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2024 Under 30 Summit
Photo by Jeff Dean
A decade ago, Allison Ellsworth began experimenting in her kitchen, mixing fruit juices with apple cider vinegar to create a healthier alternative to soda. Fast-forward to March, and she sold her brand, Poppi, to PepsiCo for a staggering $1.95 billion.
How did she get there? By pitching relentlessly, securing shelf space with major retailers, and betting big on her product’s market fit. At the 2025 Forbes Under 30 Summit, Ellsworth will reveal the real, behind-the-scenes playbook for building and selling a business—no buzzwords, just the hard-won lessons.
Happening September 28th through October 1st in Columbus, Ohio, Forbes is bringing together some of the brightest leaders shaping business, entertainment, sports and technology for four days of learning and connection.
Attendees will hear from the likes of Hemant Taneja, the CEO of General Catalyst who’s backed billion-dollar companies like Stripe, Snap and Canva, on how he grew from being an entrepreneur-in-resdience at General Catalyst to running the firm.
Lucy Guo will talk about becoming the world’s youngest self-made woman billionaire, surpassing even Taylor Swift. Jeni Britton of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams will share how she transformed a homemade recipe into a nationwide sensation, while Amy Liu of Tower 28 will break down the formula behind scaling a beauty brand in a crowded market.
For the first time, the Summit will also host “The AI Generation,” a three-hour deep dive into the future of technology. There, attendees will hear from innovators like Blake Resnick, who founded his drone company at just 18 and went on to secure backing from the likes of Sam Altman as he pioneered AI-powered drones for police forces across the United States.
The stage will also spotlight cultural breakthroughs, from Suni Lee’s Olympic triumphs, to Jake Shane’s rise as the internet’s favorite comedian, to Anna Cathcart’s journey landing her own Netflix show, XO, Kitty.
Beyond the talks, the Summit is built for connection and community. Attendees can join a Pickle & Chill pickleball tournament, explore Columbus during a city crawl and relive the early 2000s at a Y2K-themed closing party (we encourage dressing on theme). The celebration kicks off on September 28 with the Under 30 Concert, where top musicians like Alex Warren will be taking the stage.
This isn’t just a conference. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of visionaries shaping the future. And as loyal newsletter readers, you get exclusive discounted access. Register here today.
Talk soon,
Alex and Zoya
Inside Rob Gronkowski’s Beautiful Mind
Rob Gronkowski is far more than just some jock. Beyond winning four Super Bowls, he has built a thriving business portfolio, partnering with brands like USAA, FanDuel and Monster Energy, while also working as a broadcaster for Fox and hosting major events—from his own Gronk Beach festival in Las Vegas to the LA Bowl in Southern California. Forbes estimates that his ventures generate at least $10 million annually. Read how he’s doing it all, here.
Lister Lowdown
-Ali Kriegsman made the Under 30 Retail & Ecommerce list in 2018 after founding Bulletin, which helped online brands market themselves and rent out brick and mortar space. She wrote a nonfiction book about the growth (and sale) of the startup in 2021. And last week, her self-published novel, The Raise—which is about a young woman having to take over a company after the death of her mentor and CEO—became available for preorder. P.S. Hear the reason behind her self-publishing.
-Cofounded by Under 30 AI lister Anna Monaco, Paradigm is using AI to make spreadsheeting a lot less cumbersome. The platform allows users to assign different prompts to individual cells, and AI agents will scan the internet to gather the data each cell is looking for. This week, they announced a $5 million investment round led by General Catalyst, bringing their total funding to $7 million.
–2021 Art & Style company Tezza and 2025 Retail & Ecommerce company Heaven Mayhem are teaming up. The photo editing app founded by Tessa Barton and Cole Herrmann, and the accessories maker founded by Pia Mance, announced this week an IRL event and in-app offerings to celebrate Heaven’s new line of eyewear and Tezza’s new preset.
On Our Radar
-Companies are going all in on return-to-office. And JPMorgan is investing $3 billion into the move. Their new Midtown Manhattan HQ will soon house thousands of employees. Real estate experts and C-Suites alike believe in-person is the future, and that seems to be coming to fruition. In July, NYC offices experienced 2019-level foot traffic for the first time since the pandemic. (The Wall Street Journal)
-It’s back to school, which means time to start decorating those dorms. No longer are the days where university-provided desks and chairs are sufficient, at least not for these momfluencers. And though their content is ostensibly about college aged kids, most of their viewers are, in fact, other moms. (The New York Times)
-And more recent news from the marketing jeans saga: About a month ago, actress and Under 30 alumna Sydney Sweeney and clothing brand American Eagle were under fire for a controversial advertisement about Sweeney’s good jeans… and her good genes. But this week, Gap revealed their own take on the pants. Their campaign, featuring girl group Katseye dancing to Kelis’ song “Milkshake,” has broken engagement records across social media (with some videos surpassing 21 million views on Instagram). (Adweek)
