The prestigious list, now in its sixth year, recognises leading entrepreneurs and creatives throughout Europe. Six students or alumni from UCL Social & Historical Sciences were included this time round:
- Ali Tehrani (UCL Economics and Geography) is founder of Astroscreen which uses AI to improve internet communities by detecting social media fakes, disinformation, conspiracy theories and election interference.
- Bolu Babalola (UCL United States Studies: History and Politics) is author of best-selling novel Love in Colour. She was also recognised for her work as an ambassador for The World Literacy Foundation.
- Zeena Qureshi (UCL History of Art with Material Studies) is CEO and co-founder of Sonantic. The startup uses AI to create realistic voices for characters made by entertainment studios.
- Kaitlin Fritz (UCL History of Art) and Olga Kravchenk are co-founders of award-winning education technology startup Musemio.
- Katy Hessel (UCL History of Art) is an art historian and curator who launched the popular Instagram @thegreatwomenartists and is a contributor to British Vogue.
- Fisayo Longe (Anthropology BA) is founder of Kai Collective, a size-inclusive fashion brand.
Another five students and alumni also made the list from other parts of UCL.
Dean of the Faculty of Social & Historical Sciences at UCL, Professor Sasha Roseneil, said: “I congratulate all the students and alumni who have been recognised for their entrepreneurial endeavours in this year’s prestigious Forbes list. It is particularly heartening to see so many entrepreneurs from Social & Historical Sciences being rewarded for their passion, drive and creativity. It is testament to the entrepreneurial spirit we strive to nurture here at UCL. These are precisely the type of businesses and innovative ideas we need to see more of as we rebuild our economy post-pandemic.”