The Smooth Company founder Áine Kennedy is one of 10 Irish people included in Forbes 30 Under 30 list for Europe.
The list spotlights business people across 10 categories, all under the age of 30, who are believed to be driving innovation and change in their respective fields.
To compile the list, Forbes sifts through thousands of online submissions, and contacts industry connections and former honorees to identify influential people in the fields. A team of expert judges then evaluate the candidates, assessing them on a range of factors.
Kennedy founded The Smooth Company in 2022. Having identified a gap in the market for a solution to smooth flyaway hair, her first invention was the Smooth Stick.
Prior to starting The Smooth Company, Kennedy had spent eight years working in the beauty industry and getting an entrepreneurship degree, before investing all her money into her business.
It has since amassed more than 150 million organic TikTok views, and has customers in about 70 countries. Here in Ireland, the product range is sold in Peter Mark salon, Brown Thomas and Arnotts.
Kennedy shared the news on social media.”This really is a dream come true!” she posted. “I’ve written Forbes 30 Under 30 down as a goal every single year since I started The Smooth Company, and I honestly can’t believe it’s just happened.
“I’ve been named in the Retail & E-commerce category, which recognises founders building and scaling brands in consumer, online and retail spaces globally. To be recognised at that level, in such a competitive category, is something I don’t take lightly. And what makes it even more surreal is being listed alongside women like Molly-Mae Hague, Daisy May Kelly and Lucie Macleod. So grateful to everyone who has supported me and The Smooth Company on this journey, this really means everything.”
