They come from diverse backgrounds and span across different industries. They’re the young people shaping Canberra’s future.
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ContinueSome of the young people included in The Canberra Times’ list of 30 under-30. Pictures file, supplied
We’ve compiled a list of 30 Canberrans under the age of 30 who are contributing to how we live in the capital. Among them are sport stars, chefs, musicians, conservationists, and entrepreneurs putting our city on the map.
Scroll below to read the full list (in no particular order).
Hemnath Thapa Maga, pizza chef
Chef Hemm at Sliceria. Picture by Karleen Minney
Who makes the best pizza in the world? Chef Hemm – aka Hemnath Thapa Maga – does, and he’s right here in Canberra. The 29-year-old Nepalese chef was one of only two in Australia in a 2023 list of the world’s top pizza chefs, in a list dominated, unsurprisingly, by Italians. He’s since bought the restaurant that had previously employed him, Pizza Artigiana in Macquarie, runs the lakeside staple The Jetty and opened a hole-in-the-wall joint called Sliceria in Civic. Crowds and queues wherever he – or his pizza – goes.
Selecta Wines, bold young vintners
Lochie Carey, Lang Stratton, Matthew Kingma and Mark Rusanov of Selecta Wines. Picture by Keegan Carroll
Four tradies walk into a winery – and decide to have a crack at making their own wine. Two years later, Selecta Wines have made their way into Canberra restaurants and the brand is going strong. Mark Rusanov, Lang Stratton, Lochie Carey and Matthew Kingma, four schoolmates in their mid-20s who had been working in construction, just wanted to have a bit of fun when they set out to make some wine. It helped that Stratton’s folks already had a winery – Norton Road Wines in Wamboin – but the four achieved their aim in record time, making wine and having fun.
Genesis Owusu, singer, rapper, ARIA winner
Genesis Owusu, when he was nominated as 2023’s ACT Young Australian of the Year. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong
Currently our most famous resident (the PM doesn’t count), this legend was never going to be left off this list. Kofi Owusu-Ansah, 27, known by his stage name Genesis Owusu, is a Ghanaian-Australian rapper and singer who was born in Ghana and moved with his family to Canberra as a child. His genre-bending music, blending hip-hop, post-punk and funk have earned him multiple awards – his first two records won Aria album of the year – and appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and at international festivals. And yet he still lives in Canberra, in Weston Creek. Legend!
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, awesome girl band
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers – not quite your average Canberrans. Picture by She Is Aphrodite
Ten years ago, these four Year 9 kids had a sleepover, watched the Jack Black movie School of Rock, and decided to start a band. In their retelling, they picked up their instruments the very next day and started playing, although it took a while to become really good. Cut to 2025, and vocalist Anna Ryan, guitarist Scarlett McKahey, drummer Neve van Boxsel, and bassist Jaida Stephenson have gone from playing Nirvana covers to playing with Dave Grohl. They’ve also performed at last year’s Arias, opened for Pearl Jam, and have just released their second album, Glory, to acclaim. It’s a long way from playing a school fete in Canberra, but this group are the real thing. And they’re still only in their mid-20s.
The Canberra Garms crew, vintage clothing obsessives
Vintage-loving Canberra Garms crew Aiden Hellyer, Gaby Leydman, Amaru Ley, Finn Harmer and Tom Rush. Picture by Keegan Carroll
This is what happens when you get five vintage clothing-mad boys together, right? Scratch that – it’s not a scenario you’d see very often. The boys in questions were just kids when they began a side-hustle to boost their pocket money, selling vintage clothes online. Soon, they were selling thousands of items every year, and it all started from a shared passion for thrifting. Amaru Ley, Gaby Leydman, Finn Harmer and Tom Rush, all 19, and Aiden Hellyer, 18, have since set up a bricks-and-mortar store in Braddon, and are still pretty much kids, with an empire that still runs online while servicing the hip and happening on Lonsdale St. Their business, Canberra Garms, is one of the top stores on Depop around the world, with the boys eventually tapping into overseas suppliers. Cool and wholesome.
Maddie Cardone, glass artist
Glass artist Maddie Cardone. Picture supplied
Canberra’s own School of Art and Design truly produces some of the greats. Maddie Cardone won a scholarship in glass studies, graduated in 2021, and has been making waves in the glass scene ever since. She’s only 29 but has been showing her work nationally and internationally since 2017, and won the Aldo Bellini Acquisition Award for Milano Vetro Under-35, in Milan in 2024. She’s a rising star in a very rarified world, but one we can call our own here in Canberra, thanks to the Canberra Glassworks and the ANU hotshop. Maddie’s work is currently on show in Glass Chrysalis II, an emerging triennial exhibition of rising glass artists at Wagga Gallery, which houses the national glass collection.
