LOOK: Pinoys who made it to this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list

Eight Filipinos are part of Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list this year.

According to Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia editor Rana Wehbe Watson, those who made it to the list “have managed to survive, succeed, and inspire others in the midst of business, social, and personal challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic—a testament to their determination, fearlessness, and hard work.”

Guendoline Rome Viray Gomez

Also known as “No Rome,” Guendoline Rome Viray Gomez became the first Filipino musician to rock the Coachella stage in 2019 alongside pop rock band The 1975. “Gomez’ Coachella debut came on the back of his hit single ‘Narcissist,’ featuring The 1975, which racked up more than 12 million YouTube views in the past two years,” as per Forbes Asia. 

Rexy Josh Dorado

Rexy Josh Dorado is the co-founder of Kumu—a top livestreaming app in the Philippines, which was established three years ago. Since then, over six million people have signed up to the platform to interact with other users and play various games. 

Angela Chen and Aurelien Chu 

Angela Chen and Aurelien Chu founded Eskwelabs in 2019, which offers online learning in line with data science and analytics. It’s particularly aimed at those who belong to vulnerable communities, including stay-at-home moms and young people without university degrees. The edtech startup has thus far “taught more than 3,000 people, about 90% of whom found better-paying work within 90 days of completing its course.”

Ryan Gersava 

After getting rejected from a job due to hepatitis B infection, Ryan Gerseva founded Virtualahan aimed at eliminating barriers to employment for the stigmatized. Through the nonprofit startup, the 2020 Cisco Youth Leadership Award finalist has helped over 600 people score digital-related jobs like digital design, social media marketing, and video editing since its 2015 launch. 

Carmina Bayombong

InvestED cofounder Carmina Bayombong has been helping provide educational loans to students since 2016. Prior to making it to Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, she was recognized for her incredible work at The Philippines Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service, Cartier Women’s Initiative Laureate for Southeast Asia, and Dubai World Expo’s Top 120 Global Innovators, among others.

Edward Christopher Dee 

Edward Christopher Dee, who is set to graduate from Harvard Medical School this year, worked for the COVID-19 task force in the Philippines in 2020. At present, he’s learning different ways of providing better care to the marginalized and disadvantaged from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. 

Gab Mejia 

Youth Engaged in Wetlands cofounder Gab Mejia captures the beauty of the wild. His works have been published in renowned publications like National Geographic, United Nations Development Programme, and World Wide Fund for Nature. 

After careful deliberation, the individuals in 30 Under 30 List were selected by a panel of renowned judges based on “their demonstration of leadership, how they embody the entrepreneurial spirit that is synonymous with Forbes, and their potential of success in their industry,” according to a press release. “Other factors like innovation, disruption—and size and growth of their ventures in some categories—play a role in making the final decision.”