NYU Alumni Inspire: 14 Alumni Land Spots on Forbes “30 Under 30”

January 15, 2016 

Pictured Left: Rachel Bloom (TSOA ’09) at the 2016 Golden Globes. Photo from the @GoldenGlobes on Instagram. Photographed by @inezandvinoodh.

Get Inspired by Fellow Alumni on Forbes List “30 Under 30”*

• Rachel Bloom (TSOA ’09)
  Comedian, Writer. Creating your own network show before the age of 30 is rare; doing so as a woman, even more so. Writer and star of the wonderfully weird musical comedy series My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, the Upright Citizens Brigade alumna received a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series (Musical or Comedy).
• Iseult Conlin (CAS ’09)
  Vice President, Blackrock. Fixed income trader pioneering electronic trading methods, such as open trading, in market where many transactions still happen through brokers over the phone. Focuses on corporate bonds in industries like aerospace and defense with five-year and lower durations. Played basketball at NYU.
• Stacey Ferreira (GAL)
  CEO, Forrge. Ferreira [took a leave of absence from] NYU’s Gallatin School to accept a Thiel Fellowship. She’s the author of a book on millennial entrepreneurs and founded Forrge, a work scheduling tool to match on-demand jobs with workers. This isn’t her first startup foray, having sold a business she started in high school called MySocialCloud to Reputation.com.
• Matthew K. Firpo (TSOA ’12) & Maximilian Guen (LS ’14)
  Cofounders, Magna Carta. Fresh out of college in 2012, Firpo and Guen began TV production company Magna Carta in their New York studio apartment. Three years after incorporating in 2013 they continue to operate with a small team of five full-time employees, but they’ve reached audiences of more than 10 million. Project funded since day one, Magna Carta manages to grow organically through client revenue.
• Nina Freeman (TANDON ’15)
  Games designer, Fullbright. The creator of thoughtful, personal games including Cibele and How Do You Do It, Freeman is currently working on the futuristic mystery game Tacoma at the Fullbright Company.
• Saagar Govil (CAS ’09)
  CEO, Cemtrex. Govil has been the CEO of Cemtrex, which trades on the Nasdaq, since he was 25. The company, which produces environmental products and electronics solutions, had 2014 revenues exceeding $47 millioin—up from $13.6 million in 2013.
• Jessica Hendricks (TSOA ’10)
  Founder, The Brave Collection. The Tisch alumna was inspired by a stint teaching English in Cambodia, founding a jewelry company selling bracelets and necklaces handmade by Cambodian workers who are disadvantaged or disabled. Most are mothers. 10% of profits from the jewelry, sold online and at boutiques internationally, go to stopping human trafficking.
• Josh Kahn (TSOA ’09)
  Senior Creative Producer, Chicago Bulls. Kahn is an award-winning director, producer, and marketing specialist in entertainment and professional sports. Currently, he is the in-house senior creative producer and director for the Chicago Bulls, where he launched the mixed-media production arm of the organization, BullsTV.
• Shana Knizhnik (LAW ’15)
  Co-author, Notorious RBG. Currently a judicial law clerk on Third Circuit Court of Appeals, Knizhnik created the uber popular “Notorious RBG” Tumblr in 2013 following RBG’s dissent after part of the Voting Right’s Act was struck down. In October, HarperCollins published the now-New York Times best-selling Notorious RBG book, co-written with MSNBC’s Irin Carmon.
• Sophie Milrom (STERN ’13, LAW ’13)
  Founder, EatPops. Frustrated by the void of healthy juice pops while studying for the bar exam in 2013, Milrom launched Eat Pops—which uses ingredients like kale, beets, and ginger and turns them into a dessert—in 2014. The pops are now in 300 stores across the northeast, in places like Fairway and Whole Foods; they’re also distributed by Amazon Fresh and Fresh Direct.
• Gianna Toboni (CAS ’10)
  Correspondent and producer, VICE on HBO. Toboni travels the world looking for subjects for HBO’s Emmy-winning documentary show, VICE. She’s interviewed ISIS fighters in Iraq and covered disputed territories in the East China Sea. After taking her findings on sexual assault on college campuses to U.S. Senators, the Department of Education is now looking into the case.
• Zachary Werner (STEINHARDT ’12)
  Head of Product, Organize. Rather than waiting in line at the DMV, potential organ donors can sign up on Organize’s site or on other platforms that use their technology. So far, more than 400,000 people have shared their donor wishes.
• Frank Yu (STERN ’08)
  Associate, Blackstone Group. Sixth person hired by Blackstone’s Tactitcal Opportunities group. Directly involved in putting $1.4 billion to work, including deals for insurer Lombard International and Eleston Shipping. Ran a campaign to raise money to build a library in Cambodia.

*All descriptions are pulled from the Forbes “30 for 30” list.