BINI, other Pinoys land on Forbes' '30 Under 30' Asia Class of 2025

Several Filipinos from entertainment and sports, media, finance and venture, and fintech have landed in this year’s Forbes “30 Under 30 Asia” list, joining entrepreneurs, leaders, and innovators across the region “with a bold vision for the future.”

The list includes 30 honorees each in 10 categories: Artificial Intelligence; Consumer and Enterprise Technology; Entertainment and Sports; Finance and Venture Capital; Healthcare and Science; Industry; Manufacturing and Energy; Retail and Ecommerce; Social Impact; Social Media; Marketing and Advertising; and The Arts (Art and Style, Food and Drink).

The listees were chosen from over 4,500 candidates who were evaluated by the Forbes Asia team based on factors such as funding and revenue, social and industry impact, product-market fit, and inventiveness and potential.

“In this landmark 10th edition of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, we celebrate a decade of exceptional talent and innovation by highlighting a new generation of entrepreneurs and young leaders who exemplify resilience and creativity as they battle tougher conditions,” Forbes Asia editorial director Rana Wehbe Watson said.

“Many are using AI to refine their value propositions and attract investors in fields including healthcare and finance. Others are building niche businesses aimed at a local customer base as uncertainty looms over global trade,” she added.

This year’s judges include HCLTech chairperson Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Sinovation Ventures chief executive officer (CEO) and chairman Kai-Fu Lee, Li Ka Shing Foundation director Solina Chau, and Infosys and Axilor Ventures cofounder S.D. Shibulal.

Judges also include RB Capital founder and CEO Kishin RK, Lan Kwai Fong Group founder and chairman Allan Zeman, Caldecott Music Group founder and CEO Kuok Meng Ru, and Healthcare investor Nisa Leung, among others.

Below is a list of the of honorees from the Philippines and their write ups:

BINI (Entertainment and Sports)

“Short for 'binibini' — or young woman in Tagalog — BINI is the brainchild of Philippine media company ABS-CBN, which, inspired by the global popularity of South Korean girl groups, selected members Aiah, Colet, Gwen, Jhoanna, Maloi, Mikha, Sheena and Stacey in 2019 from 250 aspirants following a nationwide talent search. The eight-girl pop sensation kicked off back in February its 15-city world tour with a sold-out concert at home, packing excited fans into the 50,000-seat Philippine Arena north of Manila.”

Ysabel Chua (Finance and Venture Capital)

“Ysabel Chua is a vice president at Singapore-based VC firm Forge Ventures, which has a portfolio of 16 companies. She joined in 2022 as an associate and was the firm's first employee. Since then, Chua has overseen five investments, including in Indonesian supply chain startup Baskit and food startup Prefer. Chua was previously chief of staff at Philippine fintech startup PayMongo, and a senior product manager at Southeast Asian e-commerce giant Shopee.”

Daniel Quizon (Sports)

“Chess prodigy Daniel Quizon became Philippine's latest Grandmaster at 20 when he beat Igor Efimov, 64, during the 45th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Hungary last September. Quizon has been the reigning Philippine Chess Champion since 2021. He was undefeated in the ASEAN+ Age Group Chess Championships 2023 and dominated the Hanoi Grandmaster Chess Tournament in March 2024. Quizon has a FIDE rating of 2461 in standard chess, 2317 in rapid and 2394 in blitz.”

Raya Buensuceso (Fintech)

“Raya Buensuceso is managing director of Kaya Founders, which invests in early-stage startups in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia. With over 50 investments, Kaya Founders says it has $29 million in total assets under management. Since its launch in 2021, Buensuceso says she has been involved in every aspect of Kaya's operations, including research, marketing, strategy and investments. She graduated from Princeton University with a bachelor's degree in economics.” 

Jasper Ruby Vijar (Social Impact)

“Jasper Ruby Vijar started Team Dugong Bughaw, a youth-led NGO in the central Philippines, in 2015. Vijar, a medical doctor, aims to raise awareness of sexual health-related issues by offering reproductive health education, free HIV tests, and condoms. Team Dugong Bughaw has since grown into an organization covering multiple provinces including Aklan, Capiz and Iloilo, and it has received support from USAID and Gilead Sciences.”

Anna Beatriz Suavengco (Social Impact)

“Food sustainability advocate Anna Beatriz Suavengco is known for her Urban Farmer TV series, which teaches viewers how to make home hydroponic vegetable farms. The agriculture graduate from the University of the Philippines Los Banos started on TikTok at the height of the pandemic with posts documenting the rooftop gardens she had created. Suavengco, which now has close to 200,000 followers on the short video platform, raised about A$10,000 ($6,300) last year through Australia's crowdfunding platform Lift Women to launch courses, produce free videos, and hold free on-site workshops for senior citizens.”

Renren Galeno (Social Media, Marketing, and Advertising)

“Visual artist Renren Galeno illustrated the 2024 Pulitzer Prize finalist in illustrated reporting and commentary, 'Searching for Maura,' for the Washington Post, which recounted an incident of injustice suffered by a group of Filipinos at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. Her first book, 'Sa Wala (Nothing to Lose),' won a 2024 National Book Award for Best Graphic Novel in English. A magna cum laude fine arts graduate from the University of the Philippines Diliman, she also contributed to the U.K.-funded climate change comic anthology 'Ten Years to Save the World.'” — CDC/LA, GMA Integrated News