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When Chelsea Hindman was working as an NICU nurse during the pandemic, the entrepreneurial itch to build something of her own prompted her to start clothing brand Willow Boutique. Businesswoman by day and nurse by night, Hindman worked a grueling 18 hours some days, and the hard work paid off: Last year, her company—which sells items like colorful jeans and graphic tees online—booked close to $8 million in revenue.
“I wanted to open my own business because I felt I had another purpose in life aside from nursing,” Hindman says.
The desire to build something for themselves is a sentiment shared across the innovators on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Local Cincinnati list, which launched Tuesday. From NFL quarterback Joe Burrow, who helps underprivileged children through his nonprofit foundation, to cofounders who’ve raised $3 million for their AI-powered 3D printing company, the list features 30 of the Queen City’s brightest and boldest talents transforming their communities.
Take Anu Vora: Raised by Indian immigrant entrepreneurs, Vora started her first venture at age 16 when she created a nonprofit called Charitable Innovations, which hosted fundraisers for local charities. She then went on to build three startups in the fintech and edtech industries—one of which she sold in 2021. Now, she’s set on disrupting the antiquated mental health industry with Mindfully Behavioral Health, a multi-million dollar startup helping thousands of patients find the best clinician match.
What motivates Vora is the impact she’s had on patients and clinicians alike. “Clinicians wake up everyday wanting to help the world and take such deep care of their clients,” she says. “I get to champion those clinicians and help them bring such fundamental good to the world.”
Some listers are at the forefront of the blossoming Cincinnati arts scene: Eliana Batsakis, a fashion designer and artist, debuted her work in Season 2 of Netflix’s Next in Fashion and boasts celebrity clients like singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen. Michael Thompson’s contemporary artwork is on display in Kennedy Heights Art Center and Cincinnati Art Museum. Romain Mayambi and Emilee Chinn bring the city to life through their photography—whether that be capturing Cinnatians’ street style or shots of Cincinnati Reds’ games.
Others are serving their community through food. Sam Heareth is the founder of Greenhouse Cafe, Isaac Hamlin launched smoothie brand Better Blend and Evan Fix, Macallan Hoeweler and Connor Paton built a grocery-delivery service called Noshable.
Meanwhile, listers like P&G’s Hannah Segal, Vitis Technologies’ Benny Russert and the City of Cincinnati’s Laura Castillo, the youngest director in the history of a City of Cincinnati’s department of economic inclusion, have made impacts within some of the region’s largest organizations.
The final list, which includes 14 women and 21 founders, spans months of reporting and research (see how we make the 30 Under 30 list here), and features more than a dozen startups powered by millions of dollars. Excited about all Cincinnati has to offer? Come join us at the annual Flagship Under 30 Summit (taking place from September 22-25 in Cincinnati) featuring Grammy Award-nominated DJ and artist Metro Boomin and more from the global Under 30 community. Grab your tickets here.
Talk soon,
Alex, Zoya & Alicia
P.S. Have you dreamed of being named to the 30 Under 30 list? Do you know someone who would be a great fit? We are currently sourcing the next class of listers. Apply here for the 30 Under 30 2025 U.S. and Canada list. As a reminder, we’re looking for those of you 29 or younger (as of December, 31, 2024), who are innovating in your respective industries. That means everyone from AI founders, food & drink professionals, social media stars and beyond. (Our full list of 2025 categories can be found here.) Apply today!
Flagship 30 Under 30 Summit
Join us at the 30 Under 30 Summit this September. Take advantage of $50 off tickets for four transformative days alongside the world’s top young leaders, founders and creators. Dive into A-list speakers, exclusive networking, industry excursions, local culinary delights, a legendary city crawl, and a private concert—all designed to inspire and empower. Grab your tickets here.
Why A Wheaties Box Is As Good As Gold For Olympic Athletes
Hunger Games: Olympic legend Bruce Jenner (now known as Caitlyn Jenner) was paid $1 million to appear on a Wheaties box in 1977.
Suntzulynn/Splash News/Newscom
When decathlete Caitlin Jenner signed with Wheaties cereal shortly after the 1976 Olympics, the contract was worth $1 million (around $4.5 million today). The five-year deal required 45 days a year of Jenner being a General Mills ambassador on Wheaties box covers, TV commercials and health and fitness events across the country. Read more about the history of the champions behind the breakfast here.
Lister Lowdown
-This month, Colombia-based cofounder and Under 30 Europe Technology alum Avinash Sukwani, closed a $6.5 million (6 million euros) funding round for his fintech company Payflow. The round includes investors like U.S.-based Thomson Reuters Ventures and Spain-based GED Conexo Ventures. It brings their total funding to more than $18 million (17 million euros) in equity investments, with an additional $22 million in debt financing.
-PolyGone Systems, founded by Under 30 2024 Social Impact listers Nathaniel Banks and Yidian Liu, announced this month the grand opening of their first-ever industrial-scale microplastics removal pilot project at the Atlantic County Utilities Authority’s Wastewater Treatment Facility. Along with the pilot launch, the Princeton University spinout company—which develops filtration systems for microplastic pollutants—will also unveil the Microplastic Educational Pavilion, an on-site exhibition for visitors to learn about microplastic pollution through PolyGone.
–Under 30 Media listers Madison McIlwain and Claudia Laurie stepped away from the podcast mic and onto the stage this month with their first ever in-person summit in New York City. The event, which brought together 120 founders, investors and operators, was a natural extension of “The Room Podcast,” their show featuring founders’ stories to encourage and inform the next generation of business leaders.
