Four Belgian entrepreneurs appear on the prestigious Forbes "30 Under 30" List!
Every year, the financial magazine Forbes presents the "Forbes 30 Under 30 Award" to the most promising European innovators aged under thirty. Two new names appear on the 2018 edition of the famous list in the Law & Policy category, alongside Hanan Challouki and Taha Riani Achab, first nominated in 2016 for their website mvslim.com and featuring once again this year in the Media & Marketing category for Allyens.
Brussels-born Aline Muylaert and Wietse Van Ransbeeck, both aged 24, are the founders of CitizenLab, a cyber-democracy platform which is used to facilitate and promote citizen involvement. Through this application, users can publish proposals and contribute to those already posted, speaking up about civic issues that interest and concern them. Last year alone, CitizenLab succeeded in bringing 15,000 citizens closer to their elected officials.
Launched in 2015, in its first year, the CitizenLab initiative had already been recognised as one of the most promising small businesses at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona; a conference focusing on making infrastructures and services more accessible and more effective using technology.
Now, the famous Forbes magazine has recognised the innovation and ingenuity of CitizenLab by rewarding the Brussels pair with a place on its prestigious "30 Under 30" list, a list of the 30 entrepreneurs aged under 30 who have already made a name for themselves. Well-earned recognition for our budding entrepreneurs whose start-up advocating citizen engagement and the strengthening of the democratic process is already operating in six countries and has succeeded in winning over cities such as Vancouver, The Hague and even Brussels.
Furthermore, the choice by Forbes, which appoints a panel of political leaders to select the best candidates, is based not only on the candidates' abilities and potential, but primarily on their entrepreneurial spirit and the probability that they will trigger a profound change in the political landscape. A desire for change which is reflected in these young Belgian talents who would like "to be heard by local politicians, in a simple and transparent manner".