Three Leeds alumni recognised on prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list

Three Leeds alumni have been recognised for the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Bita Jedo, Wynter Karo and Layla Hosseini-Gerami were recognised for their global impact in social media, cocktail making and drug development, respectively.

From healthcare and science to media and marketing, the Forbes 30 Under 30 in Europe list showcases influential young leaders under 30 who are driving change across a range of industries.

The selection panel evaluates nominees based on criteria like innovation, social impact, scale, and revenue.

Bita via Facebook

Bita is the global celebrity and influencer lead at the online dating app Bumble, having been recognised for her impact in media and marketing.

She said: “Being named on this list is a powerful validation of the hard work I’ve put into my career so far.”

I’m so incredibly grateful and excited for what’s to come.”

Bita manages talent partnerships across eleven regions and has collaborated with high-profile names like comedian, writer, and presenter Amelia Dimoldenberg, producing a “cover” that garnered over 40 million impressions in January 2025.

Before joining Bumble, Bita held roles at Journey Further and TikTok, where she led campaigns with brands such as Benefit Cosmetics, LG, Charlotte Tilbury, and L’Oréal.”

She also has a personal TikTok following of 93,000.

Wynter, an international business graduate, and fellow Leeds alum Alice Parmiter, a business management graduate, left their corporate roles and, in 2021, went on to co-found the tequila cocktail brand Pimentae.

Pimentae offers four signature canned margarita flavours: Classic; Spicy; Cucumber; and Grapefruit.

The drinks are available at major retailers including Ocado, Selfridges and Waitrose.

Since forming Pimentae, Wynter has raised over $2 million in venture capital funding.

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Layla via Facebook

Layla was named in the science and healthcare category after being recognised for developing drug solutions.

Being cofounder of Ignota Labs, she has used AI and science skills to detect underlying issues with drugs and work to provide solutions.

She said: “It’s a meaningful moment that reflects how far I’ve come since my time at Leeds, where my year in industry project first sparked my interest in using AI to solve real-world problems.”

Her AI-based company is now able to identify drugs that are on their way to being 80 per cent successful, but still pose safety concerns.

This means that Layla is able to bring new life to abandoned drug development projects which may make a lasting change.

In February 2025, Ignota Labs secured a $6 million seed which is being used to advance the early-stage clinical trials of a metabolic health drug for post-menopausal women.

Featured image via Facebook