Sita Sargeant, founder of She Shapes History
Sita Sargeant, founder of She Shapes History. Picture by Karleen Minney
The ACT’s 2026 Young Australian of the Year Sita Sargeant has really done something great. Her historical tourism company, She Shapes History, uncovers the often-overlooked stories of women who have helped shape Australia, often with no recognition. The enterprise began in Canberra back in 2021, with her first tour that, she was sure, no one would turn up to. Cut to 2025, and she and her team of guides have taken more than 10,000 people on tours, and expanded to Sydney, Melbourne and Wollongong, with more cities set to be included. The 29-year-old also hosts a podcast and this year published a book highlighting the stories of more than 250 women who have shaped Australian history.
Cameron Myers, athletics star
Cameron Myers on the field. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong
He’s a teen star who just can’t seem to stop breaking records. He burst onto the scene two years ago after a sub-four minute mile while only 16, but this year Myers has taken a big step into more senior athletics competitions. At this rate, only Gout Gout is standing in his way as the next big thing in Australian athletics. Although he narrowly missed out on Paris in 2024, he claimed his maiden podium finish in the Diamond League last year, with silver in the men’s dream mile at the Bislett Games in Oslo, clocking the third-fastest time ever by an under-20 runner. That momentum continued when he finished fourth at a World Athletics continental tour gold event in the Czech Republic, and set an Australian under-20 record in the men’s 1500m. The future’s bright for this Canberran star.
Basketball star Alex Toohey. Picture by Keegan Carroll
“Standing 6-foot-11 in shoes, 6-11 wingspan, strong feel for the game, two-way versatility, gets in passing lanes, doing a little bit of everything at both ends of the floor” … it’s hard to square this very NBL-style description with the Marist College graduate who’s been drafted into the NBA. He was set to play alongside one of the greatest players of all time, Steph Curry, for the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco, and follow in the footsteps of another Canberra great, Patty Mills, before a season-ending injury saw him sidelined. But he’s only 21, right? Plenty of time and talent to keep his future bright.
Katelyn Czubara, first female driver for the ANU Formula Sport Team
Katelyn Czubara is the first female driver in the ANU Formula Sport Team. Picture supplied
You never know where you’ll end up – Katelyn Czubara just wants everyone to remember that, especially young people trying to decide what to do with their lives. She grew up on the South Coast, moved to Canberra after high school to study languages at ANU in 2021, and found herself drawn from day one to the Formula Sport Team due to her early love of karting. Although she smashed her language degree, studying overseas and winning a German scholarship, she’s also now the team’s business leader, and competes in a car she helped build, in what we all know is still a male-dominated sport. Her life’s an open road.
Maddi Easterbrook, founder of Future Swirl
Maddie Easterbrook, founder of oat-milk ice cream company Future Swirl. Picture supplied
Another shining example of taking the road less travelled rather than a well-worn path, Maddi Easterbrook finished her law degree at ANU and promptly founded her own company making sustainable and locally sourced oat-milk ice cream. As you do. It’s a business she runs alongside a career in journalism, and the product is sold in several Canberra supermarkets and pops up at big events, and there are frequent requests from Sydney and Melbourne. Long and intimidating queues. No surprise there – this stuff is delicious, especially the soft-serve version.
Jarrod Sopniewski, conservation biologist
Conservation biologist Jarrod Sopniewski. Picture supplied
Imagine you were a frog, and everything around you had conspired to push you nearly to extinction. A deadly fungus, say. What would entice you back from the brink? How about a sauna and a salt bath? In a project led by University of Canberra researcher Jarrod Sopniewski, around 180 perspex-encased brick saunas and salt bath satellite ponds are being installed in 15 wetlands around Canberra, in a bid to coax the beautiful green and golden bell frogs back from extinction. Renowned for a mating call that sounds like a motorbike changing gears, they’ve been silent in Canberra since the 1980s, but Dr Sopniewski is leading their triumphant return. He and his team will be releasing the frogs into this strange and luxurious new environment over the next year.
Jakida Smith, Indigenous dancer
Dancer Jakida Smith. Picture by Karleen Minney
Anyone who’s attended any large-scale official ceremony in the past few years will have seen 23-year-old Jakida Smith dancing alongside her father, Duncan Smith. As part of consultancy Wiradjuri Echoes, she’s all about teaching the next generation about their culture, and reminding everyone at these events how strong this culture is. And plenty of people have seen her in action, including the King and Queen of Sweden, the Prince and Princess of Wales, prime ministers and governor-generals. But for the all glamour, her happiest place is teaching kids.
