The Entrepreneurial Spirit: Forbes Under 30 Summit Recap

As always, the annual Forbes Under 30 Summit was an immersive experience, showcasing the resilience, determination, and success stories of young visionaries, founders, creators, and entrepreneurs who influence many of our daily lives. We heard about the power of optimism, learning from failures, and unwavering belief in one's journey, even in the face of adversity. In short, the real stories of "overnight successes" that were a decade in the making.

With more than $5.3 billion in funding raised by the Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2023 Listers drawn from 600 businesses across 20 industries and a combined social media following of 613 million, it is evident that these young leaders are making a global impact.

It shows in the nearly 6,000 registrants (up 105% over the previous summit in Detroit), nearly 4,000 in-person attendees from 49 states and 60 countries, and nearly 2,000 virtual registrants with over 600 logged-in live.

Our star-studded lineup featured some of the brightest names across various industries. From our own Lt. Governor Jon Husted to Impossible Foods CEO Peter McGuinness to Ohio EV innovator and Endera founder John Walsh, two-time WNBA champion and franchise co-owner Renee Montgomery, Grammy-winning artist Bad Bunny, and Cleveland's own multi-platinum artist and founder of The 27 Club Coffee Shop and brand Machine Gun Kelly, the summit was filled with barrier-breaking founders and CEOs, each offering their own unique insights into the entrepreneurial landscape across arts, culture, fashion and industry.

Networking lies at the heart of the success of Forbes Under 30, and it was gratifying to provide a means for those who couldn't attend in person to connect through our Virtual Networking Break, where attendees could still forge new relationships.

There was plenty of time built in for fun, including opening-night performances by Latto and Halsey, a local food festival, a salon dinner hosted by JobsOhio, and a guided bar crawl through Cleveland's trendy Ohio City district. The summit closed with a live performance by Machine Gun Kelly, a packed reception at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the Under 30 Service Day, where "U30 Listers" who experienced the city's warm welcome were able to give back to the Cleveland community. 

Overall, the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Cleveland was nothing short of a coup for Ohio's brand. JobsOhio was immensely proud to have sponsored this event and provided a platform for influential and sought-after talent from around the world to experience the dynamism, innovation, and opportunity that Ohio offers. Special thanks to Forbes, Lt. Governor Husted,  the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Greater Cleveland Partnership, TeamNEO, our corporate sponsors, and all those who attended, participated, and contributed to making this first of three Ohio-based U30 summits an outstanding success.