5 Coke Scholars Named Brightest Young Entrepreneurs, Leaders, and Stars in Forbes 30 Under 30 List

Each year, Forbes announces its 30 Under 30 list, naming 30 innovators in 20 different fields. Each honoree is distinguished as one of the brightest young entrepreneurs, innovators, and game changers in the country.

Forbes named 5 Coca-Cola Scholar honorees – here’s how they’re positively impacting the world as leaders in their field.

The content below was originally posted on Forbes.com or on the honoree’s websites.

Nicole Black

2010 Coca-Cola Scholar

Co-founder of Beacon Bio

Nicole, wanting to find better ways to make specialized medical devices while at Harvard, cofounded Beacon Bio, a company innovating in tissue engineering with PhonoGraft, a device for eardrum repair, and AudioGraft, a novel passive hearing aid device; with partners who shared her views. In June 2021, CEO Black sold Beacon Bio to Desktop Metal for $10 million, transitioning her team to work at Desktop’s health division.

Peyton Klein

2020 Coca-Cola Scholar

Founder of Global Minds Initiative

Peyton, a student at Stanford, founded Global Minds Initiative as a 15-year-old high schooler in Pittsburgh in 2016 after witnessing discrimination against immigrant and refugee students at her school. It’s now a nonprofit with chapters in 25 schools that holds an afterschool program matching English as a second language students with English-speaking students and organizes events to educate students about other cultures in an effort to combat intolerance. It has raised $1 million in donations and corporate grants and sponsorships.

Ari Krasner

2014 Coca-Cola Scholar

Cofounder of Givebutter

Ari is the co-founder of Givebutter, the world’s #1 rated giving platform. More than 35,000 good causes — from youth groups to the world’s largest charities — raise over $100 million annually using Givebutter’s modern forms, campaigns, and event technology. While offering its services for free, it is monetized entirely through tips and transaction fees (made transparent with an average less than 1%).

Naomi Shah

2013 Coca-Cola Scholar

Founder of Meet Cute

Naomi is the founder and CEO of Meet Cute, a venture-backed entertainment company that has created more than 350 original, scripted rom-com stories in podcast form. Her goal is for Meet Cute to tell inclusive stories about human connection that are relatable for every type of listener.

Natasha Sheybani

2012 Coca-Cola Scholar

Assistant Professor at University of Virginia

Natasha, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at UVA, is developing therapies to treat cancer using ultrasound. Her dissertation research combining ultrasound with chemotherapy for breast cancer is being tested in a clinical trial. As an NIH Director’s Early Independence Award winner, her lab will receive nearly $2 million in funding over 5 years to immunoengineer next-generation paradigms for precision treatment of breast and brain cancers with ultrasound. 

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation celebrates and empowers visionary leaders who are refreshing the world. With its 33rd class of Coca-Cola Scholars, the Foundation has provided more than $75 million in scholarships to over 6,450 program alumni who together have become a powerful force for positive change.