4 Startup Founders Under 30 to Keep an Eye On They're young and already changing the status quo. Discover and follow these four young entrepreneurs as they rise up.
By Matthew Toren •
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Being an early adopter is something many entrepreneurs pride themselves on. Whether it's the latest app or the best in health, meditation or lifestyle, entrepreneurs like to be in the know and at the forefront of tech and trends alike.
You've heard the person who said they were using Facebook long before the rest of us got a profile and seen the thousands who stand in line for the newest iPhone. So if you're into being on the cutting edge of early adoption, you'll want to know and follow these four up-and-coming young entrepreneurs. Age has nothing to do with performance and these men and women have shown they have the grit, guts and willpower to make a very real impact in their respective industries.
Related: Young Millionaires: How These Entrepreneurs Under 30 Are Changing the World
You'll want to say you knew these four individuals way back when, before they were famous, because all signs point to these rising stars going all the way to the top.
1. Brian Foley, founder of BuddyTruk. Yes, everyone now pitches themselves as the "Uber of X," but in BuddyTruk's case it's actually true. Brian Foley experienced the annoyance of trying to move after college into a new place in Santa Monica. A self-admitted unqualified truck driver, Foley encountered some trauma as he tried to back a moving truck with this stuff into a spot and accidently took out someone's bumper. That someone also happened to be the new roommate. Oops.
Foley parlayed that annoyance, insurance claim and frustration into an idea: There should be an on-demand option like Uber to help people who needed trucks connect with other people who had trucks in urban settings. All he really needed was the back of a pick-up to move a mattress, but he had to go through the hassle of renting a moving truck and trying to navigate it around the city. Thus the idea of BuddyTruk was born.
Hire a truck and driver as easily as you hail an Uber and never worry about having to rent a truck again to move your couch across town or pick up your self-assembly furniture from Ikea. It's a simple idea that will certainly revolutionize moving in metropolitan cities. Try it now and be an early adopter.
2. Supriya Hobbs and Janna Eaves, co-founders of Miss Possible Dolls. These two young engineering students at the University of Illinois started to notice what many of us have in tech and engineering: Where are all the girls?
Related: 5 Startups to Watch at Y Combinator's Demo Day
Hobbs and Eaves realized that part of the problem stems from the roles and imagination girls are encouraged to dabble in when they're little. What if there were games and dolls that were inspired by real women? Women who really did change the world and buck tradition to follow their passions? Women like Bessie Cole, an African-American aviatrix, chemist Marie Curie and programmer Ada Lovelace?
The games are designed to engage young girls through play and learning, to be both educational and fun and to share with girls the possibilities to pursue their passions in any industry that appeals to them. What started out as an Indiegogo campaign for Hobbs and Eaves has turned into an online store and emerging reality.
Visit their site and learn more about the Miss Possible dolls. You can even suggest your own addition to their line of empowered female roll models.
3. Francis Pedraza, co-founder of Everest. We all have goals and aspirations, so why do so many of us struggle to achieve them? According to Francis Pedraza, it's probably because we lack the community and the structure.
He explained these were the limiting factors behind all unrealized dreams and the reason he and his co-founders came up with Everest. Every life has numerous journeys along the way, so document and share them with other Everest app users to receive the support, create the structure and build the community you need to see your dreams realized.
The free app allows users to share the best moments of the day, document and track progress on goals and join in the community to support other's dreams and goals. Its intention is to be a social app that goes deeper -- less about sharing photos of your vacation and more about encouraging dreams and believing in your own ability to achieve.
If you're ready to go deeper than just a goal and achieve your dreams, there's never been a better time or app to try than Everest.
Related: Under the Radar: 10 Startups to Watch in 2014
