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3 former Spartans named to Forbes '30 under 30' list

January 8, 2017

In Forbes’ seventh year of the list, 30 influential millennials were chosen across 20 industries, including Education, Music and Venture Capital among others, to make the total number of those honored 600. The number appears high, but according to Forbes.com, each category had under a four percent acceptance rate this year.

Oakley was honored in the Hollywood and Entertainment category, Green in the Sports category and Thompson in the Energy category.

Oakley, 27, is a digital star and humorist who uses YouTube as a platform for activism dedicated to LGBT rights, LGBT youth and other social issues. He got his start as a YouTuber while attending MSU, where he graduated from in 2011. With more than 8 million subscribers, Oakley uses his channel as a way to reflect on contemporary society and culture through collaborating with celebrities, interacting with his viewers and, of course, for humor.

Green, 26, is a forward for the Golden State Warriors. He is an NBA All-Star, two-time All-Defensive team honoree and an Olympic gold medal winner. He played on MSU’s basketball team from 2008 to his graduation in 2012.

 He helped the team enter the Big Ten Tournament championship in 2012 and made two Final Four appearances, among other accomplishments. In 2015, Green donated $3.1 million to MSU, the largest donation from an active athlete in MSU history.

Thompson, 29, is currently a research fellow at University of Michigan. He received his doctorate from MSU in 2014. Thompson is now working with University of Michigan to develop a better battery. His goal is to replace lithium ion technology with a garnet-based electrolyte. This would eliminate the chance of catching fire and maximize energy density, according to his profile on the Forbes website, creating a solid-state ceramic battery.

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