Four Filipino entrepreneurs included in Forbes list

FOUR Filipinos made it to

Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, which highlights 300 young entrepreneurs and innovators in the region.

The latest Forbes list identified 30 honorees (all under the age of 30) in ten categories, namely The Arts; Entertainment & Sports; Finance & Venture Capital; Media, Marketing & Advertising; Retail & E-commerce; Enterprise Technology; Industry, Manufacturing & Energy; Healthcare & Science; Social Entrepreneurs; and Consumer Technology.

Filipino entrepreneurs Kenn Costales, Georgiana Carlos, Earl Forlales and Zahra Halabisaz Zanjani were included in the same list as Korean pop group Blackpink, eyewear designer Percy Lau and tennis star Naomi Osaka.

Mr. Costales, 29, founded Monolith Growth Consulting in 2016. The performance marketing firm, which has offices in Singapore and Manila, counts Fitness First, The Boston Consulting Group, Sonos, and Klipsch as some of its clients.

The 28-year old Ms. Carlos established premium pet care brand Fetch! Naturals in 2016. On its website, Fetch! said its products are made of 100% plant aqueous extracts, particularly Neem and Jicama, and are safe for human use.

Mr. Forlales and Ms. Zanjani are the co-founders of Cubo Modular, a company that designs and constructs bamboo houses in four hours. They were given the first prize by the London-based Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors for using low-cost and sustainable materials for the Cubo.

On its website, Cubo said it envisions a “Philippines with no slums” by providing affordable, dignified housing.

Rana Wehbe, editor of

Forbes 30 Under 20 Asia, said this year’s list highlights “daring entrepreneurs who are building businesses mostly to solve problems in their industries.”

“Forming 70% of the 2019 list, startup founders are using technologies like AI [Artificial Intelligence], Big Data and Blockchain to facilitate processes such as matching patients with potentially lifesaving medical trials and providing enterprise solutions for SMEs who form the vast majority of businesses in the APAC [Asia Pacific] region,” she said in the statement.

China had the most number of honorees on the list with 61, followed by India with 59, Japan with 30, South Korea with 28, and Singapore with 23.

Forbes said it received over 2,000 submission through online and in-house research by journalists in the region.

Among the criteria for honorees making the list are: demonstration of leadership, entrepreneurial spirit, and potential of success in their industry. —