Laura Nuttall, ACT Greens MLA
Laura Nuttall in Question Time. Picture by Karleen Minney
The first line in her official bio says it all, really: at just 25, Laura Nuttall is the youngest ever Greens representative elected to any Australian parliament. She’s also the first Gen Z Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly ever. Born in Canberra, she joined the Greens in 2018, and ran as a candidate for Brindabella in the 2020 ACT election, to champion the ACT Greens’ vision for a “better normal”. Not so normal to become an MLA so young though! She eventually became a member via a countback, after a former MLA resigned amidst a scandal, and won the seat in last year’s election. Life has a way of working things out, especially when you’re young.
Tom Wiggins, real estate gun
Tom Wiggins, real estate agent at Hive. Picture supplied
Legend has it that Tom Wiggins moved to Canberra from Cootamundra the day after getting a job as an assistant at Hive real estate. Eight years later, he’s shifting seven-figure properties and has just bought his own in Yarralumla, by the water. Did we mention he’s 26? But we also hear that he’s looked up to, and all about paying it forward to others in the profession, particularly to the new young sellers coming in (because 26 is old now?)
Liam Adams – author and cartoonist
Cartoonist and author Liam Adams. Picture supplied
The title of his publishing business is bold as brass and hard to argue with – “Everyone Needs A Liam”. And don’t we just? Liam Adams is a cartoonist and author who’s challenging perceptions about autism and living with intellectual disability. And yes, you read that correctly – he has his own publishing business through which he’s written, illustrated and put out eight books, combining science fiction, fantasy and comedy. Through his writing, speaking appearances and cartoons, he’s an awe-inspiring role model for other neurodivergent and disabled artists. He was also another worthy finalist in the 2026 Young Australian of the Year line-up.
Anthony Giorgi – CEO of Leadr car dealership
Leadr car dealership chief executive Anthony Giorgi. Picture supplied
He was a teen soccer star who played a season in Italy’s third-division Serie C in 2019. But this kid didn’t peak too soon. He’s since built up a thriving second-hand luxury car business in Canberra and is already shifting millions – of dollars, that is. He’s been described as “an absolute weapon of a young guy” – the business has its sights to set on an expansion to Dubai.
Voice of an angel, Lucy Sugerman. Picture by James Croucher
We love Lucy Sugerman and have done since she stole our – and the nation’s – hearts as a contestant on The Voice back in 2017. She was only 15, but had already been playing music since she was a baby, turning heads with her ethereal vocals and wowing professionals. And eight years later, still only 25, she’s well and truly a fixture on Canberra’s artistic landscape, recording albums, playing gigs and speaking out when the odds seem stacked against the arts.
Toastie king Alex Royds. Picture by Karleen Minney
This descriptor doesn’t really do justice to the very gourmet sangers Alex Royds has been serving up for several years now, via the Melted Toasted Sandwich Emporium in Fyshwick. These are toasties, but not as you know them. The 29-year-old also has The Cheeserie, a fromagerie at Belconnen Markets, and will soon open another Melted in the city. Plus, a decade ago he became Australia’s youngest piano tuner at the age of 19. You read that right – Canberra is filled with such multi-skilled wonders. But back to the toasties – have you ever heard of a Mee Goreng Noodles one? You have now.
Zak Farag, tech entrepreneur
Zak Farag, founder of Psyquility. Picture by Keegan Carroll
He may head up a software company, but when he was 15, Zak Farag was homeless and sleeping in a Coles carpark. One of his teachers described him as “the most destructive child I’ve come across in my 40 years of teaching”. Turns out he had ADHD, which would have been useful to know. Now 25, he has developed a new app to support people with ADHD. Psyquility aims to help neurodivergent individuals achieve their daily, weekly, and monthly goals, especially while waiting for official diagnosis and treatment. Not bad for a kid who was once branded “naughty and stupid”. Give them time …
Satara Uthayakumaran – youth representative to the United Nations
It’s pretty standard for 20-something uni students to travel around Australia, but not many of them have as defined a purpose as Satara Uthayakumaran. The ANU law student – what is it with these ANU law students? – is also Australia’s Youth Representative to the United Nations for 2025, and has spent the year listening to young people’s stories across the country, including those in detention, and compiling their experiences for an address to the General Assembly.
Satara Uthayakumaran. Picture by Elesa Kurtz
Grace Kemp, Canberra Raiders fixture
One of the brightest female sporting prospects in Canberra and a dual-code superstar. Grace Kemp started her career professional career while she was a 17-year-old at Canberra Girls Grammar and went on to earn Wallaroos selection for the rugby union World Cup in 2022. She then made the switch to rugby league to join the Canberra Raiders for their inaugural NRLW season in 2023. Kemp has since become a fixture in the Raiders side and has played for NSW and the Indigenous all stars.
