Thanks to Pasternak, vegetarians can feel happier about homemade Hap- py Meals. His startup, Simulate, makes Nuggs—a vegan version of America’s favorite Frankenfood. “Chicken nuggets are already integrated into internet and meme culture,” Pasternak says. “It’s easy to create a fun brand around it.” Based in New York and primarily sold online, Nuggs is on track for $8 million in revenue this year. The Australia-born Pasternak began building iOS games at 14 and dropped out of school at 15. By 18, he had built and sold Monkey, a video-chat app with 10 million users. Simulate, his latest venture, has raised more than $15 million from Lerer Hippeau, Alexis Ohanian and McCain Foods. Ever the programmer, Pasternak continually tweaks his plant-based poultry. Nuggs has tested thousands of formulas and released nine versions to the public. Next on the menu? Veggie hot dogs.
As North America settles in for a long pandemic winter, there are bright spots on the horizon. Hundreds of them. The 600 young entrepreneurs, activists, scientists and entertainers featured in our 10th Annual Forbes 30 Under 30 give everyone reason to hope. Some are defying the odds and building businesses despite Covid-19; others are helping to fight the illness, serving on hospital front- lines or working with A.I. to discover new drugs. This year they were photographed by one of their own: Mamadi Doumbouya, a 23-year-old immigrant from Guinea who appears in this year’s Art & Style group. Collectively, our Under 30 trailblazers have raised over $1 billion in venture funding and are proof positive that ambition and innovation can’t be quarantined.
Read the full profile on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/30-under-30/2021/
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