Cover Some of the youngest honourees on the Gen.T List 2023: Anushka Purohit, Khiew Hoe Yean, Atthaya “Jeeno” Thitikul, Rania Salsabila Azzahra Rusli, Chloe Chua (Illustration: Raphael Quiason)

The youth are our future—and here are some of the 2023 Gen.T honourees who have shown that age is no hindrance to them making a mark in the world

The trailblazing individuals who make up our annual Gen.T List not only hail from across various industries but are all under the age of 40. Each of them has achieved greatness in their own right, but there’s something else about the leaders we’re featuring here: they are the youngest of this year’s cohort.

Here, we highlight these youths and their potential. Despite—or perhaps because of—their age, these Leaders of Tomorrow have made the world their own, driving change across the region and in their own home countries. 

Read now: Facts about the 2023 Gen.T honourees you didn’t think you needed to know

Anushka Purohit

Millenium baby Anushka Purohit co-founded Hong Kong-based food upcycling startup Breer with the aim of reducing food waste in Hong Kong to zero. The company has worked with local bread manufacturer and restaurant group Maxim’s to brew more than 25,000l of craft beer from 500kg of leftover bread. Purohit has also worked with organisations in London to collect more than 2,300kg of food to donate to impoverished eldery people.

Read now: Ideas and innovation: The Tatler Gen.T Summit launches in Hong Kong in November 2023

Khiew Hoe Yean

Born in 2002, freestyle and backstroke swimmer Khiew Hoe Yean confirmed his status as Malaysia’s top star of the pool when he won the Southeast Asian Games gold medal in the 200m freestyle in 2021. The next year, he followed up in 2022 by breaking the national record in the 400m freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships. He also holds the records in the 800m freestyle and 200m backstroke categories.

Atthaya “Jeeno” Thitikul

Hailing from Thailand, Atthaya “Jeeno” Thitikul is the youngest winner of a professional golf tournament. She started playing the sport at six years old and began breaking sporting records at 14. In November 2022, she became the second-youngest LPGA world number one. 

Read now: Gen.T List 2023: The changemakers from Thailand to know

Bianca Bustamante

Born in 2005, Bianca Bustamante is the youngest Gen.T honouree on the Philippine list. A racing driver for Prema Racing, she has broken boundaries and is the first Filipina to win a Formula 1 Academy race. Bustamante drove her first race cart at age 3 and has loved the sport ever since. Inspired by her father, who was a racer himself, she followed in his footsteps and now trains daily to maximise her potential.

Rania Salsabila Azzahra Rusli

Rania Salsabila Azzahra Rusli is the founder of the youth organisation SeeForCare, which harnesses the work of 50-plus volunteers to implement social projects throughout Indonesia. Focusing on sustainable development, education, health, economic empowerment, and the preservation of arts and culture, it managed 150 projects within its first two years. Born in 2007, Rusli is also a singer who has released several successful singles.

Chloe Chua

A Singaporean violin prodigy, Chloe Chua has won international competitions that include the 2018 Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists and the 24th Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition. Born in 2007, she has performed with the China Philharmonic Orchestra and the Kammerorchester Basel Chamber Orchestra. She is also the artist-in-residence at the Singapore Symphony Orchestra for its 2022/23 season. In March 2023, she released her debut recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on the music label Pentatone.


See more honourees on the Gen.T List 2023.

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