Every year, American business magazine Forbes names “the brightest young entrepreneurs, innovators, and game changers” under the age of 30 to its series of prestigious regional lists. Hundreds of coveted spots in industry categories ranging from Entertainment to Science are awarded from thousands of applications. Each submission is thoroughly vetted by expert panels of judges against criteria like “leadership and disruption in their field; entrepreneurial mindset and results; and the likelihood of changing their field over the next half-century.” Some lists have an acceptance rate of only 4%, which Forbes would like to have you know is less than that for getting into Harvard or Yale. It is therefore with great pride that we introduce you to our 10 Impact Hub entrepreneurs in the 2017 class of Forbes 30 Under 30 (U.S.) and Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe.

Social Entrepreneurs: Europe

Photo credit: Impact Hub Madrid

PABLO SANCHEZ SANTAEUFEMIA, 27 – IMPACT HUB MADRID
Pablo is the cofounder and CEO of Bridge For Billions, an online incubator for early-stage ventures born from his desire to “democratize access to entrepreneurial resources.” Graduates of Bridge For Billions have all “successfully continued their businesses,” some have been accepted into post-incubation programs, and one even went on to make a Forbes 30 Under 30 list of his own.

Pablo was initially incubated in the Impact Hub Scaling program at Impact Hub Madrid, where he is currently a member. Impact Hub Madrid knew he was special from the start. Although Pablo did not fulfill the requirements to participate in the program, Impact Hub Madrid Scaling Manager Almudena de la Mata explains why they decided to accept him anyway: “We assessed that he could be very successful and that he deserved our support, and it has proven to be right.” Watch Pablo tell his Impact Hub story here.

Photo credit: Impact Hub Stockholm

ANTON HÅKANSON, 26 – IMPACT HUB STOCKHOLM
Anton was temporarily diagnosed as being within the autistic spectrum at a young age. The experience left him with an understanding of how daunting daily tasks can be for children with the developmental condition. Inspired by his childhood love for Spiderman, he went on to found DayCape as a way to “transform autism into a superpower.” The interactive digital image calendar is an enjoyable way to help autistic children “plan their day and enables them to look forward to the activities scheduled.”

“Anton has been supported by Impact Hub Stockholm since the very beginning,” Community Manager Cathy Xiao Chen shares. He participated in both the Powered by Impact Hub and Impact Hub Scaling programs and has been a member since 2014.

FATIMA ALMUKHTAR, 25; DOMINIK BERON, 25;  JACOB WAGNER, 25 – IMPACT HUB VIENNA
This trio of entrepreneurs launched Refugeeswork.at with a mission to “break down negative stereotypes toward refugees and make their potential accessible to the labor market.” The online job platform provides support for both sides of the refugee hiring process. Refugees can access free interview preparation, legal information, and job postings while employers can list vacancies, search talent as well as find “information on bureaucracy, public subsidies, and concepts that support the organisational integration of refugees.”

The cofounders took part in Impact Hub Vienna’s 2016 Social Impact Award accelerator program, where Refugeeswork.at was named one of Austria’s winning ventures. Watch their finalist video here.

Photo credit: Impact Hub Birmingham

ANISA HAGHDADI, 26 – IMPACT HUB BIRMINGHAM
Anisa is the founder and CEO of Beatfreeks. Her award-winning youth engagement agency “build[s] incredible projects, events and campaigns that help young people put their skills into practice whilst helping brands and organisations develop their relationships with young audiences.” Poetry, dance, music, and digital media meet social action, leadership, and enterprise in what can only be described as “art activism,” a creative way to equip youth with the skills, confidence, and networks necessary for success.

Impact Hub Birmingham is proud to call Anisa one of their founding members. “She has been here since before we even opened and has helped the whole journey,” explains Cofounder Immy Kaur. Watch an interview with Anisa on what Impact Hub means to her here. 

Social Entrepreneurs: U.S.A.

BRIT GILMORE, 29 – IMPACT HUB LOS ANGELES
Brit is a member of Impact Hub Los Angeles and president of The Giving Keys, a “pay it forward” company that employs people transitioning out of homelessness. The social impact fashion brand repurposes keys into handmade jewelry engraved with inspirational words. Customers are encouraged to “choose, wear, and embrace” their word of choice before passing it onto someone who “needs the message more.” To date, The Giving Keys has provided more than 70 jobs for those on the path to permanent housing.

RACHEL SUMEKH, 25 – IMPACT HUB LOS ANGELES
Swipe Out Hunger is a nonprofit working to “end hunger by activating college students to donate unused meal points to feed their peers and community members in need.” Since serving as CEO, Founder Rachel has “more than tripled the organization’s impact and doubled its fundraising.” In 2012, Swipe Out Hunger was invited to the White House by former President Barack Obama and named a “Champion of Change.” Last year, the movement handed out its 1,346,267th meal.

Rachel is a longtime member of Impact Hub Los Angeles. Watch a video of her speaking about how she got started with Swipe Out Hunger and Impact Hub, back before both organizations changed their names.  

Manufacturing & Industry: U.S.A.

Param Shah – Photo credit: Kevon Paynter

ALEX MATHEWS, 22; PARAM SHAH, 21 – IMPACT HUB BALTIMORE
The two youngest entrepreneurs on our list are cofounders of Fusiform, a medical technology startup that is revolutionizing the outdated supply chain for artificial limbs (prosthetics) and externally-worn corrective braces (orthotics) through 3D scanning and digital design. Their goal is to provide patients with affordable and “beautiful, custom orthopedic device[s] while they are still in the waiting room, not a month later.” 

Alex and Param were also recognized by Forbes as “Dorm Room Founders,” as they met and began developing the Fusiform platform while attending Johns Hopkins University. Both are members of Impact Hub Baltimore, where they are currently outgrowing their office due to Fusiform’s rapid success.

If you know of an Impact Hub entrepreneur missing from our list, please email communications [at] impacthub [dot] net and we will be happy to update the post accordingly.

Do you dream of seeing your name in the next edition of Forbes 30 Under 30? Now is the time to make great change!

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