from watching Martin Scorsese films. He worked as a chief marketing officer before launching his own business, Lunchbox Technologies, in 2019.
Lunchbox Tech offers growth technologies for online ordering, menus, and more. In 2020, Alamgir’s company raised $20 million to help restaurants with their online businesses during the pandemic.
Rachel Feinberg And Breanne Harrison-Pollock – ESports Gear
Rachel Feinberg and Breanne Harrison-Pollock, both 28, founded a gaming gear company called Ateyo. Their company offers everything from clothing to technical apparel for the Esports competitive gaming industry.
Feinberg and Harrison-Pollock succeeded because of their collaborations with Evil Geniuses, NZXT, and YouTube Gaming. Before this, they founded DAMNsel, a clothing brand that was worn by Beyonce during New York’s Fashion Week.
Preston Arsement, Or “PrestonPlayz” – Vlogger
Preston Arsement is a popular vlogger and Minecraft player who goes by the alias “PrestonPlayz.” Although he is only 26 years old, he earned $14 million in 2019 alone due to his 32 million YouTube followers.
Arsement is also the founder of TBNR, a collective gaming channel that has worked with brands such as Disney, NBC, and EA Games.
Joseph Albanese – Software Developer
Twenty-nine-year-old Joseph Albanese has a long history in programming and marketing. He was on the founding team of Yik Yak and worked on product design for Facebook. Albanese now works with Homebrew and Ludlow Ventures and develops software tools for influences.
The $3.6 million grant from Homebrew and Ludlow isn’t Albanese’s only income. He also created software products like OnlyTweet and Presubscribe.me.
Malika Andrews – ESPN Reporter
At 25 years old, Malika Andrews is ESPN’s youngest sideline reporter. Since 2018 (age 22), she has written and reported about the NBA. She was even nominated for an Emmy in the Emerging On-Air Talent category in 2021.
Before ESPN, Andrews worked as a journalist for The Denver Post and the Chicago Tribune. Her net worth lands between $800,000 and $1 million.
Lucas Frye And Joey Varikooty – Agriculture Management
Lucas Frye (28) and Joey Varikooty (24) both grew up around farms and studied at the University of Illinois. They invented a new way to manage, count, and protect a farmer’s product.
Their company, Amber Agriculture Inc., installs wireless sensors to help farmers manage their crop. The Chicago-based company has earned over $2 million in funding.
Phillip Aubrey – App Designer
Phillip Aubrey (25) is the founder of Yunit, a “social savings app” that helps people save money and encourage their friends to do so as well. Yunit markets the app to minority and migrant communities, many of whom struggle with saving money.
Aubrey initially worked at Alexis Ohanian’s Initialized Capital, but he left to help “the everyday person.” He also provides finance and saving tips through interviews.
Basem Al-Shayeb – Virus Researcher
Basem Al-Shayeb, 27, is an Egyptian researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. Along with Nobel prize-winning researcher Jennifer Doudna, Al-Shayeb has discovered several new viruses.
He found viruses with large genomes, including the record-holder for the largest bacterial virus. His Crispr gene-editing technologies have earned him millions of dollars.
Jennifer Armstrong – Portfolio Strategist
At 29 years old, Jennifer Armstrong is the youngest Associate Portfolio Strategist to ever be promoted at Bridgewater Associates. This management firm provides insight and partnerships for global investors.
Armstrong researchers economic conditions for clients like Greg Jensen, Ray Dalio, and Bob Prince. She graduated from Dartmouth College as the school’s top economics student.
Michael Apostolos – Creative Director And Set Designer
You might not have heard about 25-year-old Michael Apostolos, but you probably know his clients: Billie Eilish, Travis Scott, and Jennifer Hudson. Apostolos is a creative director, lighting designer, and set designer.
Apostolos broke into the industry at age 15, and he eventually worked on large events like the Grammys. He also founded Fourline Creative, which decorates sets for SNL, Jimmy Fallon, and others.
Bryan Gold And Adam Rivietz – Influencer Marketing
Bryan Gold and Adam Rivietz co-founded #Paid, an influencer marketing company that leverages AI programs to match marketers with content creators. Unlike other marketing companies, Rivietz and Gold went in with a crypto-oriented strategy.
Both men are 28 and already raised $9 million by 2018. Each of them has a net worth of around $2.8 million.
Manny Adler – Snapchat Manager
Manny Adler is the 28-year-old manager of Snapchat. By creating mini music videos with artists like Taylor Swift and Post Malone, Adler has significantly increased music on Snapchat and raked in over 100 million views.
According to the Los Angeles Business Journal, Adler manages over 4,000 employees at Snap Inc. His net worth has not been released, but it’s high.
Carolina Acosta – Party Card Game
Carolina Acosta is the 27-year-old founder of Tragos, a party card game that pokes fun at Latino culture and traditions. Since Tragos Games launched in 2019, it has made well over $1 million.
Acosta donates 50% of her funds to the Immigrant Worker Safety Net fund. Even with that, she is one of the wealthiest people under 30 in 2021.
Cameron Andrews – Medical Technology Founder
Twenty-four-year-old Cameron Andrews is the founder and CEO of Sirona Medical. The company distributes cloud-based technology for radiologists, which puts the worklist, viewer, and reporter into one streamlined workspace.
Since Sirona was founded in 2018, it has raised over $20 million. His experience in AI technology helped him enhance the business.
Bharath Alamanda – Analyst
At age 28, Bharath Alamanda works as an analyst for Pershing Square. But he was also an investor. During the pandemic, he worked directly with the founder to put in a $27 million hedge.
The investment paid off; Alamanda helped to generate proceeds of $2.6 billion. He analyzes, pitches, and tracks hedges for the company.
Karel Bachand – 3D Print Engineer
Karel Bachand, 26, began his career as an engineer for the NASA Ames Research Center. Later, he founded his own company, Barrelhand. As the lead engineer, he 3D prints pieces for a unique watch.
These watches, which Bachand calls a “spaceship for your wrist,” include pieces of metal that are thinner than hair. As of 2021, the company is expecting $600,000 in revenue annually.
Matthew Kalmans And Sacha Samotin – Marketing CEOs
Matthew Kalmans (27) and Sacha Samotin (29) co-founded Applecart. This digital program matches advertisers with high-value business decision-makers. They work with some of the world’s largest companies, including KKR and Business Roundtable.
Kalmans and Samotin began with $12.5 million in funding and have earned over $10 million. Each has a net worth of around $1.7 million.
Patrick Backhouse – Investment Partner
Patrick Backhouse, 28, is a capital partner at Greenoaks Capital, a global investment firm. With $7 billion in assets, the company has funded Discord, Stripe, Deliveroo, and Robinhood, among others.
Backhouse personally led investments for Toast, Sea, Kavak, Tipalti, and Misfits Market. A graduate from the University of British Columbia, Backhouse has been in investing for over five years.
Logan Bailey – Consumer Technology Inventor
Twenty-nine-year-old Logan Bailey began his career by getting frustrated at tangled wires. He invented several tools to organize cables for laptops, smartphones, and headphones, among others.
Bailey then founded the company Fuse Reel, which rakes in $2 million every year. He has continued to create new tech, including a Zoom camera that helps people look better.
