Forbes Middle East just released its 30 under 30 lists of 2024, featuring 20 Lebanese young professionals. The lists were split into four categories – Science and Technology, Sports and Entertainment, Commerce and Finance, and Social Impact – each featuring 30 individuals “driving significant change” across the MENA region.  This year’s selection featured 120 entries and 153 shortlisted individuals representing 24 nationalities, based across 19 countries, including 48 Egyptians, 20 Lebanese, 12 Tunisians, 10 Saudis, nine Jordanians and seven Syrians.  Last year’s 2023 list featured 14 Lebanese innovators selected for their “potential and impact within their respective sectors and broader society.”  The selection was made through online nominations, whereby “the applicants could put themselves or someone else forward for consideration,” Forbes Middle East’s website stated.  Besides age and country of residence, selection criteria included awards won by the candidates, revenues achieved, values of deals made, number of people impacted, number of customers in each company and number of social media followers. The Lebanese innovators are: -Asmaa Jrad (29, UAE), a postdoctoral associate at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), is developing water filtration systems that use advanced covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) as molecularly designed active layers within conventional filters.-Haythem Dbouk (29, Cyprus) is the founder and CEO of Innovating Green Technology (IGT), which focuses on green energy systems. -John Rachwan (27, Germany), cofounded Pruna AI in November 2023. -Kamil al-Khoury (29, UAE) is a postdoctoral associate at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). -Kevin Hani (25, UAE) cofounded ELEVEN22 in 2023 to create hyper-realistic digital twins and immersive BIM visualizations for customers to explore virtual representations of real estate projects. -Cedric Zovighian, Marc Gharios, Ralph Gharios (23, 24, 25, UAE and Lebanon), cofounded Tick'it in 2021, a platform for discovering music and entertainment events and making bookings online. -Chloe Kteily (27, Lebanon) is a Lebanese DJ who was the opening act for renowned artists such as Amr Diab and Tamer Hosny. -Wael Arakji (29, Lebanon) is a basketball player who was named most valuable player twice in FIBA Asia Cup 2022 and BCL Asia 2024. -Jad Hamadeh (29, UAE), founded HD Smart Glass in 2021, a company that offers an enhanced innovative retrofit technology solution that turns standard glass into HD smart film glass. -Malek Gedeon and Tara Gedeon (both 29, UAE), co-founded the Gedeon Group in 2019 along with their brother Michael in the UAE. -Mohammad Jad al-Fakhani (27, UAE and Lebanon), known as “Wolfofbey” on social media, is the founder and CEO of Beycom LLC, which launches, acquires, and invests in online e-commerce businesses.  -Yasmina Hayek (27, Lebanon) is the executive head chef at Em Sherif Holding, where she leads menu creation, culinary and creative direction and international expansion for her family’s Em Sherif restaurant across MENA, Europe and South America. -Marina El Khawand (22, Lebanon) is the founder and president of Medonations, an NGO that provides free medical assistance in Lebanon, launched after the Beirut Port explosion. -Omar Itani (28, Lebanon) is the founder and general manager of FabricAID which he launched in 2017 to collect second-hand clothing from privileged areas, fashion retailers and international charities which are then sold at micro-prices to marginalized communities.-Sarah Ghanem (23, Lebanon), is the cofounder of DOODA Solutions, which uses advanced earthworm technology to convert organic waste into solid and liquid vermicompost. -Yasmin Darwich (24, Lebanon) is the founder and CEO of DonaLeb, a fitness and wellness app designed to promote employee engagement through virtual fitness challenges, while also supporting charitable causes.  (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: L'Orient Today