Columbus's young tech leaders shine in Forbes 30 Under 30 as Summit approaches
U.S. Senator Jon Husted, Ohio State University’s Caleb Downs, and J.P. Nauseef, President and CEO of JobsOhio | Photo: JobsOhio
Forbes has unveiled its highly anticipated 30 Under 30 Local Columbus Class of 2025, recognizing a diverse group of young innovators and leaders shaping the Central Ohio’s future. And the spotlight is firmly on a group of tech founders and leaders driving the next wave of innovation in the state capital.
The big deal
The Forbes 30 Under 30 list celebrates exceptional individuals under 30 who are making significant impacts in their respective fields. Columbus's inclusion this year is particularly timely as the city prepares to host the 2025 Forbes Under 30 Summit from September 28 to October 1. This marks the third and final year JobsOhio has brought the prestigious summit to the state, following successful events in Cleveland (2023) and Cincinnati (2024).
Meet a few of Columbus's tech stars
Caleb Downs, Ohio State Buckeye and Cofounder, Launch Point: While a standout athlete at The Ohio State University, Downs cofounded Launch Point, an NIL platform designed to connect athletes with top brands.
Kyle Fedewa & Riley VanderKaay, Cofounders, Speculo: These entrepreneurs are transforming the real estate market with Speculo.ai, an AI-powered conversational agent ("Isa") that streamlines home searches, responds to inquiries, and facilitates agent-client connections. Their bootstrapped venture generated $2 million in revenue last year.
Noor Haj-Tamim, Founder, Avionova: This private astronaut candidate and engineer leads Avionova Inc., a MedTech startup developing wearable technology that uses gentle cooling to alleviate motion sickness and vertigo for diverse users, from pilots to everyday travelers. Her venture has already secured significant accelerator and grant funding.
Thomas Hillyer & Will Matz, Cofounders, Superfan: Matz and Hillyer built Superfan, a social app empowering artists to cultivate fan communities through exclusive content like unreleased tracks and behind-the-scenes footage, boasting over 100,000 users.
Alex Husted, Executive Director of Capital, The Ohio State University: Husted spearheads venture capital initiatives at OSU, managing direct investments in university-affiliated startups and overseeing a strategic fund-of-funds platform aligning capital with the university’s research strengths. He actively guides innovation programs, spin out OSU research into tech companies.
Daniel Intrater, VP of Partnerships, eFuse: Intrater is a key player in the gaming industry, forging over 500 strategic brand partnerships for eFuse, a tech company building software to connect gamers and brands, contributing over $20 million in revenue.
Amani Kimball-McKavish, Founder, PROScored Virtual Arena: This Ohio State student and athlete founded PROScored Virtual Arena, a startup providing private online spaces for sports broadcasts, enabling teams and universities to retain revenue and content rights from their events.
Jack Murray & Adithya Ramaswami, Cofounders, ParaWave: While students at Ohio State, Murray and Ramaswami cofounded ParaWave, a company developing drones for first responders. Their technology allows emergency teams to gather crucial information in hazardous situations without direct risk, earning national attention and funding.
Cole Smith, Cofounder and CTO, Visor: Smith cofounded Visor, an innovative car-shopping platform that consolidates nationwide listings, allowing users to apply smart filters and explore options via an interactive map. Launched in August 2024, it has rapidly attracted nearly 400,000 users.
Aaron Westbrook, Founder, Form5 Prosthetics: Born with one hand, Westbrook defied limitations by teaching himself to design and 3D-print his own prosthetic. This led to his cofounding Form5 Prosthetics, a nonprofit that leverages 3D printing to provide affordable, custom prosthetics, having produced over 75 devices through $1.4 million in grants.
Why this matters for Ohio tech
The unveiling of the Columbus 30 Under 30 list, coupled with the upcoming Forbes Under 30 Summit, is a powerful moment for Ohio's tech ecosystem. It not only spotlights the impressive young talent nurtured within Columbus but also positions the city—and the entire state—as a magnet for innovation, investment, and future tech leadership.
JobsOhio's strategic effort to bring the summit to three major Ohio cities over three years has significantly amplified the state's profile as a growing tech and innovation hub, showcasing its dynamic entrepreneurial spirit to a global audience.
This fall’s Summit
The 2025 Forbes Under 30 Summit in September will convene thousands of top young leaders, founders, and creators from around the world in Columbus, offering unparalleled networking and learning opportunities. These under-30 trailblazers, both local and visiting, are poised to further accelerate the pace of innovation, cementing Ohio's role in shaping the next generation of technology.