Earlier this year, Forbes released their list of 30 under 30 stars; the young people in around the world who are inspiring change and innovation and causing a positive impact on the world. Here, we will look at some of the Irish pioneers featured in the list and how they have achieved their huge successes.
Mark Moriarty (25 years old)
Mark is a young chef who was included in the Arts category of the Forbes 30 under 30, and his work is nothing to be scoffed at. His success began at the age of 15, when he was awarded the 2015 San Pellegrino UK & Ireland Young chef of the Year and the San Pellegrino World Young Chef of the Year for his culinary talents. Judging from this award, his success will only continue to grow to new heights.
Colin Keogh (28 years old)
Colin was featured in the Science and Healthcare category of the Forbes list for his innovative company The Rapid Foundation, which helps to get life-changing technologies such as 3D printers and other technologies into third-world countries to help with the everyday lives of the people there. The PHD candidate has always expressed interest in using low-cost technologies in ways that will help the world, and his company is helping to do just that.
Conor McGregor (28 years old)
It comes to as no surprise that Conor has made this list, as he has become a household name across the world for his remarkable fighting abilities, especially since his recent highly anticipated fight with Floyd Mayweather, which is said to have earned him over $100 million. His success is an inspiration to people across the world, and like many others like him, most people only see the success they have achieved and not the discipline and struggle they have endured in order to get to where they are today. This is outlined in a recent Lottoland article, which describes it as the Iceberg Illusion. It teaches us not to let our setbacks hold us down; they will eventually lead to success.
Sam Blanckensee (23 years old)
Sam was featured on both the Law and Policy and the Youngest Forbes list for his incredible work in pioneering for transgender rights in Ireland. He is the Development Officer of the Transgender Equality Network Ireland, and his work has helped to get gender recognition legislation that allows people to declare their own gender to get their birth certificates amended to their preferred gender.
The Collison Brothers (27 and 29)
John and Patrick are co-creators of online payment company Stripe which has changed the way payments are made worldwide. The brothers have already reached billionaire status as their company has proven to be a huge success, as Stripe has been rolled out in 25 different countries and processes billions of dollars every single day. This is only an extension of their success, as they have previously worked together on Auctomatic, a website made to manage bids and transactions on Amazon and eBay. Their success is only growing, and it is very exciting to see where it will take them.
The people on this list are true inspirations, and it may seem difficult to achieve their level of success, but rest assured it is more than possible. The key to success is hard work and perseverance through the highs and lows, and by persevering and staying determined then who knows, one day you may find your name on this list!