Forbes published its annual 30 Under 30 list today, highlighting 600 innovators and game changers across 20 different industries. The list is a who's who of accomplished, ambitious and super-talented youngsters, featuring successful entrepreneurs, VCs, and celebrities such as actress Margot Robbie and NFL star Von Miller.
The list showcases some Chicago faces as well, including the founder of a fast-growing gluten-free baking mix, a Cards Against Humanity founder, and the chef of one of the city's hottest restaurants.
Here are the Chicago innovators on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
Katlin Smith, 28
Founder of Simple Mills
Category: Food & Drink
Four years ago Katlin Smith founded Simple Mills, a gluten-free baking mix that is soy-free, non-GMO, and paleo-friendly. The company, which won the UChicago New Venture Challenge in 2014, now sells in 6,000 stores nation-wide including Target and Whole Foods.
Simon Davies, 27
Chef de Cuisine at Alinea
Category: Food & Drink
California-native Simon Davies joined Alinea in 2009 as an intern, and has grown with the popular Chicago restaurant ever since under mentorship from chef Grant Achatz. Alinea is regularly ranked as one of the top restaurants in the world, and it has 3 Michelin stars and the No. 15 spot on the Diner's Club list.
Max Temkin, 29
Co-founder of Cards Against Humanity
Category: Games
Max Temkin co-founded the popular game Cards Against Humanity with several Northwestern classmates back in 2008. The massively popular "party game for horrible people" is the best selling card game on Amazon and can be found at basically every millennial's house party. Temkin also recently founded Secret Hitler, a game of "political intrigue and betrayal" set in 1930's Germany. Cards against Humanity also runs an in-house startup co-working space from its Chicago headquarters.
Lydia Kisley, 28
Postdoctoral fellow at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Category: Healthcare
Currently working as a postdoctoral fellow at UIUC, Lydia Kisley is using novel spectroscopies to inspire advancements in materials engineering. She's working on new technology that takes pictures of chemicals at a nanoscale level to better manipulate them. She received her PhD at Rice University in 2015.
Drew Tolly, 26
Data Scientist at Caterpillar
Category: Manufacturing & Industry
Drew Tolly is a data scientist at Caterpillar who is creating algorithms that make CAT's machines run smarter. The Northwestern grad joined CAT in 2014, and he tackles problems like helping machine owners better predict when their equipment will fail before it breaks down.
Patrick Corcoran, 26
Manager for Chance the Rapper
Category: Music
Chicago's Chance the Rapper had a breakout 2016 with his hit album Coloring Book, and helping make things run behind the scenes was Patrick Corcoran, Chance's manager since 2012. Corcoran, a DePaul grad, founded his management company Haight Brand in 2010.
Genevieve Nielsen, 24
Co-founder of mRelief
Category: Social Entrepreneurs
mRelief is a digital tool that helps people easily discover if they are eligible for social services like food stamps and child care assistance. Since launching in 2014, Genevieve Nielsen has helped expand mRelief into 42 states and has assisted over 100,000 families. The startup was also part of part of Y Combinator's winter 2016 class.
Michael Roytman, 28
Co-founder of Dharma
Category: Social Entrepreneurs
Michael Roytman launched Dharma in 2015 to help organizations like the World Health Organization and Doctors Without Borders collect data in the field without needing WiFi or cell service. The platform makes it easy for organization to collect, understand, and use the ground-level data. Roytman, a graduate of UIUC, is also a data scientist at Chicago tech company Kenna Security.
Elena Della Donne, 27
Shooting guard for Chicago Sky
Category: Sports
After winning WNBA rookie of the year in 2013, Elena Della Donne has continued to rack up the accolades, winning the 2015 scoring champion and Peak Performer, a Gold Medal at the Rio Olympics, and she's been named to 3 WNBA All Star teams.
Patrick Kane, 28
Right Wing for the Chicago Blackhawks
Category: Sports
With the Blackhawks, Patrick Kane has won 3 Stanley Cups, has been named to 5 All Star teams, and won the 2008 Rookie of the Year award--all before turning 29. Kane is also the third highest paid player in the NHL, and has deals with Bauer and Chevrolet.
Jason Duboe, 28
VC at Chicago Ventures
Category: Venture Capital
Jason Duboe joined Chicago Ventures in 2013 and leads enterprise and healthcare deals for the firm. A graduate of Harvard University, Duboe was previously a VC at Summit Partners in Boston.
