RANGOON — Eight Burmese innovators are among Forbes’ first ever “30 Under 30 Asia,” which spotlights inspiring young leaders in various industries across the region.
Forbes claims to be the world’s most widely read business site, each year recognizing the accomplishments of people under 30. Such lists have for years recognized young talent in the United States and Europe. But this is the first year to include Asia.
According to Forbes, the company worked together with a panel of 30 judges and chose 300 young game-changers—representing entertainment and sport, consumer technology, enterprise technology, the arts, healthcare and science, media, social entrepreneurship, finance, industry and retail—from among thousands of nominees.
The innovators from Burma include Htet Myat Oo of Rangoon Tea House, Wai Phyo Kyaw of online automobile business CarsDB, Thet Mon Aye and her brother Zarni Nway Ooi of online bus ticketing service Star Ticket, Myo Htet Aung and Ye Myat Min of web and mobile applications company NEX, and Ye Wint Ko and Htet Will of Burmese language search engine Bindez.
Rangoon Tea House was described as a new-meets-old restaurant, drawing inspiration from traditional Burmese teashops, and its cofounder as a leading innovator in “the arts” category.
Thet Mon Aye, one of the co-founders of Star Ticket, which sells long-distance bus tickets online for pickup at convenience stores or through direct delivery, said that while she and her brother are proud of the recognition, a lot of other talent in Burma goes unrecognized.
“I hope that it [selection to Forbes’ list] motivates other young people and creates more opportunities for Burma’s next generation to connect to the world,” she told The Irrawaddy.
