Every year the world sees new entrepreneurs stepping into their respective industries, attempting to better the world with an invention, product or company. And every year, many of those entrepreneurs manage to breakthrough into their industry to create something truly impressive. And, in order to recognize their accomplishments, Forbes compiles an annual list of the top 30 entrepreneurs in multiple industries, all under the age of 30. I wanted to share a few of the most inspirational entrepreneurs from the list.
Matthew Humphrey – LendingHome
I’ve spoken a bit on fintech and new technology in the financial sector in past blog posts. Since it has become such a huge topic these past few years, it only makes sense that one of the entrepreneurs that I would mention be involved in the still emerging industry. Matthew Humphrey is one of the featured members in the Finance 30 Under 30 list. As CEO and cofounder of LendingHome, Humphrey created the company in an attempt to simplify the often complicated world of mortgages. Not only is his startup gaining popularity—handing out a whopping $1 billion in loans—but this prodigy was also able to attend college at the ripe age of 13. And if LendingHome continues the way it has been, Humphrey has a bright future ahead of him.
Allen Brouwer – BestSelf Co.
Allen Brouwer cofounded BestSelf Co. in order to inspire others to become successful. He did this at a time when he himself was struggling. He and his cofounder, Cathryn Lavery, were attempting to get their respective businesses off the ground. After multiple meetings with high-profile businessmen and women and entrepreneurs, they still could not achieve the success they were looking for. From their struggle came BestSelf Co., which creates journals and materials intended to inspire and assist anyone to set clear goals for themselves in order to achieve success. Brouwer was able to create a stable and successful business by helping to inspire others.
Lu Zhang – NewGen Capital
When Lu Zhang came into the world of venture capital, she did not fit the traditional appearance of someone involved in the industry. As a Chinese woman, she could have easily not been taken seriously. However, Zhang set out to show what she could do. According to the Forbes list, Zhang had been working in the medical field in an effort to create new testing tools for Type II diabetes while she was just a grad student at Stanford. From this, she formed Acetone Inc., which she later sold for an impressive $10 million. She then was able to transition to the world of venture capital with incredible success. Eventually, she formed NewGen Capital, raising a total of $92 million in two funds of investments. In an interview with Forbes, Zhang mentioned how she did not want her appearance to fool anyone. “I may look like a petite Asian girl, but I don’t want anyone to tell me that I couldn’t do it.”
With a total of 600 entrepreneurs from varying industries, Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list is a fantastic expose on the future leaders of the world. These three are only a small amount of what the full list has to offer. For even more inspiration from each of these individuals’ stories, be sure to check out the list on Forbes.