A big part of Austin's success as a tech startup hub is the near constant flow of new talent and entrepreneurial ideas emerging from its high schools and universities.
Every year, these young innovators launch new businesses and lend their talents to other companies through internships and full-time gigs. They're also one of the primary reasons that tech companies large and small uproot their headquarters and move to Austin.
With that in mind, Austin Inno, along with Inno publications across the country, puts together a list each year of some of the most exciting entrepreneurs age 25 and under. We select these promising founders and inventors from nominations submitted by friends, family, co-workers and university programs, as well as our own reporting out in the field.
This year's list contains ambitious founders working on everything from AI to mountain bike trails. Please join us in celebrating this year's Inno Under 25 honorees!
Ramya Nambala, 19, CEO of Athena EdTech
What does your company do?
Athena EdTech is building personalized AI tutors for middle and high school students.
Where do you hope your entrepreneurial journey will take you in the years ahead?
I will be pursuing entrepreneurship full-time in the years ahead, working on tech startups and experimenting with different industries and products. My mission is to live life my own way and positively impact billions of people in the coming decades.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment to date?
I don’t consider myself as having accomplished anything or striving to accomplish anything. In a sense, my truest accomplishment is staying true to myself and my values.
Who are one or two of the innovators or founders you admire most?
Though controversial picks, I admire the innovative spirits of Elon Musk and Steve Jobs. Elon Musk, our political differences aside, never cared (in my perspective) about chasing status or clout; he cared about changing the world and being useful to future generations. Though he pursued visions with egregiously high failure rates, he bulldozed through countless failures and proved to countless naysayers that it was possible to pull off the impossible - several times over.
Steve Jobs, though I wish he was a kinder person to those he worked with, is someone who I admire because of his independent thinking; prior to founding Apple, Jobs took up Zen Buddhism and very much took alternate life paths. My favorite quote of his is the classic “Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.”
Luke Sheppard, 23, founder of Island Links VA
What does your company do?
We help U.S.-based businesses to hire premium talent in the Philippines. We take care of recruiting, taxes, benefits and payroll, so the business owner can focus on scaling. All of our employees have a four-year degree and two years of relevant experience.
What inspired you to get into entrepreneurship?
I've always wanted to make an impact on the world and leave a positive legacy. Entrepreneurship also allows for huge incredible personal growth at a young age.
Where do you hope your entrepreneurial journey will take you in the years ahead?
I hope to bring on bigger funding and have a high eight/nine figure exit.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment to date?
I think building Revive Ratings (my first business) to 20 employees within 18 months without a dime of funding as a college student. I learned to make the most of the resources we had.
Who are one or two of the innovators or founders you admire most?
I really admire Tim Ferriss and Ryan Smith (founder or Qualtrics).
Rich Fortune, 25, co-founder of Hangtight and venture partner at Wefunder
What does your company do?
Hangtight is an AI-powered social collaboration app for friends, clubs, organizations, and sports leagues. Our platform addresses the limitations of existing tools, providing integrated messaging, event coordination, and payment splitting features, all organized within customizable circles. This empowers users to streamline their social interactions and ensures seamless communication, efficient event planning, and hassle-free expense management for friends, clubs, and organizations, ushering in a new era of social collaboration.
What inspired you to get into entrepreneurship?
Observing stagnant industries and recognizing the lack of opportunities for minority founders made me realize the potential for positive change and growth. It was the opportunity to bring fresh ideas and solutions to the table that motivated me to embark on this entrepreneurial journey. This drive to make a meaningful impact and promote diversity in entrepreneurship continues to fuel my passion for innovation today.
Where do you hope your entrepreneurial journey will take you in the years ahead?
My aspiration is to shape Hangtight into a company that revolutionizes the way people connect in the real world. I eagerly anticipate forging a community centered around our product, one that resonates deeply with our users. Furthermore, I am dedicated to assembling an exceptional team to collaborate alongside Armando and me, positioning the company for long-term success.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment to date?
Forbes 30 under 30 Austin Honoree
Who are one or two of the innovators or founders you admire most?
Clarence Avant and Nipsey Hussle.
Zoe Lalji, 22, founder of Valor
What does your company do?
Valor aims to empower individuals living with quadriplegia, like my father, by providing them with an inclusive virtual reality platform that opens doors to immersive, life-like experiences, bridging the gap between physical limitations and boundless possibilities.
What inspired you to get into entrepreneurship?
I was exposed to entrepreneurship from an early age since both of my parents were healthcare entrepreneurs — my mother started her own functional medicine practice and my father owned nine dental practices. Witnessing their dedication, innovative thinking and courage to challenge convention ignited my own entrepreneurial spirit.
