Our inaugural 30 Under 30 Local List features the top entrepreneurs, activists and creatives in the vibrant innovation hubs of Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Miami, Puerto Rico, Seattle and Toronto.
Illustration by Jordan Carter
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Each year, my fellow Forbes reporters and I sort through thousands of nominations for our annual Under 30 list. And each year, I wish we could put more than 30 people on every list because of the sheer amount of talent and potential I see in so many applicants.
But this week, with the launch of our first-ever Forbes 30 Under 30 Local Lists, we got a chance to spotlight the top entrepreneurs, activists and creatives in 10 vibrant innovation hubs: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Miami, Puerto Rico, Seattle and Toronto. Collectively, this class of changemakers have raised more than $1.4 billion in funding.
Take, for example, Toby Egbuna, the Atlanta-based cofounder of Chezie. He and his sister, Dumebi, are on a mission to create more inclusive and equitable workplaces with their startup’s software platform, which acts as a tracking and management system for employee resource groups (ERGs).
Over in Los Angeles, Camila Victoriano is working with leading and emerging Latinx creators to produce podcasts that then come alive in TV and film through her company Sonoro. She’s raised $13 million in funding from investors including Lerer Hippeau and Greycroft.
Check out their stories, and those of the other 371 total innovators that made the inaugural list, here.
Meet The Billionaire Who Built A Fortune ‘Price-Gouging’ Customers Like The Pentagon
New billionaire Nicholas Howley.
ALEX J. BERLINER/AP
These are good times for Nicholas Howley. TransDigm, the airplane-parts maker he cofounded, has sidestepped allegations of excess profits of as much as 4,436%, the stock has hit record highs, and Forbes has determined that Howley’s net worth now has three commas.
On Our Radar
–Under 30 2019 Music alum Post Malone may be most well-known for his singing career, but he may become synonymous with tabletop game Magic: The Gathering. He recently purchased a card for $2 million, proving the profitability of the game. (NPR)
-The cage match between Elon Musk and 2012 Under 30 lister Mark Zuckerberg may still be happening. Musk posted on Sunday that the fight would be livestreamed on X, the app formerly known as Twitter, and Zuzkerberg said that the match’s proceeds would be donated to charity. The two have yet to set a date for the fight. (AP News)
-With sorority rush starting up across the country this month, former sorority sisters have made a profit off of potential new members, whose parents sometimes pay thousands of dollars for their daughters to have a better chance at being accepted into the top tier sororities at their university. (WSJ)
Lister Lowdown
-In an attempt to “knock-out” cancer, 2022 Healthcare lister LaShyra Nolen is stepping into the boxing ring October 12 with the goal of raising $10,000 for cancer research. Nolen is the founder of We Got Us, a student-lead group that advocates for equity and combats racism in healthcare.
–2023 Social Impact lister Gabriel Saruhashi cofounded Ameelio to give prisoners a way to communicate with loved ones when serving prison time. In September, the startup will be implementing their post-prison plan for inmates to maintain employment after being released. The program provides former-inmates with vocational training during incarceration so that when they are released, they will already have skills valuable to employers.
-Practice Benefit Corp., an organization that provides resources to kids in kindergarten through 12th grade, is launching its Practice software in early September to enhance classroom management. The company plans to demo the software at 500 New York City schools, and four schools have already signed up for the fall. The software includes a messaging system for students, parents, teachers and administrators, an educational dashboard, a gradebook and 24-hour technical support system. Karim Abouelnaga, a 2015 Education lister, created the company in 2011 to give more kids from low-income families mentorship opportunities.
