From esports to crypto to environmentalism: 12 Pinoys recognized in Forbes '30 Under 30 Asia' 2022
Twelve Filipinos made it to the Forbes "30 Under 30 Asia" list in 2022, making a name for themselves in fields like esports and crypto, as well as philanthropy and environmentalism.
Now on its seventh year, Forbes recognized 300 Asians below 30 years old "who are inspiring change and driving innovation in their respective fields" during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 12 Filipinos that made it to the list starred in five of 10 categories: consumer technology; social impact; finance and venture capital; retail and e-commerce; and industry, manufacturing, and energy.
CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY
Justin Banusing, Kevin Hoang, Ariane Lim - cofounders of AcadArena, esports startup
In 2019, Justin Banusing (22), Kevin Hoang (29), and Ariane Lim (28) cofounded AcadArena, an esports startup that helps student gamers in Southeast Asia compete in international tournaments.
In its citation, Forbes said AcadArena has partnered with over 600 schools comprising some 100,000 students, to create and support gaming clubs and communities.
Last December, the startup was able to raise $3.5 million (P183 million) in seed funding—backed by the likes of Kevin Lin, co-founder of Twitch, a popular video game streaming platform.
Jeth Lorenz Ang, Renz Carlo Chong, Nicolo Alfonso Odulio - cofounders of BreederDAO, crypto startup
Jeth Lorenz Ang (27), Renz Carlo Chong (26), and Nicolo Alfonso Odulio (28) cofounded BreederDAO, a startup specializing in crypto games like Axie Infinity, Sipher, Cyball, and Crabada, where NFT characters and game items are bred and crafted.
BreederDAO charges players or game guilds to create the desired traits for the playable NFTs to win the game, Forbes said.
Last January, two months after its launch, BreederDAO raised $10 million (P522.9 million) in series A funding through a token sale co-led by Andreessen Horowitz's a16z and Delphi Digital.
SOCIAL IMPACT
Billie Dumaliang - cofounder, Masungi Georeserve Foundation
Billie Dumaliang (29) cofounded the Masungi Georeserve Foundation, a conservation park in Rizal spanning 2,700 hectares.
Dumaliang launched the georeserve project with her sister in 2015, Forbes said, and has since planted over 68,000 trees in the park funded by sustainable tourism.
The park was awarded the 2021 Water Changemakers Award and a special commendation in the 2018 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
Shawntel Nicole Martinez Nieto - executive director, One Cainta Food Program
Shawntel Nicole Martinez Nieto (26) is the executive director of One Cainta Food Program. The program said it has so far helped provide over 1.1 million food hampers to 400,000 people in Luzon since the start of the pandemic.
Forbes said Martinez Nieto also cofounded the Society of Sustainability Practitioners, a group of environmental consultants, planners, economists, education specialists, scientists, and business owners who engage in sustainability.
She's also behind SustainaRumble Podcasts and Modular Education X. They said they have delivered food, water, electricity, disaster relief, and supplementary education to over 500,000 people across the country.
FINANCE & VENTURE CAPITAL
Earvin Ang and Jesse Manalansan - cofounders of Aqwire, online real estate platform
Earvin Ang (29) and Jesse Manalansan (27) cofounded Aqwire, a company that helps local real estate developers access foreign investors, including millions of overseas Filipino workers.
The platform allows customers abroad to settle property-related payments and fees with major credit or debit cards.
Manalansan said they're also looking into expanding to micro, small, and medium enterprises and business-to-business payments, according to Forbes.
RETAIL & E-COMMERCE
Kevin Lim - cofounder of Kraver's Canteen, cloud kitchen network
Kevin Lim (28) cofounded Kraver's Canteen, a multi-brand "cloud kitchen," a network of kitchens across metro hubs, which serves popular brands like Foodee Group and Pizza Hut.
Last July, Kraver's Canteen partnered with Grab Philippines to set up GrabKitchen for restaurants without physical locations.
INDUSTRY, MANUFACTURING & ENERGY
Kevin Zhang - founder of Inteluck, end-to-end logistics startup
Kevin Zhang (28) is the founder of Inteluck, a data-driven end-to-end logistics startup.
Founded in the Philippines in 2014, the Singapore-headquartered company initially provided solutions to help logistics firms track their fleet of vehicles.
Inteluck has since helped customers like Asia Brewery, Coca-Cola, and Nestle to book delivery trucks on demand from third-party logistics providers registered on its digital platform.
It expanded its operations in Thailand in 2021 and will be launching in Vietnam and Indonesia in 2023.