These 9 North Carolina residents made the latest Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list. Who they are
Nine North Carolina residents were recognized on Forbes’ 2025 30 Under 30 List, highlighting young entrepreneurs, inventors and innovators who are making significant contributions to a variety of industries.
North Carolinians who made the list include entrepreneurs making a splash in the rideshare and hybrid vehicle industries, a YouTuber with more than 6 million subscribers and the youngest head coach to win a NCAA Division I national championship.
You can view the full list of young recipients at forbes.com/30-under-30/2025.
Here’s who they are.
Mitchell Angove
Age: 24
Education: Clemson University and University of California, Davis
About: Angove co-founded Feanix Biotechnologies, an Asheville-based company that leverages animal genomics to predict traits such as size, milk production and other important health indicators. This technology assists customers in making informed breeding decisions while reducing the number of animals needed, potentially benefiting the food supply and contributing to climate change mitigation.
“We chose NC as our home and headquarters due to the amazing ability to attract young talent while also being centrally located to our farmers,” Angove told The Charlotte Observer.
Micah Ulrich, Clay Dowdey & Cody Biedermann
Ages: 26, 27, 27
Education: N.C. State University
About: In 2020, co-founders Ulrich, Dowdey and Biedermann launched Flux Hybrids as a class project at N.C. State, initially using basic hand tools to convert a rusted fleet truck into a hybrid. Since then, they’ve developed a quick-install system that transforms common commercial trucks into plug-in hybrids. The conversion, which can be completed in a single day, boosts fuel efficiency from 17 mpg to 33 mpg. The system operates on electric power for the first 20 miles, then switches to gas for extended range or extra power. No specialized charging infrastructure is required, as the battery can be recharged overnight using standard 110 V outlets.
Zachary Brown
Age: 21
Education: University of Notre Dame
About: Brown co-founded Yelo with his college classmate, Liam Redmond, whom he met in the dining hall while discussing the high cost of rideshares. Redmond suggested a solution: students driving other students. As a computer science major, Brown developed an app to bring the idea to life. Interestingly, students started using it to see where their peers were heading on weekends. Yelo capitalized on this by charging businesses to steer traffic to their locations, generating $20,000 in revenue during the first month of this model. Student drivers earn an average of $35 per hour, keeping 100% of their fares, while Yelo takes $10 to $20 per student per night for influencing traffic.
Nestor Galarza
Age: 25
Education: Georgia Institute of Technology
About: Originally from Ecuador, Galarza began uploading videos to YouTube in 7th grade under the name xNestorio and now has over six million subscribers who enjoy his “Minecraft” content. He also founded a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the communities that helped shape him, contributing to organizations such as City of Refuge Atlanta, which assists families in crisis. In addition to his online success, Nestor was the valedictorian of his high school and graduated with the highest honors from Georgia Tech.
Jared Golestani
Age: 29
Education: Duke University and University of Pennsylvania
About: Golestani and his wife, Breanna, 30, co-founded Kokada, a brand offering coconut spreads and snacks inspired by Breanna’s Jamaican heritage and the flavors she encountered during her time as a D1 college athlete and member of the Jamaican Women’s National Volleyball Team. Based in Durham, the couple left their MBA programs at the Wharton School of Business in 2022 to focus on Kokada full-time. Today, the brand is available in nearly 1,000 stores across the country. Kokada has raised over $2 million to date, including a non-equity grant from Target’s accelerator.
Erin Matson
Age: 24
Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
About: Matson became the head coach of the UNC women’s field hockey team shortly after graduating from the school in December 2022. As a player, she won four national championships with the Tar Heels and was named the national player of the year three times. In November 2023, she became what is believed to be the youngest head coach in history to win an NCAA Division I championship, which The News & Observer documented.
Brianna Vickerman
Age: 29
Education: University of St. Thomas and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
About: Vickerman, an assistant professor at UNC, co-founded an innovative technology that uses light to precisely release therapeutics at targeted diseased areas. By using light as an external signal, this approach allows for exact control over the location, timing and dosage of a drug. Together with her team, she has secured $2 million in funding to advance and commercialize the technology, with plans to launch a company soon.
