The world always remembers that young people are not simply the leaders of tomorrow but they are already creating change today as we celebrate the International Youth Day every year on 12 August. The day provides an opportunity to recognize the creativity, ambition, and contributions of young people while highlighting their role in shaping a better future.
Across Asia, this spirit can be seen through a new generation of innovators who are transforming ideas into solutions for real-world challenges. The Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Class of 2026 recognizes 300 young individuals across 10 categories, from AI and technology to finance, healthcare, and science. With an average age of 26, this year’s cohort offers a glimpse into how young minds are already reshaping industries across the region.
One example is Patrick Nappa, the 29-year-old cofounder of Kashcade in Australia. After working as a software engineer at Apple, Nappa stepped into the unfamiliar world of finance and helped build a fintech company that provides financing to startups and small businesses against their government R&D tax refunds. Kashcade has since lent A$100 million to 200 businesses, showing how curiosity and a willingness to enter unfamiliar territory can become a practical solution for growing companies.
In South Korea, 28-year-old Jihyun Kim took a different path into innovation. While studying software engineering at Kyung Hee University, she became fascinated by advances in computer vision and, just a year later, took a break from university to launch Korea Deep Learning. Today, the company develops enterprise AI solutions that help businesses automate document-related processes, demonstrating how a young person’s curiosity can evolve into technology with practical applications.
Meanwhile, China’s Simon Song is exploring how AI can expand human creativity. At 28, the founder of VAST has developed Tripo AI, a platform that can transform image and text prompts into detailed 3D objects within seconds. Since launching three years ago, the platform has attracted nearly 10 million individual users and 90,000 studios and companies, illustrating how emerging technology can make creative tools more accessible.
Japan’s Hikari Okita offers another perspective: innovation through scientific discovery. At 29, the assistant professor at the Institute of Science Tokyo research xeno-nucleic acid (XNA), a more durable alternative to DNA and RNA. Her work could contribute to research into artificial life, the origins of life, drug discovery, and medical diagnostics. Her journey began with a childhood curiosity about science and evolved into research exploring questions that reach billions of years into the past.
These stories show that youth is not a limitation to creating meaningful change. While Patrick, Jihyun, Simon, and Hikari represent just four of countless young people making an impact today, their journeys demonstrate what can happen when curiosity is paired with the courage to act. Whether through entrepreneurship, technology, or scientific discovery, their achievements remind us that meaningful change can begin at any age.
International Youth Day, therefore, is more than a celebration of young people. It is a reminder of what becomes possible when young minds are given the opportunity to explore, experiment, and turn ideas into action. Their journeys may begin with a single question or an unconventional idea, but their impact can reach far beyond themselves.
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