Where do you hope your entrepreneurial journey will take you in the years ahead?
I hope to utilize my entrepreneurial journey as a means to develop solutions for individuals facing seemingly hopeless medical conditions. I view entrepreneurship as a powerful vehicle to approach these challenges with the belief that they can be overcome through the integration of innovative thinking and deep empathy.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment to date?
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of being invited to speak at the U.S. Department of Commerce for the Export Controls for Brain-Computer Interface Conference, which brought together representatives from both the private and public sectors.
Who are one or two of the innovators or founders you admire most?
One founder I truly admire is Kendra Scott. As a member of the Kendra Scott Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute at The University of Texas, I have been able to see firsthand her unwavering dedication to giving back and upholding her values in every entrepreneurial endeavor.
Jake Silver, 23, founder of InstateMe, innovation consultant at Deloitte
What does your company do?
InstateMe helps university students avoid college debt. Through our expert guidance and user-friendly technology, we unlock previously hidden tuition savings, ensuring a more financially sustainable path for students.
What inspired you to get into entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship wasn't a conscious choice for me; it was more of a natural path since I grew up surrounded by family members who owned and operated their own businesses. Witnessing their experiences, the flexibility to leave work early, and answering calls on weekends became the norm in my upbringing.
Where do you hope your entrepreneurial journey will take you in the years ahead?
Hopefully, I'll continue saving students thousands in the future! My passion for building businesses drives my desire to execute a backlog of ideas and invest in my peers' dreams. I'm committed to assisting others in stepping out of their comfort zones and turning their dreams into reality.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment to date?
Achieving that first victory of securing in-state tuition for a client after a year of dedicated work was not just a professional milestone but a deeply personal triumph. It validated the countless late nights and efforts poured into transforming a spontaneous idea into a practical solution that genuinely impacts the lives of students.
Who are one or two of the innovators or founders you admire most?
I draw inspiration from the everyday founders who bravely take risks to pursue their passions. Whether it's in the unique domain of their business or the entrepreneurial journey itself, the courage to swim against the current of societal norms and seize control of their destiny is truly awe-inspiring.
Tarun Thummala, 25, co-founder and CEO of PressW
What does your company do?
PressW is a bespoke AI & automation agency, focused on engineering unique AI solutions predominantly for mid-market entities aiming to elevate operational efficacy and propel profits. We intimately collaborate with clients from conceptualizing victorious AI strategies to diligent implementation via our adept technical brigade, be it crafting a custom LLM chatbot or a classic ML recommender system.
What inspired you to get into entrepreneurship?
After experiencing what it was like to work in larger corporations at internships during college, I realized that I loved the freedom that entrepreneurship brought me.
Where do you hope your entrepreneurial journey will take you in the years ahead?
I want to continue to ride on the edge of this technological wave of AI. I can't imagine a more exciting time to be building, it literally feels like we have magic at our fingertips. I think there's an opportunity here to build a business that is completely augmented through AI and redefine what a model company in our category looks like.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment to date?
The thing I'm most proud of is that I got to build my first AI company, Gathr, which was acquired earlier this year, and this current one, PressW, alongside two of the most intelligent and hardworking people I know, Bryson and Liam.
Who are one or two of the innovators or founders you admire most?
I'd say Jeff Bezos has to be one - it's hard to comprehend how he executed at such a high level and created the behemoth that is responsible for over 35% of all e-commerce in the US. Mind boggling.
Rhett Jones, 18, founder of Station Mountain Bike Park
What does your company do?
Station Mountain Bike Park is Texas' best downhill mountain bike park. We are building 20 trails with jumps, drops and wooden features on 129 acres of property and have about 13 trails done so far. Just like how skiers from Denver drive out to Vail and pay to use the chairlift, mountain bikers from all over Texas drive out here for day trips or weekend trips and pay $50 to use the shuttle trucks to get repetitive downhill laps.
What inspired you to get into entrepreneurship?
I go to a high school with 30 students where we only do schoolwork for three hours a day to free up time for ambitious projects. After learning from my mentors in my school and seeing a lot of motivating videos online, I decided to embark on the crazy adventure of raising $350,000 and acquiring a property to build my dream park.
Where do you hope your entrepreneurial journey will take you in the years ahead?
I want to build the world's best bike park at a proper ski resort after this.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment to date?
I'd either say securing an equity-based real estate deal on a $3.24 million property or successfully hiring and managing 10 contractors and a full construction project management plan.
Who are one or two of the innovators or founders you admire most?
I really admire Eric Zhu because he is two years younger than me with a business that is way bigger. The fact that he made a successful business as a high schooler has motivated me a ton since the beginning.
