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All the Lebanese People on the 2024 Forbes List
This year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 features 20 Lebanese honorees making their mark in Science and Technology, Commerce and Finance, Social Impact, and Sports and Entertainment.
From groundbreaking innovators to culture-shaping leaders, these names are proof that brilliance knows no bounds. Dive in to meet the change-makers redefining success in every field.
Science and Technology
1. Asmaa Jrad
Jrad is developing innovative water filtration systems using advanced covalent-organic frameworks (COFs) to remove emerging contaminants. Her technology, patented for PFAS sensing and removal, can be integrated into water bottles, sinks, or shower heads. She has partnered with a U.A.E. industrial entity and has 11 scientific publications in top journals.
Dbouk is the founder and CEO of Innovating Green Technology (IGT), specializing in green energy solutions. IGT has completed over 350 projects in Lebanon, Egypt, and Switzerland and developed solar-powered wastewater and irrigation systems in Fayoum, Egypt. Dbouk holds patents from 2017 and 2022 and has built solar-powered hybrid cars in Lebanon.
3. John Rachwan
Rachwan cofounded Pruna AI in November 2023 to create smaller, faster, and eco-friendly AI models using compression techniques. The startup has clients like Virtual Staging AI and pilot partners like Volkswagen and Samsung. By September 2024, it raised $6.4 million in seed funding from EQT Ventures, daphni, and others.
Elkhoury’s research in organ engineering and bioprinting aims to address the shortage of transplantable organs by creating functional, biocompatible tissues. His award-winning doctoral work focused on 3D bioprinting nanocomposite polymers, and he is filing patents through NYU for his innovations.
5. Kevin Hani
Hani cofounded ELEVEN22 in 2023 to create hyper-realistic digital twins and immersive BIM visualizations for real estate clients like GL Homes and Olayan. He is also developing BINA, a GCC-focused mobile app. Previously, he cofounded TripnTap, a travel app acquired by Mughamer.com in 2022 for $953,000.
Commerce and Finance
6. Jad Hamadeh
Hamadeh founded HD Smart Glass in 2021, offering retrofit technology that transforms standard glass into adjustable HD smart glass, switching between clear and opaque. Operating in nine countries, the company has partnered with top hotels like Atlantis The Royal and The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi.
The Gedeon siblings cofounded the Gedeon Group in 2019 in the U.A.E., building on their family’s fashion legacy dating back to 1949. The company distributes and franchises brands like adidas, PUMA, and Calvin Klein, managing 200+ stores and 100+ B2B clients across 30+ countries in the Middle East and Africa.
El Fakhani, known as “Wolfofbey,” is the founder and CEO of Beycom LLC, which launches, acquires, and invests in e-commerce businesses. Its subsidiaries include Wolfofbey, an e-commerce training program with 3,150 launched businesses, and Whiteberry Media, a digital marketing agency serving over 350 clients since 2023. Beycom also runs e-commerce stores like Ibtisamati, Bisou, and Stakked.
Hayek oversees menu creation, culinary direction, training, and international expansion for her family’s Em Sherif restaurant group, which serves over 10,000 customers daily across 24 outlets in MENA, Europe, and South America. The group includes brands like Em Sherif Restaurant and Em Sherif Café, and recently launched Em Sherif in Monaco and Em Sherif Deli in Beirut, with plans for further expansion.
Social Impact
El Khawand founded Medonations NGO at 18 to provide free medical aid in Lebanon after the Beirut explosion. In 2022, she launched the Free HealthTech Clinic in Beirut, and in 2023, registered Medonations France to expand support. The organization has saved over 20,000 lives, funded 110+ surgeries, and raised $70,000 through donations and sponsorships for its clinic.
11. Omar Itani
Itani founded FabricAID in 2017 to collect second-hand clothing and sell it at micro-prices to marginalized communities in Lebanon and Jordan. With 500 collection points, over 1 million items sold, and $1.4 million in 2023 revenues, FabricAID operates 13 retail stores and has raised over $4 million from investors like VIRIDIS Fund Solutions and Wamda Capital.
12. Yasmine Darwich
Darwich is the Founder and CEO of DonaLeb, a fitness and wellness platform that promotes employee engagement through virtual fitness challenges while supporting charitable causes. Since its 2022 launch, DonaLeb has gained over 50,000 downloads and 5,000 active users, partnering with the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic Museum and several NGOs.
13. Sara Ghanem
Sara and her sister Nada cofounded DOODA Solutions in 2018, using earthworm technology to convert organic waste into vermicompost. The company has processed 4,500 tons of waste, producing 3,800 tons of fertilizer annually, with 12,000 clients and $300,000 in grants.
Sports and Entertainment
14. Cedric Zovighian, Marc and Ralph Gharios
Zovighian and the Gharios brothers cofounded Tick’it in 2021, a platform for discovering music events, buying tickets, and booking tables. In its first year, Tick’it captured 60% of Lebanon’s music event listings, attracting 60,000 users and 180 event planners. The company processed $1.2 million in ticket sales from January to September 2024 and has over 3,000 physical points of sale across Lebanon.
15. Chloe Kteily
Kteily has performed at major concerts across MENA, including opening for Amr Diab and Tamer Hosny in 2024. She was also selected as the official DJ for Miss Lebanon 2024, where she collaborated with Elissa on a women empowerment campaign.
16. Rayan Hayek
Hayek hosts the YouTube show ‘Baynetna,’ featuring Arab celebrities, with over 50 episodes since 2023. He is planning a daily show focused on human stories and expanding Baynetna to Europe, including a French version.
17. Wael Arakji
Lebanese basketball player Arakji helped Al Riyadi Club win the first-ever Basketball Champions League Asia, earning a spot in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2024. He has been named MVP multiple times in tournaments like the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 and BCL Asia 2024. A Nike and Red Bull ambassador, Arakji signed with Qatar’s Al Arabi Sports Club in October 2024.
