Top 15 youngest faces honored by Forbes in early 2017

Maanasa Mendu is only 14 years old and also the youngest face in Forbes' 30 Under 30 list. With only about $5 (about 110,000 VND), Mendu's innovative leaves can generate clean energy from sunlight, wind, rain... This product is promising to be very suitable for many countries, especially those poor and underdeveloped ones.The young Indian girl was inspired to create this special device after visiting some difficult areas in India, where clean water and energy are extremely scarce and expensive. After 3 months of hard work with enthusiastic guidance from 3M engineers, Mendu's solar leaves were officially completed excellently although the initial idea was only to harness energy from the wind.Under the guidance of special mentor Margauz Mitera and inspired by the photosynthesis system of leaves, Mendu came up with the idea of a 'solar leaf' system to both harness light energy and harness vibrational energy like rain, wind... by combining existing solar energy panels with electrostatic materials.ACHIEVEMENT: First prize in the Young Scientist Challenge

Chloe Kim is the first American snowboarder to win two gold medals at the 2016 Youth Olympics. She also holds the record for the highest score in the history of this competition. Chloe Kim was born on April 23, 2000, making her only 17 years old when she made it to this list, in the city of Torrance, California, USA. Chloe Kim is ranked 47,584th in the world and 28th among the world's famous snowboarders, while the total population of the United States was about 281,421,906 people in 2000.ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Won multiple gold medals in the SuperPipe competition at the Winter X Games
• The first woman to land back-to-back 1080 spins at the US Snowboarding Grand Prix in 2016.
• Gold medal at the 2016 Youth Olympic Winter Games

Gabriel Mesa hails from Canton, Connecticut, USA, and garnered attention at just 9 years old due to the success of his method to improve his grandfather's tracheostomy tube. Since then, he has been leveraging his abilities in areas related to human health, such as creating devices to aid those with memory loss, schizophrenia, or sleep apnea...Most recently, Gabriel invented a groundbreaking technology called Carbon. Stimu-ped, a support tool designed for diabetics. Treating diabetes is often costly and restricts mobility, causing various degrees of pain. With a design akin to a regular shoe insole, the Stimu-ped generates a stimulating electric charge with each step, helping to restore damaged nerves and minimize the burden on patients undergoing treatment. Carbon battery is highly versatile, powering personal devices like phones, iPads, or even larger tech systems. Its unique feature lies in its eco-friendliness, constructed from multiple layers of miraculous graphene without any harmful substances. Moreover, Carbon battery's energy is weather-resistant. Two of Gabriel's inventions are currently being assisted by a local lawyer to complete the patent registration process.ACHIEVEMENTS:

• Finalist in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2012
• Winner of the XPrize Challenge
• First prize in the Science-Engineering Fair
• Multiple awards at the Connecticut Invention Convention
• Participation in the White House Science Fair

James Charles, at the age of 17, is a talented makeup artist from New York, USA. He caused a sensation across social media platforms with his makeup skills, becoming the first male face in the long-standing history of the renowned cosmetics brand CoverGirl. His Instagram account boasts over 500,000 followers, and his YouTube channel has garnered 75,000 likes. Reflecting on being chosen by CoverGirl, James Charles expressed, 'I am so thrilled, happy, and surprised to be the first male ambassador. I am honored to work with such an iconic cosmetics brand.' He believes that any gender stereotypes will be immediately shattered when a man feels comfortable and confident enough to wear makeup. James Charles discovered his passion for makeup early on and set out with great determination to pursue it by becoming a freelance makeup artist.

Skyler Grey emerges as a young star in the art world, holding his first art exhibition at just 11 years old. The 16-year-old American student has previously painted murals at one of the world's most luxurious resorts, the Four Seasons in Dubai. He also has a 'masterpiece' adorning the exterior of the Cipriani building in Abu Dhabi. Skyler demonstrates his versatility by using a variety of materials such as silk, oil pastels, and paint to bring his artistic visions to life.

Keiana Cave, at the age of 18, dedicated over three years to researching the aftermath of the largest oil spill in the world caused by the British Petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico, USA. As a student of the University of Michigan, she invented a molecule capable of rapidly decomposing oil.

At 17 years old, Rohan Suri is the founder of a company specializing in manufacturing trauma diagnostic devices employing unique technology to monitor user eye behavior. Since June 2016, the device developed by the American high school student has helped diagnose conditions for 60 individuals.

