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Check out these Philadelphians who made Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for 2020

One of them is only 16.

Kyle "Bugha" Giersdorf playing Fortnite. (Giphy by Paige Gross, via twitter.com/bugha)
Update: Jessica David of SeventySix Capital has been added. (12/19/19, 12:55 p.m.)

Along with a slew of end-of-the year news out there, Forbes released its 30 Under 30 list this week, and a handful of Philly-area makers, gamers and entrepreneurs are on it.

The annual list spotlights entrepreneurs who are “proof positive that the future will be new, exciting and profoundly different,” the business media brand said. For its 2020 list, 600 people were named across 20 industries.

Named in the gaming category is the youngest person representing the Philadelphia area — Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf, the 16-year-old high school junior from Montgomery County who took home the trophy for the Fortnite World Championship held in New York City this past July.

Giersdorf won $3 million in prize money and signed with esports organization Sentinels in March 2019. He now boasts over 1.2 million followers on streaming platform Twitch, Forbes said.

In the entrepreneurs category, University of Pennsylvania grad Abhi Ramesh, founder of “ugly” produce delivery service Misfits Market.

The 27-year-old founded the startup in 2018, and raised a $16.5 million Series A within about a year. The business has since grown to about 200 employees this year, and delivers produce boxes along the East Coast.

“By making misfit produce more accessible and affordable, we’re able to reduce food waste at a scale that creates positive and lasting impact,” Ramesh told Technical.ly in June.

Jessica David, director of marketing at SeventySix Capital, was named in the sports category. The 28-year-old manages the sports venture capital firm’s strategic marketing efforts, including digital media, design, public relations and events. She also provides marketing support to SeventySix Capital’s Athlete Venture Group, which includes former stars like Philadelphia Phillies player Ryan Howard and former NFL players DeMarco Murray and Brian Westbrook.

Also on the list in the music category is Tierra Whack, a 24-year-old Philly native and R&B artist. Whack debuted a 15-track, 15-minute visual album, “Whack World,” in 2018 that received high praise from Pitchfork and The New York Times and earned her the cover of the Fader’s Winter 2018 issue, Forbes said. Her 2017 single “Mumbo Jumbo” was also nominated for the Best Music Video Grammy Award.

Philadelphia magazine’s Ernest Owens was named in the media category, recognized for his work covering racism in the Gayborhood. The writer-at-large has previously been honored by the National Association of Black Journalists and the American Society of Magazine Editors.

Companies: Misfits Market / Forbes / Philadelphia Magazine / SeventySix Capital
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