According to Forbes, the 2026 30 Under 30 Media list features founders like Victor Perez, 28, whose AI art platform Krea has raised $83 million from investors including Andreessen Horowitz. It also highlights Jack Brewster, 29, whose swipeable news app Newsreel has a waitlist of over 10,000 users and university partnerships, and Aaron Parnas, 26, whose politics newsletter is the top “news” publisher on Substack with 630,000 subscribers. The list, which is 48% women and 35% people of color, also includes creators like Eli Rallo, 27, who turned TikTok fame into book deals, and internal changemakers like NASA storyteller James Tralie, 28. All honorees were 29 or younger as of December 31, 2025.
The trend is clear, and it’s all about access
Look, the common thread here is pretty obvious: dismantling gatekeepers. Krea wants to give anyone the tools of a professional artist. Newsrelet wants to bypass traditional media’s stuffy presentation for a format people actually use. Parnas is cutting through legal jargon. It’s a powerful, democratizing impulse. But here’s the thing I always wonder with these “democratizing” platforms—does lowering the barrier to entry just create a different, more chaotic kind of gatekeeping? Instead of editors, the new gatekeepers become algorithm whispers, viral trends, and who can afford the premium version of the AI tool. The intent is noble, but the outcome is rarely as pure.
The founder focus might miss the bigger picture
Forbes notes that 70% of the list are founders. That’s classic Under 30 stuff. But I think the more interesting stories are often the people changing massive institutions from within, like the NASA storyteller or the Andreessen Horowitz media lead. They’re navigating legacy bureaucracy and shifting colossal ships. That’s often harder than starting fresh. The founder narrative is sexy, but sustainable change in media will also come from the people who can reform the existing giants, not just build new ones to compete with them. Can a swipeable news app really fix the broken economics of journalism, or is it just a new coat of paint?
The AI art question is still wide open
Victor Perez says his AI tools are “meant to allow creatives to have more possibilities.” And that’s probably true for some. But let’s be real—the flood of AI-generated content is also massively devaluing professional creative work and muddying the waters of authenticity. When everyone can generate “professional-level” art, what does “professional” even mean anymore? The $83 million in funding shows investors believe in the platform, but it doesn’t answer the deeper cultural and economic questions. Is this empowering new artists, or is it just creating an overwhelming sea of synthetic content where true talent gets drowned out? The industry is still figuring that out.
A note of skepticism amid the hype
Don’t get me wrong, these are impressive people. A 10,000-person waitlist is nothing to sneeze at. But the Under 30 list is also a snapshot of potential, not proven, long-term success. How many from the 2022 list are still thriving in 2026? Building a media brand or a tech tool is one thing; building a lasting, profitable business in these brutally competitive fields is another. The real test for these honorees won’t be making the list—it’ll be what they do five years from now when the spotlight has moved on. The media industry chews up and spits out new models faster than ever. Adapting, as Perez says, is key. But surviving? That’s the real challenge.