Grace Kemp in action. Picture by Keegan Carroll
Hudson Young, Raider/business owner
We could’ve really picked a handful of Canberra Raiders for this list, especially after they turned the capital green this year and recaptured the club’s golden-era popularity. There’s no doubt 23-year-old Kaeo Weekes is an excitement machine who’s inspiring kids on fields around the city, and Ethan Strange, 21, is on track to be one of the NRL’s brightest superstars. But Hudson Young deserves to carry the Raiders baton here. The 27-year-old plays for the Raiders, NSW and Australia and is one of the best back-rowers in the world. He has also launched his own business – Young Supplements – to help athletes. Young will be crucial to the Raiders’ hopes of sustained success.
Raider and business owner Hudson Young. Picture by Keegan Carroll
Howard Maclean, housing advocate
If you’ve heard any talk of the “missing middle” lately, it’s likely because of the campaigning efforts of 2026 ACT Young Australian of the Year nominee Howard Maclean. As the founder of advocacy group Greater Canberra, he’s devoted to seeing more affordable housing, liveable suburbs and environmentally sustainable planning as the norm. The group has been a steady voice advocating for changes in ACT planning laws. The missing middle – low-rise, medium-density housing, more or less, is the future, and Maclean is busy getting us all on board.
Housing activist Howard Maclean. Picture supplied
Anjali Sharma, climate activist
What were you doing when you were 14? Probably not taking on the federal government in court over coal mine, like 2026 ACT Young Australian of the Year finalist Anjali Sharma. She was also organising school strikes in Melbourne to urge governments to address greenhouse gas emissions. Now a 21-year-old law student at the ANU, she’s still hard at it, campaigning for a proposed amendment to the Climate Change Act, known as the Duty of Care Bill. This would make it a statutory requirement that any climate-related government decisions will take the health and wellbeing of future generations into consideration. You go, Anjali! The future depends on people like you!
Climate activist Anjali Sharma. Picture supplied
Abbey Best, urban explorer
Say what you want about Abbey Best’s preferred pastime, but it certainly has people talking. The 21-year-old has amassed thousands of social media followers thanks to her penchant for exploring abandoned sites in Canberra. She films herself, and people love it. Recent visits have included the Big Splash Water Park and Telstra Tower – both fenced, abadoned, and great fodder for Instagram. It’s not hard to see why such exploits have people fascinated – urban exploring is inherently fascinating, as it takes the casual viewer into places they would never otherwise see. And while it necessarily involves trespassing on private property, Best is careful not condone it, keeping her forays “respectful”.
Abbey Best has raised eyebrows with her urban exploring. Picture by Gary Ramage
Anton Steinhauser, Lake Ginninderra College student who received an ATAR of 99.95
At this time of year, we could have included any number of high-achieving teenagers who can now look forward to the rest of their lives, having completed Year 12 and secured university placements. But what the heck; here’s Anton Steinhauser, who achieved one of the ACT’s very highest ATAR scores, specialising in maths, specialist methods, physics, chemistry, English and German. He’s planning to study quantum physics, because of the “many unknowns” in the field. The future is yours, Anton!
High-achieving high school student Anton Steinhauser. Picture supplied
Nathalie Morris, Canberra-born TV and film actor
We just enjoyed a new Christmas special of the much-loved Aussie drama Bump, so it’s a good time to remind everyone one of the lead roles is played by a Canberra-born actor who’s doing great things. Nathalie Morris, who plays Oly on the show, is a Canberra Youth Theatre alumni, and finished high school before moving to New Zealand to study acting. That’s fine, people leave! But since she’s done so many great things since, we like to claim her as our own.
Actor Nathalie Morris stars in Bump. Picture Stan
Tilda Joy, artist and designer
Tilda Joy, recent art school graduate who redesigned the space at Questacon’s Mini-Q. Picture supplied
We all love MiniQ, Questacon’s gallery for young children, and parents especially are thrilled that it’s re-opened with a gorgeous new look. It’s a look that largely down to the work of Tilda Joy, a recent graduate of ANU’s School of Art & Design. She finished degrees in design and environmental science, and with experience working in the Questacon galleries, pitched her designs when the redevelopment process began. After producing dozens of designs, from individual characters, to 3D models and twelve-metre murals, she now gets to see them all in real life. It’s as thrilling for her as for the many thousands of children who will walk through the space in years to come.
Keeley Gay, radio personality
Radio personality Keely Gay. Picture supplied
She’s a 24-year-old Canberran local – many of you will have heard her voice – who has more than carved out a name for herself in the local and national radio scene. A student of Merici and Dickson College, she began at CanberraFM in 2023 as a Sales Coordinator – a mere sales coordinator! – but is now one of the longest-standing members on the on air team of Hit104.7, whilst simultaneously producing the highest rating radio show in Canberra – Kristen & Nige. She was nominated for an Australia-wide Australian Commercial Radio Award in 2024 for Best Newcomer Off Air and in 2023, was a part of the winning team of Station of the Year for her work on Mix106.3. What will she do next?
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