Austin, TX
Austin shined in the 2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Here are 5 Austinites who stood out
Forbes reveals its 2024 30 Under 30 list
Forbes has revealed its 2025 30 Under 30 list, celebrating the next generation of talent across entertainment, sports, finance and more.
unbranded – Entertainment
Austin has spent years cultivating its status as a boomtown for rising talent, and the latest Forbes 30 Under 30 shows it.
Austinites were represented in almost every category of the list, which includes 600 people across 20 categories. This year’s list focused heavily on influencers, founders, athletes, and innovators.
As Gen Z has begun to heavily populate the list, there is a distinct trend of influencer and online culture across all categories.
With Austin being one of the list’s headlining cities, here are five Austin residents who made the cut and more on how Texas’ capital became well-represented.
Austin was a top city in this year’s 30 under 30
For the first time, Austin was one of the top five cities featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list — the others being New York, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
There are myriad reasons why Austin now features so prominently on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, but the influx of industry rapidly transforming the city is undoubtedly a key factor.
From newly arrived companies like Oracle, Tesla, and SpaceX to long-established ones such as Dell, Whole Foods, and Kendra Scott, Austin is now one of the most opportunity-rich metro areas in the country.
This, paired with a growing population largely defined by younger professionals, has helped redefine how Austin is seen on the national stage.
Alec Nguyen & Austin (Hung) Nguyen – Education
The two Lawrence University graduates, Alex Nguyen and Austin “Hung” Nguyen, are the founders of Afforai. The Austin-based company is a digital workspace meant to facilitate writing and researching.
On the workspace, artificial intelligence helps you write, cite and research content for an array of assignments and tasks. The two now boast 100,000 followers and, according to Forbes, projected 2024 revenue is expected to be $1.5 million thanks to enterprise clients like Northern Arizona University’s College of Nursing.
Gabby Thomas – Sports
At 27 years old, very few can claim a resume as diverse and impressive as Gabby Thomas. The recent Austinite earned her undergraduate degree in neurobiology and global health at Harvard University.
In 2020, she enrolled in a master’s program at the University of Texas, where she completed a degree in public health with a capstone project in sleep epidemiology in May 2023.
All of this alone would be impressive; however, Thomas did all of this while becoming an Olympic sprinter and earning six medals at the competition — including three golds in Paris.
Golloria George – Social Media
Golloria George is a beauty influencer who has amassed 2 million followers on TikTok alone. She is known for promoting makeup inclusivity and has worked with major brands like Patrick Ta, Rhode and Texas favorite Tecovas.
George arrived in the U.S. from South Sudan when she was five and, at 23, is now one of the most influential beauty creators on social media.
Evelyn Duan – Finance
While Austin might not be known as a finance city, Evelyn Dylan and Sixth Street Growth are working to change that. Already the Vice President, Duan has as focused her work at Sixth Street on investing in Software companies. This includes Bloomreach, SnapLogic and Heap — each of which have a valuation of $1 billion or more.
Duan, another first-generation immigrant on this list, uses her experience to mentor international students through Ascend Mentoring.
Kent (Jingxu) Zheng – Science
Kent “Jingxu” Zheng is another UT Austin addition, although he is a professor rather than a former or current student.
Now Zheng is developing lithium-free batteries designed to be more affordable, environmentally friendly, and sustainable. He has created “textured electrodes” made from zinc and aluminum, enabling exceptional battery rechargeability.
His research also focuses on utilizing cost-effective materials like iron and water-based electrolytes to produce high-performance batteries.
Beck Andrew Salgado covers trending topics in the Austin business ecosystem for the American-Statesman. To share additional tips or insights with Salgado, email Bsalgado@gannett.com.
An outbreak of cyclosporiasis, an intestinal illness that can cause explosive diarrhea, has been confirmed in Texas, prompting health officials to urge extra precautions when handling fresh produce.
The Texas Department of State Health Services has confirmed 48 cases of cyclosporiasis across 10 Texas counties. State health officials say there have been no deaths linked to the outbreak so far.
There are no reported cases in Southeast Texas at this time, and Port Arthur officials say they have not received any reported cases from area hospitals or health care providers. Still, health officials say now is the time to take extra precautions.
Judith Smith, Port Arthur’s director of health services, said cyclosporiasis is caused by “a microscopic parasite that is usually found in contaminated food and contaminated water.”
Smith said contamination typically stems from floodwater or sewage water when produce is harvested, allowing parasites to transfer to produce long before it reaches consumers.
“I have not heard of an outbreak like this. It’s been a while. It might have been 2023, 2024, and so, you know, and of course, Texas is not immune,” Smith said.
Smith said foods that are eaten raw can pose a higher risk. “Those foods that are not cooked are the ones that really make you more at risk,” she said.
Health officials recommend washing raw produce, including lettuce, cilantro, raspberries and basil. They also recommend cleaning cutting boards, refrigerating fresh goods and throwing away any remaining produce after experiencing symptoms.
Symptoms can include watery diarrhea, fatigue, lack of appetite and a low-grade fever. “Those individuals that may have that watery diarrhea or really just more than two to three days should seek medical attention,” Smith said.
Testing can confirm the parasite, and early treatment can help prevent more serious complications, especially for children and elderly relatives. Health care experts recommend contacting a health care provider as soon as possible if persistent stomach cramps and other symptoms develop after eating fresh produce.
The Texas Longhorns are less than two months away from starting their regular season slate of the 2026 schedule.
Just like last season, the Longhorns have been given unrealistic expectations by some, but will look to avoid the slow start that had everyone counting them out in September. On paper, the Longhorns should be a lot better than they were last season.
A national championship run should be on the table for head coach Steve Sarkisian and his team. One of the reasons that is a possibility is due to the Longhorns have something in common with previous national championship winners.
Legacy Year
Last season, the college football world was enamored by the Indiana Hoosiers. A program that no one saw ever winning the national championship, was hoisting the trophy at the end of the season.
Now, the Hoosiers had a talented roster from top to bottom. But the play of starting quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the leading factor in this team reaching the mountaintop.
Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning has the chance to make that same impression this season. After his first full season as the starting quarterback in Austin last year, there is a growing confidence that Manning is going to be on another level in 2026.
Last season, Manning threw for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdown passes. If you were to compare those numbers to Mendoza’s last season, the Hoosiers quarterback threw for 3,535 yards and an impressive 41 touchdown passes.
Those numbers make it clear that Manning will have to elevate his performance this season. With a revamped offensive line, the Longhorns quarterback may have the time to rival the numbers of Mendoza from this past season.
But another key piece to the Longhorns’ 2026 roster is a massive wide receiver addition.
It’s going to take the whole village, and Coach Sarkisian went out and got one of the most talented wide receivers in the transfer portal with Cam Coleman.
Coleman had two solid years with the Auburn Tigers and now will look to be the deep field threat for Manning and the Longhorns. The junior receiver’s addition to the roster could take this offensive unit to being one of the top units in the country.
All championship teams have a quarterback who could lead them to victory. Manning could very well be the next elite quarterback to hold a national championship trophy.
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Join several Austin labor unions and community members to honor Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s life and the countless immigrants who have been impacted by ICE.
The community vigil will take place at the Wildflower Church on Saturday, July 11th starting at 6 PM. All are welcome to bring flowers and candles as we honor the loss of life and grieve the separation of families.
Community Vigil Details
🗓️ July 11, 2026 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
🗺️ 1314 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704
🚗 Public transit and rideshare encouraged! Limited parking available and overflow parking may be available at Travis High School.
Please consider donating to the family’s GoFundMe if you are able: https://bit.ly/atx4lorenzo
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