It’s an honor many young entrepreneurs dream of — being recognized as one of the most successful people in their field through Forbes’ annual 30 Under 30 list.
This month, 600 leaders made the cut across 20 different industries for which Forbes recognizes the best young people. The lists feature nine people in Georgia and at least two metro Atlanta native across categories like finance, transportation and mobility, and food and drink. Atlanta was one of the top 10 cities where people on the list resided.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution spoke with five of the Georgia honorees on their career journeys so far and what being on the list means for them. Here are some of the young Georgia entrepreneurs honored this year.
Nikki Seaman, 29, founder and CEO of Atlanta-based Freestyle Snacks
Seaman’s journey from entrepreneur to a Forbes honoree started in a quintessential Atlanta locale — Piedmont Park.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when grocery stores shuttered their olive and cheese bars, Seaman was less than enthused by the olive offerings on shelves. She then had an idea to create a new olive brand that would put the tasty snack in convenient, liquid-free packaging and bring exciting flavors like what she used to find in olive bars.
Her first customer research was done in Piedmont Park, where she gave olive samples to people who walked past her table in a blind taste test of her products against some market leaders.
“That day was a pivotal turning point because it really gave me that confirmation, like, yes, these are better quality olives than what’s out there,” Seaman said.
She launched the brand, Freestyle Snacks, in early 2022 and now her products are in about 3,000 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods, organic retailer Erewhon and 7-Eleven.
So far, Seaman has largely funded the company herself, with some investment from friends, family and pitch competitions. But after being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, Seaman has gotten some interest from venture capital firms. She has also started to network with other honorees and gotten great feedback from her retail partners.
“I’m excited to see what other opportunities it’ll unlock,” she said.
Safir Monroe, 28, founder and CEO of Atlanta-based UnDelay
Monroe was just 22 when he started his airport software company, UnDelay. Before launching out on his own, he worked as a software engineer for Delta Air Lines and saw firsthand how antiquated many of the software systems that airports rely on are.
“I’m like, ‘hey, you know, why is everything broken or very slow?’” Monroe asked himself.
In 2018, he founded UnDelay to help airports streamline operations with external taxi services. For the past six years, Monroe has been head down working to building the company. His software is now used by four airports in Dallas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Asheville, North Carolina; and Columbia, South Carolina.
But being on the Forbes list has made him feel like he’s reaching another level of success.
“I felt like Mark Zuckerberg,” Monroe laughed.
It has also given him a chance to look up and see others noticing his work.
“Entrepreneurs sometimes have tunnel vision to where all you’re thinking about is growing the company … but you never think about what people think outside of the industry,” he said. “But now it’s kind of like the world is knowing.”
Benjamin Youngstrom and Preston LaVangie, both 26, co-founders of Sandy Springs-based Fyve By
Youngstrom and LaVangie’s entrepreneurial journey started in Statesboro, where the two met through Georgia Southern University. Youngstrom had been fascinated with airplanes since he was a kid and LaVangie grew up fixing and building things like lawn mowers and car engines.
Youngstrom had sought to help airports with a phenomenon known as “hangar rash,” when a plane is damaged from being moved on the ground, and when he met LaVangie, he realized he was the right person to help him make it a reality.
They launched Fyve By in 2022 and have developed a technology called Sky View, which helps people move aircraft around hangars without bumping into myriad obstacles through a top-down, 360-degree camera view fed by a collection of sensors and 3D scanning. They currently have five active testers that range from private flight departments to mechanic shops across the country.
The two are working hard now to roll out the product to customers on their waitlist, barely even taking time to celebrate being on the 30 Under 30 list.
“Ben’s dad actually came by with some Champagne to the office and we all celebrated for a whopping about 15 minutes,” LaVangie said.
But it is a helpful signpost that they are building something important, Youngstrom said.
“It’s just another little motivating factor to say, ‘All right, we’re going in the right direction. Let’s keep building,’” he said.
Sarah Hamer, 27, co-founder and COO of RetailReady
This has been a whirlwind year for Hamer, a metro Atlanta native and Georgia Tech alumnus who is now in San Francisco. In January, she co-founded her startup and went through the prestigious California-based accelerator, Y Combinator. RetailReady, a supply chain software that helps brands that ship to retailers like Amazon and Walmart make sure their goods are packed according to the retailer’s specifications, has gone from just an idea to now being on the market with paying customers.
Being on the Forbes list is an endcap to a big 2024 for Hamer that will help as she continues to grow her company in the new year.
“I think it definitely helps get our name out there,” Hamer said, which could help generate leads. “But also, I think as we hire … really, any publicity helps get the name out there, and definitely helps with hiring.”
Georgia honorees on the 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 list
David Fershteyn, 29, CEO and co-founder of Atlanta-based alternative investment firm Altera
Sarah Hamer, 27, co-founder and COO of RetailReady
Preston LaVangie, 26, co-founder of Sandy Springs-based Fyve By
Safir Monroe, 28, founder and CEO of Atlanta-based UnDelay
O.O. Sangoyomi, 23, Atlanta-based author
Nikki Seaman, 29, founder and CEO of Atlanta-based Freestyle Snacks
Simi Shah, 27, founder of South Asian Trailblazers
Lawson Sumner, 26, co-founder of Gainesville-based Ampere EV
Zijie Jay Wang, 27, Georgia Tech Ph.D. candidate
Clara Wasserman, 20, Emory University student and co-founder of LOG OFF Movement
Benjamin Youngstrom, 26, co-founder of Sandy Springs-based Fyve By
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