Elle Fanning, born Mary Elle Fanning in 1988, is a talented American actress. Elle first gained recognition as the 'sister of actress Dakota Fanning.' However, her acting prowess led her to be recognized through roles in popular films like Phoebe in Wonderland, Somewhere, We Bought a Zoo, and as Princess Aurora in the blockbuster Maleficent. With German ancestry and roots from Ireland, Elle possesses an innocent beauty and expressive eyes that speak volumes, making her a prominent Hollywood princess. Elle embarked on her acting career playing supporting roles for her sister Dakota. In 2002, at the age of 4, Fanning took on her first lead role in the comedy film Daddy Day Care, aiming to step out of her sister's shadow. Since then, Elle has carved out her own path, establishing a successful career. Elle was ranked 19th in Entertainment Weekly's list of the top 30 actors under 30 in 2008.

9. Daya

At just 18 years old, Daya is hailed as a gem in the music industry. She is an American singer-songwriter of immense fame. In October 2016, she released her debut album titled 'Sit Still, Look Pretty,' which was honored with platinum certification. Her blockbuster hit 'Don’t Let Me Down' (collaboration with The Chainsmokers), released on February 5, 2016, swiftly climbed the prestigious Billboard Hot 100 chart in the U.S., reaching as high as the 3rd position.

10. Desiigner

Singer and rapper Desiigner, born in 1998 in Brooklyn, New York City, USA. Desiigner is ranked 3013th globally and 129th among famous singers and rappers in the United States. He is a hip-hop artist and the creator of the hit single 'Panda,' released in February 2016. The single achieved platinum status and topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, earning Desiigner a nomination for the 'Best New Artist' award at the prestigious MTV Video Music Awards 2016.

11. Simone Biles

Simone Arianne Biles born in 1997 is a talented American artistic gymnast. She clinched 4 gold medals, 1 silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics becoming the American gymnast with the most gold medals in a single Olympic Games. Furthermore, she is a 3-time World All-Around champion (2013–2015), 3-time World Floor champion (2013–2015), 2-time World Balance Beam champion (2014–2015), and 4-time United States National All-Around champion (2013–2016). Her achievements extend to being a member of the US Women's Gymnastics team at the 2014 and 2015 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and at the 2016 Summer Olympics held in Rio de Janeiro. With 19 Olympic and World Championship titles, Simone Biles is regarded as one of the most successful gymnasts in the history of American gymnastics. Additionally, Biles has numerous medals from various international competitions.

12. Kai Kloepfer

Kai Kloepfer resides in Boulder, Colorado, USA, just 57 km away from the Aurora movie theater where a tragic shooting incident took place in 2012, resulting in the loss of 12 lives and numerous injuries. This event inadvertently became a significant catalyst, driving 19-year-old Kloepfer to embark on research to develop a new technology aimed at preventing innocent lives from being taken due to gun violence. Kloepfer believes that gun-related incidents, whether accidental, suicidal, or deliberately malicious, pose grave dangers and can claim far more lives than mass shootings. He once stated, 'When gun owners hold a firearm, they can use it easily. But if a child holds it, or a teenager attempts suicide, or even if... an assailant tries to threaten a police officer, that firearm will immediately lock and become inoperable'. While this is a brilliant idea, turning it into a viable product will require substantial research funding. Currently, Kloepfer has managed to raise over $9,000 on his own, a modest amount compared to the initial target of $72,000.

Kylie Kristen Jenner born in 1997 is a well-known figure in American reality television. She is regarded as a new trendsetter among the youth and also a talented model. Jenner rose to fame through her appearances on the reality television series 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' on the E! network. In 2012, she began collaborating with the clothing brand PacSun, along with her famous sister Kendall, to create their own fashion line 'Kendall and Kylie'. In 2014, Time magazine listed the Jenner sisters on its list of the 25 most influential teens of 2014 due to their significant influence on teenagers on social media. She also made the list the following year. In 2016, she was honored as one of the top 10 most-followed personalities on the social media platform Instagram. In 2015, Jenner officially launched a completely new line of cosmetics called Kylie Cosmetics and a new app that became the number one seller on the iTunes App Store. According to Forbes, her income in 2016 could reach millions of dollars, second only to her famous sister Kim Kardashian.

Matt Salsamendi founded Beam - a livestreaming platform that allows interaction among gamers to control games so that all viewers can participate with them - at just 18 years old. The outstanding features of Beam compared to many other current online gaming platforms caught the attention of the tech giant Microsoft. Eight months later, Matt agreed to sell Beam to Microsoft.

Ann Makosinski is a high school student in Victoria, British Columbia, who recognized that the heat generated by the human body is an overlooked source of energy wastage, leading her to conceive the idea of using this energy more efficiently by inventing a body-heat powered flashlight. The flashlight operates more effectively due to the temperature differential between the surrounding air and the human body. The 19-year-old girl noted that the flashlight costs about $26, considerably more expensive than most conventional flashlights, but users won't need to spend money on replacing batteries. Makosinski hopes that if her product is mass-produced, its price will be much lower. Three years after her invention, she continued to develop eDrink - a device that can harness heat from a coffee cup to power a computer.