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Think this is nice? It\u2019s a version of the weekly Under 30 newsletter and would be even better in <\/em>your inbox<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Assistant Managing Editor Steven Bertoni sat down with Hemant Taneja, the CEO and managing director of General Catalyst, a venture capital firm with $36 billion in assets under management.<\/span><\/p>\n Jamel Toppin for Forbes<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Business is changing: New technologies like social media, streaming and now AI have been transforming our industries over the last 20 years. This week, Forbes<\/em> brought together thousands of the brightest young minds and seasoned veterans to talk about how those changes have jumpstarted their careers, as well as what\u2019s to come.<\/p>\n Hemant Taneja, CEO and managing partner at General Catalyst<\/strong>, took the stage to rehash his journey to becoming one of the world\u2019s top investors\u2014and most sought-after sources for funding advice. Taneja was an early backer of some of the biggest names in tech today, like Stripe, Snap, Anduril, Grammarly and Gusto. Now, he says AI will be at the core of most of the startups investors are considering.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe role of technology is becoming more and more profound\u2026 we\u2019re now thinking about a completely different level of efficacy in society,\u201d he told Forbes\u2019<\/em> Steven Bertoni on stage. He added that the transformation has led him to ask himself and his portfolio companies questions like: \u201cHow do we rethink work?\u201d \u201cHow do we drive abundance with AI?\u201d \u201cWhat is the cultural norm going to be when you have this second species that perhaps is not conscious, but is as intelligent and complementary to us?\u201d<\/p>\n The same questions have impacted all sorts of startups. Take Brinc Drones, for instance, which was founded by Under 30 alum Blake Resnick<\/strong>. Resnick gave the audience a demo to show how AI is helping him deploy drones to emergency situations and act as first responders\u2019 additional eyes and ears. He\u2019s raised over $150 million and his entire supply chain is housed on American soil<\/strong>. It was no easy feat, given China\u2019s dominance in drone tech and components. But as a public safety company serving 911 responders, sourcing domestically was a must.<\/p>\n Even industries that have been historically hesitant about the usage of AI are leaning in. Take Zoe Wrenn<\/strong>, Under 30 alum and founder of Tamber, a music platform that uses AI to help artists produce and improve their music <\/strong>(without any synthetic sounds). She has more than $3 million in funding from investors like M13, Rachhouse VC and the musical group R\u00fcf\u00fcs Du Sol.<\/p>\n As a solo founder, she shared her best bits of advice for raising money in today\u2019s AI-hungry climate: \u201cIt\u2019s easy to take the right money from the wrong people<\/strong>,\u201d she said, adding that finding investors who truly understand the mission of the startup (which in her case includes understanding the importance of a creator\u2019s role in the business development process) is just as important as the dollar figure.<\/p>\n But not all thoughts on AI were positive, especially when it came to the actors in the room. They\u2019re particularly conscious of the impact AI might have on their work.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t love AI, to be completely honest, I do think it’s concerning since there was a whole strike for this, or things like AI actresses<\/strong>,\u201d said Marissa Bode<\/strong>, who starred in Wicked<\/em> last year. \u201cActing is a craft that people have worked on for centuries. When things like AI, which should be remembered as \u2018artificial\u2019<\/em> intelligence, are taking away [opportunities] from real people,\u201d we should at least take pause, she said.<\/p>\n They\u2019re not shying away from new forms of entertainment all together, though. The streaming economy, for instance, was also top of mind. Actor Lili Reinhart <\/strong>spoke about her production company, Small Victory Productions\u2019 first-look deal with Amazon Studios. And Netflix and Apple TV+ also got a shoutout: \u201cI\u2019m very grateful for streaming because now there’s a lot more opportunities,\u201d said Keyla Monterroso Mejia<\/strong>, who stars in The Studio <\/em>from Apple TV+. <\/em>\u201cIn network TV, there\u2019s like three slots per hour\u2026\u201d whereas with streaming, it\u2019s hundreds of shows being developed. \u201cThat means more job opportunities, more auditions.\u201d<\/p>\n Read more about the conversations, debates, and insights revealed at this year\u2019s Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit at the event\u2019s live blog, here<\/a>.<\/p>\n More later,<\/p>\n Alex and Zoya<\/p>\n Wander Lust: \u201cYou’re looking at an industry,” CEO John Andrew Entwistle says of travel, “that is a part of human nature.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Wander<\/small><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n Teenage coding entrepreneur John Andrew Entwistle is redefining hospitality. He launched Wander, an AI-powered luxury rental business, to compete with Airbnb<\/strong>. How is the plan working out? Find out here<\/a>.<\/p>\n -When asked by Forbes\u2019<\/em> Randall Lane if he planned to run for president again, 2024 presidential hopeful <\/strong>Vivek Ramaswamy<\/strong><\/a> didn\u2019t hold back: \u201cPlans are stupid,<\/strong>\u201d he said kicking off the 2025 Forbes Under 30 Summit in Columbus, Ohio. Speaking to a packed audience of young entrepreneurs, Ramaswamy emphasized that life rarely unfolds the way we expect, and plans often don\u2019t <\/em>turn into reality. Still, he\u2019s living proof that living spontaneously pays off. A 2014 Under 30 alum, Ramaswamy has since built a $1.3 billion fortune.<\/p>\n -Lucy Guo<\/a>, the youngest self-made woman billionaire, revealed a new talent at the 2025 Forbes Under 30 Summit: DJing.<\/strong> She closed out the iconic Under 30 Music Festival on Sunday night with a high energy set. The next day, Guo also took the stage to talk about her entrepreneurial journey, reflecting on her early obsession with making money. She made her fortune of $1.4 billion as a cofounder of the breakout company Scale AI (which she has since left) and now leads Passes, a platform allowing creators to monetize their content.<\/p>\nMeet The 30 Under 30 Software Wunderkind Taking On Airbnb<\/h2>\n
Lister Lowdown (U30 Summit Edition)<\/h2>\n