30 Under 30

Three alums have been named to Forbes' 30 Under 30 list for 2019 for the second consecutive year.

Ipek Bakir ’12, James Finucane ’13 and Daniel Shoukimas ’13 have been named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2019, marking the second consecutive year three Conn alumni have been recognized among the world’s brightest young entrepreneurs, leaders and influencers.

Bakir is considered a rising star of the education-focused Overdeck Family Foundation. She is a founding member of a major nonprofit that screens edtech products. At the Foundation, Bakir guides investments in student-centered school models, high-quality professional learning programs, and school capacity for monitoring and collecting data. Her Innovative School portfolio has helped award over $5 million in grants reaching more than 200 schools and 75,000 students.

“My work at the Foundation focuses on ensuring every child has access to an education that meets both academic and socio-emotional needs,” Bakir said.

Finucane and Shoukimas are two of three co-founders of mPharma, a healthcare startup that manages pharmaceutical inventory on behalf of mom-and-pop pharmacies across Africa. Headquartered in Ghana, mPharma serves close to 30,000 patients each month across a network of more than 150 pharmacies and has $12 million in funding.

“I am grateful that mPharma is being recognized for the achievements that my colleagues have all worked very hard to realize,” Finucane said.

Shoukimas added, “We at mPharma are all quite honored to be recognized on the Forbes list, in that it’s a reflection of the efforts of each of us to make medicine more accessible and affordable in the developing world. We’re hoping the added visibility will help us to continue pulling Africa’s best talent into our ranks.”

The trio joins a growing number of Conn alums who have appeared on the 30 Under 30 list. Jazmine Hughes ’12, Aditi Juneja ’12 and Emily Callahan ’11 were named to Forbes 30 Under 30 for 2018. The three Conn alumni were featured in the media, law and policy, and energy industries.

Molly Hayward ’10 was recognized in 2017 for founding the innovative startup company Cora, and Lauren Burke ’06 made the list in 2013 in the law and policy category for her work as an advocate for immigrant youth and victims of child trafficking.

Each year, Forbes selects its 30 Under 30 winners from more than 10,000 nominees in the United States, Europe and Asia.