Seven Filipinos were named among the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2023, a list that features 300 of the most promising young entrepreneurs, leaders, and trailblazers from across Asia.
Forbes Magazine said this year’s listees were able to transform various sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, and marketing by deploying artificial intelligence to streamline tasks, tackle financial literacy inclusion, and revamp craftsmanship-based and adaptive fashion.
“These outstanding young individuals are driven by their determination and desire for positive change,” Forbes Magazine said.
The Filipinos who made this year’s list include Aaron Villegas, the chief executive of Lista, a finance tracker app that helps individuals and small businesses in the Philippines manage their finances.
Founded in 2021, Lista claims to have over 1.6 million downloads. It also raised $5.8 million from various venture capital companies.
Expedock co-founders Rui Aguilan, King Alandy Dy, Jeff Tan, Jig Young were also honored in this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia.
Expedock is a fast-growing logistics tech company that uses artificial intelligence to automate key accounting workflows from data entry, auditing, and other financial reports.
Isabel Sicat, co-founder of Qoqa also made it to the list. Toqa “turns deadstock fabrics into sustainable high fashion, including sheer slip dresses, high-cut swimwear and tropical prints”. Her clothes are made to order and shipped worldwide from the Philippines.
Another Filipino David Marquez, who co-founded Shipmates, made it to the list as his courier platform company has been helping improve the shipping process for online small and medium enterprises in the Philippines.
Shipmates started operations during the pandemic to address the increased demand for e-commerce and courier services.
This year’s honorees were selected from 4,000 names submitted to Forbes Asia. Aside from start-up founders, this year’s list also included K-Pop star, artists, athletes, and scientist whose exceptional talents and skills are acknowledged at home and overseas.