Forbes Australia Presents the Inaugural 30 Under 30 List

Issue 13 is out now.

Sydney, AUSTRALIA (October 14, 2024)

Forbes Australia today revealed its inaugural 30 Under 30 list, shining the spotlight on 30 Australian young innovators, trailblazers and entrepreneurs who are reshaping their industries and changing business and society.

The list, which can be found in the new edition of Forbes Australia out today and at forbes.com.au, includes some of the country’s best-known stars, leaders and entrepreneurs, as well as lesser-known success stories who are making a big difference in their fields.

From sporting heroes including Ariarne Titmus, Jessica Fox, Mary Fowler and Oscar Piastri to musicians The Kid Laroi Troye Sivan and Tkay Maidza, and social change champions Chanel Contos and Awer Mabil – from tech and science innovators such as Stephanie Claire Smith, Dylan Coyne and Grace Brown to actor Jacob Elordi and e-commerce gurus Tammy Hembrow and Davie Fogarty – the Forbes Australia 30 Under 30 list offers remarkable insights into some of the nation’s most innovative and influential people.

The Forbes Australia 30 Under 30 list is presented by Pinterest, with supporting partners Food Recycle (social impact category), Motorola (technology) and Spaceship (finance and VC).

Forbes Australia Editor-in-Chief, Sarah O’Carroll, said: “Our 30 Under 30 list is one that is right for our times because today, in many fields, being young is an advantage. In the past, building something remarkable required a lot of experience, resources and mentorship. But over the past two decades, digital natives – those born with technology in hand – have a natural advantage in disrupting industries.

“The inaugural Australian list covers eight categories – from technology and sport to Hollywood and social impact – and 30 of the brightest minds and stars under 30. What these individuals share is unrelenting ambition and an undeniable drive to leave their mark. People are always intrigued by what’s next and who’s leading the charge. The Forbes Australia 30 Under 30 list is the embodiment of that.

“Since its inception 13 years ago, the Forbes 30 Under 30 lists have become the definitive list of young leaders changing the world and championed over 10,000 disruptors from more than 50 countries. Forbes Australia is proud to officially welcome more of our local talent into this global community of bold, innovative young leaders who are changing the course of business and society. A huge congratulations to everyone who made the list – you deserve it.”

The Forbes Australia list is based on online nominations and extensive research, including discussions with industry leaders. The final 30 were chosen by the Forbes Australia team and a panel of independent, expert judges* based on various factors, including (but not limited to) funding and revenue, social impact, scale, innovation and industry potential.

Forbes Australia 30 Under 30 list Editor, Anastasia Santoreneos, said: “Against a backdrop of rising start-up funding, growing capabilities in AI and increasing interest in space tech, Australia’s young entrepreneurs are making strides in the region. Sustainable growth and international expansion are high on the agenda for our tech entrepreneurs, and a global mindset is key.

“Then there are our women sporting legends who took on the Olympics – and smashed it. Our media and entertainment finalists have been busy diversifying their revenue streams and content strategies to move off-platform, while the music and arts category is also bursting with young talent.

“Our finalists have banked more than $100 million in funding, received 14 gold medals, have a social media reach of more than 120 million, four Grammy nominations, one Golden Globes win, nine Billboard Music nominations and five wins. More than 700 jobs had been created by the businesses of our listees. And their average age is just 24. This is just the beginning!” she said.

Melinda Petrunoff, Managing Director, Pinterest ANZ, said: “Pinterest is proud to be presenting partner for the inaugural Forbes Australia 30 Under 30 list. The list contains the brightest individuals across a range of categories and achievements, and we are thrilled to be celebrating their success. Pinterest is a positive place online where our users come to get inspired, to plan and to take action in the real world. The list exemplifies inspirational people who have taken positive action and we look forward to following their careers.”

THE FORBES AUSTRALIA 30 UNDER 30 LIST:

Abhishek Maran, Rampersand (finance and VC)

Andrew Pankevicius, Lucas Sargant, Alexander Valente, Redactive AI (technology)

Annie Liao, Build Club (finance and VC)

Ariarne Titmus (sport)

Awer Mabil, Barefoot to Boots (social impact)
Chanel Contos, Teach Us Consent (social impact)

Christopher Durre, Max Mito, Kieran Start, StrongRoom AI (technology)

Davie Fogarty, The Oodie (retail and e-commerce)

Dylan Coyne, Updoc (science and healthcare)

Grace Brown, Andromeda Robotics (science and healthcare)

Hamish McKay, Order Editing (retail and e-commerce)

Hannah Ferguson, Cheek Media (media and entertainment)

Jacob Elordi (music and the arts)

Jessica Arthur, Lauren Rugolo, Emma Spiliopoulos, Lash Therapy (retail and e-commerce)

Jessica Fox (sport)

Mason Yates, Blackbird VC (finance and VC)

Mary Fowler (sport)

Matthew Crott, Matthew Boustred, ResusRight (science and healthcare)

Matt Gordon, Jesse Waller, Inner Steps (social impact)

Natasha Etschmann, Tash Invests (media and entertainment)

Oscar Piastri (sport)

Sam Crowther, Kasada (technology)

Shoaib Iqbal, Przemyslaw Lorenczak, Esper Satellite Imagery (technology)

Stephanie Claire Smith, Kic (technology)

Tammy Hembrow, Saski/TammyFit (retail and e-commerce)

The Kid LAROI (music and the arts)

Tkay Maidza (music and the arts)

Troye Sivan (music and the arts)

Zara McDonald, Michelle Andrews, Shameless Media (media and entertainment)
Zara Seidler, Sam Koslowski, The Daily Aus (media and entertainment)

* The judging panel included Robbie and James Ferguson (Immutable co-founders), Luli Adeyemo (Best Case Scenario), Vidit Argawal (The High Flyers Podcast), Jessy Wu (Encour), Craig Blair (Airtree), Kelly Ryan (ex-Netball Australia CEO), Jeff Browne (Collingwood president), Sarah Michael (ex-Pedestrian), Kim Randle (FairSupply), Sarah Liu (TDC Global), Renee Schembri (RSPM Creative), Dimitry Tran (Harrison.ai), Guy Hudson (Loam Bio) and Sophia Hamblin-Wang (MCi Carbon).

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