Honorees on the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Media list are building businesses that transcend the internet itself—touching food, finance, politics, gaming, Web3 and beyond.
By Alexandra S. Levine
Influence today is about so much more than a person’s following.
The biggest standouts in the social media space are creators who’ve become founders and founders who’ve become creators. They’re individuals who stand for something larger than millions of followers that translate to millions of dollars—be it a brand, political or social cause, or something else transforming our world for the better. They’re entrepreneurs who’ve convinced prominent partners or backers to believe in them and their ability to use their clout online to make a difference offline.
Photo by Tim Tadder for FOrbes
This year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 in Social Media list—highlighting the people, forces and companies shaping the creator economy—was created with the help of nominations from the public. To be considered, all candidates had to be under the age of 30 as of December 31, 2022, and never before named to a 30 Under 30 list. They were evaluated by a panel of judges featuring Under 30 alum Kris Collins, known to her 47 million TikTok followers as KallMeKris; Akash Nigam, founder and CEO of Genies, the company behind avatars used on iMessage; God-is Rivera, former global director of culture and community at Twitter; and Jerry Lu, principal of consumer venture capital firm Maveron.
Among the incredible finalists you’ll find artist Zachary Hsieh, 23, known to his 50 million followers as ZHC, who uses social media to spotlight his art-related philanthropic projects—like painting school and hospital wings or homes for the unhoused in Los Angeles. There’s also creator Victor Fontanez, 23, who turned to social media to become a motivational speaker after losing his barber job during the pandemic. “VicBlends” has since amassed an audience of more than 18 million and is developing barber schools for California prisons—giving inmates a shot at becoming skilled workers while behind bars.
Then there’s curve model Remi Bader, 27, and Bloom Nutrition cofounder Mari Llewellyn, 28, who are changing the conversation around women’s bodies and beauty standards.
You should know about Gen-Z for Change founder Aidan Kohn-Murphy, 18, who’s become a TikTok star while building this youth-focused political organization, and activist Amelie Zilber, 20, an influencer with 10 million followers. Both are focused on progressive causes from climate change to voting rights, and their voices have reached the highest levels of American government: Kohn-Murphy’s group has partnered with the Biden White House and met with the president himself, while Zilber partnered with the Biden-Harris campaign during the 2020 election and has since interviewed Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg about infrastructure.
Meet Molly White, 29, the brains behind @web3isgreat, whose expertise and criticism of the crypto craze have helped shape the U.S. government’s approach to fintech policy. Fellow creator Vivian Tu, 28, is also demystifying finance through @YourRichBFF, an account the former JP Morgan trader uses to educate women, people of color and marginalized communities on all things money.
There’s Mythical’s Neel Yalamarthy, 29, Patreon’s Diona DaCosta, 28, and Influur’s Alessandra Angelini, Valeria Angelini and Paula Coleman, all 27—who are working to open doors for creators or help them spin their talents into sustainable careers that can outlast internet stardom.
And take Adim cofounders Spencer Marell and Chase Rosenblatt, both 22, whose Web3 startup—backed by Andreessen Horowitz—is aimed at giving creators greater ownership over the shows, movies and characters they develop for the entertainment industry.
What makes this year’s Social Media list so unique is that it touches nearly every other category in Forbes 30 Under 30—from entertainment (comedians Elsa Majimbo, 21, and Julian Shapiro-Barnum, 23) to media (Offbeat’s Shep Ogden, 27, Bailey Grady, 25, and Christopher Travers, 29) to gaming (host Sydnee Goodman, 28) and beyond.
This year’s list was edited by Alexandra S. Levine and Richard Nieva. For a link to our complete 30 Under 30 Social Media list, click here, and for full 30 Under 30 coverage, click here.
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