Forbes Under 30

Molly Hayward, co-founder of Cora, set out to make safe period products for women by using organic and ethically-sourced ingredients -- with an eye for design too. Hear how Hayward took those first baby business steps, what it meant to find a co-founder and why having a social enterprise focus is critical to the Cora brand.

In 2013, Florence Adepoju was whipping up lipsticks, one at a time by hand, in her parents’ garden shed while studying cosmetic science at London College of Fashion. Now, her vibrant and unusual colors, inspired by hip-hop culture, are sold online and at retailers. Hear how Adepoju, founder and CEO of MDMflow, went from curious, to scientist to businesswoman – all by the age of 22.

Meet Marah Lidey and Naomi Hirabayashi, cofounders of Shine, an app that sends you a daily thought crafted to lift you up, like what you might expect from your friends that care about you the most.

Jake Rosenberg, co-founder and creative director of Coveteur, wants you to consider the online magazine your style-ly friend that has all the insider knowledge of what to wear, where to go and creative people to inspire you. Hear how Coveteur grew from its humble Toronto-living room roots to leveraging the then nascent social network to work with giant brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton.

Beatrice Fischel-Bock and her two initial co-founders simultaneously went to college full time, worked part time and on the weekends built their business. It took three iterations to land on its final incarnation – Hutch – an app and online platform that combines 3-D technology and shopping to help consumers design their home. Hear Fischel-Bock talk about tackling conflict, dealing with failure and what it’s been like to present to VCs and run a very social company, despite being an introvert.

Kyle Taylor started blogging when he was penniless to chronicle how he was making ends meet while paying off his $50K dollars of student debt. His blog, The Penny Hoarder, launched in 2010, caught fire and is reported to have made $20.5 million in 2016. Hear Taylor talk about his critical financial lessons learned from his single mom of four, relatable tips on how he pulled himself out of his debilitating debt and his favorite way of earning extra cash. (Like beer? You’ll love this income stream.)

Cannabusiness is booming and LeafLink is at the forefront by connecting pot shops and brands. Hear from Ryan Smith, co-founder and CEO, talk about the origins of starting a business in an industry he knew little about, the fast growth the company is experiencing -- and what the most popular product is in mature marijuana-legal states (like Colorado and Washington).

Farmer’s Dog delivers prepared and portioned food for your four-legged friend, to your door. The subscription-based program offers a menu that includes a protein, veggies, starches and nutrients so pooch gets balanced meals that master can envy. Hear co-founders, Jonathan Regev and Brett Podolsky talk about their business model, their missteps and the incredible success of their gourmet doggie food delivery service.

Some might say Peter Boyce II (and team) is the rich uncle a college kid wishes they had – the one that will put resources and capital behind a young entrepreneur’s brilliant business idea. During his last year at Harvard, Boyce started Rough Ventures to support student founders. Hear how the firm, which is run by students and backed by General Catalyst, chooses what ideas to support.

Moira Forbes, Executive Vice President of Forbes Media, moderates a panel including John Sculley, the former Apple CEO who worked with a 20-something Steve Jobs to launch the Mac computer. Also joining the discussion are two young and incredibly successful entrepreneurs, Carl Pei, co-founder and head of global at OnePlus and Ryan Williams, founder and CEO of Cadre, offering up business lessons learned and inspiration.

Eben Bayer says growing up on a farm taught him a whole lot about mechanical engineering, the career he has ultimately grown into. In college, Bayer stumbled upon a kind of glue that comes of mixing mycelium (mushroom roots) and agricultural waste. Bayer's company, Ecovative, hopes to use that mushroom material to replace plastics used for packaging and all sorts of other stuff.

Nicolas Bijan, son of late, iconic fashion designer Bijan Pakzad, took over his father’s business in 2011. Now, the weight of carrying on his father’s legacy of exclusive, luxurious suits for men is on his shoulders. A few of the powerful who have worn House of Bijan threads are five U.S. presidents, Prince William, Richard Branson and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Hear how Bijan balances the delicate task of respecting the past (only one customer at a time and by appointment only), while simultaneously recognizing the current climate of fast-fashion and the new normal -- online shopping.

Yearning for a bag of chips but can’t get off the couch to pick it up yourself? The desperate plight of snackers with a lack of motivation and a yearning for munchies inspired Yakir Gola and his best pal Rafael Ilishayev to develop and launch their online convenience store and app, goPuff. Hear Yakir Gola talk about building his delivery business, cornering the coveted college market and fakin’ it until makin’ it.

Unbridled enthusiasm to solve intractable problems is what drives Teju Ravilochan, the CEO and cofounder of Uncharted (formerly The Unreasonable Institute).Ravilochan and team are staring down issues like access to nourishing food, education, healthcare and affordable housing by providing issue-specific boot camps that bring together entrepreneurs, mentors, funders and corporations to develop doable plans to drive solutions.

When young students return to school in the fall, they might have lost around three months of math and reading learning that teachers have to spend valuable time reteaching. Karim Abouelnaga is a product of the public school shortfalls and triumphs as he struggled his way through his early education. With the support of key mentors, non-profits and his own persistence, he graduated from Cornell. His time there was transformative, and he wanted to give back to young students like himself to help them thrive in the world. So, he started Practice Makes Perfect, a summer school reframed so that kids want to go to it. He's taking on one public school system at a time starting with the behemoth that is New York.

Deeply concerned by the high percentages of college students who go hungry, Rachel Sumekh, CEO and founder of Swipe Out Hunger, set out to solve the problem with her non-profit which allows students to donate their unused meal points to students in need. Hear Sumekh reveal the entrepreneurial tips that accelerated her organization all the way to national recognition from President Obama. And -- she shares what the President said that can inspire us all.

Like so many immigrants, Peche Di left her native country for the U.S. to create a better life. In America since a teenager, the Thai beauty queen now owns and runs a modeling agency representing trans models, Trans Models NYC, and cofounded a trans dating app, Teadate, all to give the trans community opportunities to thrive in love and life.

James Shani was a college kid with a dream when he spontaneously sent a branded Tesla video to Elon Musk. The last thing he expected was for the visionary to call. On this episode of the "Forbes Under 30" podcast hear Shani talk about the call that changed it all, how he's built up his digital studio and some intense and personal struggles along the way.

Two Yale graduates threw their combined education of math and chemistry into making healthy, just-add-water pancake mixes with their company, Birch Benders. Currently, their paleo mix is the #1 natural pancake best-seller in the United States. Hear how the now-married couple, gripped onto their idea and built their business without knowing anything about food, the piece of advice that rocketed their sales and disasters in the kitchen along the way.

In 2012, Annie Lawless co-founded the phenomenally successful Suja Juice. Since then, she's been building up her blog, BLAWNDE and just two days ago launched her new beauty product line, Lawless. Hear from the entrepreneur how she got Suja off the ground, the business lessons she's applying to Lawless and her expert thoughts on leveraging social.