WHU Alumni Make Forbes 30 Under 30

Over the years, the American edition of Forbes’s 30 Under 30 has already profiled several major celebrities, from pop stars like Miley Cyrus to basketball players like LeBron James. This year, in many versions released internationally, you’ll find several WHU alumni: Fabian Bitta (BSc 2016) in the European edition; Lea Henzgen (MSc 2020) in the Swiss; and Nour Idelbi (BSc 2026) and Johannes Jäschke (BSc 2020) each appearing in the German. All have been recognized as being at the top of their game in their respective categories. 

Since 2012, the Forbes 30 Under 30 list has honored ambitious and successful young people active in economics, science, technology, the arts, and sports. Their lists are compiled by an expert panel of judges, and they only select the best young talents with impressive resumés. Although Forbes is of American origin, the magazine maintains several international editions, including those for Europe, Germany, and Switzerland.

The WHU alumni appearing in 2024’s 30 Under 30 lists from Forbes

Fabian Bitta and Aline Gallois founded Emma & Noah in 2018. The company, which now has 21 employees, is a direct-to-consumer provider of long-lasting, sustainable baby and household goods and sees itself as an alternative to fast fashion. Their bestselling products include sleeping bags and play mats.

Lea Henzgen co-founded the AMES Foundation while earning her master’s degree from WHU in 2020. The foundation’s goal is to convince influential patrons (which the company refers to as “guardians”) to offer their support in making the African continent a safer place for animals. Henzgen and the AMES Foundation works with regional partners to build sanctuaries for particularly endangered species all across Africa.

Nour Idelbi has only just started her studies at WHU and already has quite a few accomplishments to her name. In particular, at 16 years old, she and her business partner Joline Reker co-founded Safespace, an app that helps teens get home safely. Her current start-up project is to be announced in summer 2025.

Johannes Jäschke, at only 25 years of age, is a serial entrepreneur, having already founded four companies: an artists’ agency, an AI-supported study app, an e-commerce platform, and Hypnu, a hypnosis app bought out by a Canadian firm earlier this year. His next project is assuredly just around the corner.

WHU was also well accounted for in the German Top 40 Under 40 from Capital Magazin, with five of the school’s alumni and faculty members making an appearance.