Alyssa Le, 21, founder of Locket, projects director at the Texas Product Engineering Organization and senior fellow at the Social Entrepreneurship Learning Lab at UT
What does your company do?
Locket is revolutionizing youth health education with a mobile platform offering reliable, engaging content on menstrual and sexual health. We address the gap left by schools and parents, fostering a judgment-free space for teens and young adults to explore easy-to-understand, clinician-approved information.
What inspired you to get into entrepreneurship?
In all four years of my high school career, I participated in the Junior Achievement Company Program, where a group of students start and liquidate a company every year. This was where I was first to entrepreneurship and business in general, igniting an interest I furthered when I came to UT Austin.
Where do you hope your entrepreneurial journey will take you in the years ahead?
I am excited to continue developing Locket, and I hope in the years ahead I can see the tangible impacts of our work on real teens and young adults who use the platform!
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment to date?
I would consider one of my biggest accomplishments to date pitching in the Kendra Scott's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute's Women's Summit 2023.
Who are one or two of the innovators or founders you admire most?
Honestly, all of the student founders around me at UT Austin come to mind first. If I had to choose a single founder, Kendra Scott is someone that I truly admire for not only the amazing jewelry empire she built that once started from selling to boutiques door-to-door, but the work she has done to pass the torch and empower female entrepreneurs on and off UT's campus.
Siddharth Thakur, 19, founder and CEO of Paradigm Robotics and co-founder and CTO of Gazelle Ecosolutions
What does your company do?
Paradigm Robotics is developing the most advanced, reliable and safe robotics to mitigate risks and solve problems for firefighters and civil workers in dangerous environments. Our flagship product, FireBot, is the world’s first high-temperature resistant unmanned search-and-rescue robot designed to efficiently search burning buildings for human life and identify hazardous situations, safely providing firefighters mission-critical information.
What inspired you to get into entrepreneurship?
I have always been at heart a humanitarian. With my engineering and technical background, I am passionate about bridging the two worlds together, and creating innovative solutions to tackle humanity's most difficult challenges. Entrepreneurship was the next logical step in order to bring my innovations to life in the real world.
Where do you hope your entrepreneurial journey will take you in the years ahead?
I hope my entrepreneurial journey will open the doors for opportunities for me to explore extraordinary places, and help meet and collaborate with extraordinary people, who share my passion for creating solutions to solve our planet's most pressing issues.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment to date?
I don't believe in accomplishments. I am a big believer in the journey at which we take to achieve our goals. While some may say that being named the 2022 Austin Entrepreneur of the Year by the Greater Austin Business Awards was a huge accomplishment, the real accomplishment was the hard work and dedication of the Paradigm Robotics team that has helped us progress and move our product into the hands of hard-working firefighters.
Who are one or two of the innovators or founders you admire most?
Ole Kirk Christansen and James Dyson are some of the innovators I admire, due to their passion for integrity and robustness, quality and long-term sustainability and cutting-edge innovation.
Anh Lan Pham, 25, founder and CEO of Interactive Digital Marketing and on the board of Austin nonprofit Vietnamese American Community of Austin Texas
What does your company do?
Interactive Digital Marketing is a digital agency that specializes in leveraging innovative tech, augmented reality and creative storytelling to deliver immersive marketing experiences. IDM has worked with a diverse range of clients, from startups to established global brands, helping them harness the power of augmented reality, interactive campaigns and multimedia strategies.
What inspired you to get into entrepreneurship?
It was sparked by a unique blend of early work experience and a passion for technology and commerce. I started my entrepreneurial journey at the age of 19 where I had already acquired valuable insights through my work experiences that began at the age of 14. This background laid the foundation for my initial business, Sunny Side Sales, which was an e-commerce business that specializes in the sale of vintage luxury goods both domestically and internationally.
Where do you hope your entrepreneurial journey will take you in the years ahead?
I envision Interactive Digital Marketing pushing the boundaries of innovation in digital marketing. My aspirations include establishing IDM as a thought leader and go-to agency within the industry. I hope to develop groundbreaking approaches that redefine how businesses engage with their target audiences.
What do you consider your biggest accomplishment to date?
My most recent achievement is being in the Top 1% of TikTok Effect House Creators for my augmented reality filters, which have amassed over 18 million views so far. Also as a leader in the Vietnamese community, I've established cultural, sustainability, and yoga programs, and successfully raised over $50,000 for the Vietnamese Community of Austin.
Who are one or two of the innovators or founders you admire most?
I deeply admire Sahra Nguyen, who is the founder of Nguyen Coffee. Her journey founding the first Vietnamese coffee company in the U.S. is truly inspiring and near and dear to me.
