Chatham Graduate Named To Forbes '30 Under 30' List

CHATHAM, NJ — A Chatham High School graduate was recently named to the prestigious "30 Under 30" list by Forbes magazine.

Drew Lilley, the founder of Calion Technologies, was chosen out of more than 20,000 people across the nation who applied for the Forbes 2024 list. He was selected in the industry category of Energy.

“This year’s list makers were handpicked from more than a thousand nominations and narrowed down by Forbes editors and a panel of all-star judges in the social impact space,” said the magazine’s article.

Lilley is a thermal scientist who earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley in 2023. Before that, he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Physics, Bachelor of Science in Engineering, and Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

According to Forbes, Lilley founded Calion Technologies to commercialize his doctoral research on ionocaloric heating and cooling for zero-emission refrigeration.

Calion Technologies has since garnered $3 million in grant financing and pledges from incubators and venture firms to develop its first prototype. Following the completion of prototype testing, it will move toward a paid pilot test in roughly eight homes.

Prior to being selected for the 30 Under 30 list, Lilley was evaluated by Forbes staff and a panel of independent, expert judges who represent the best and brightest minds in their respective industries.

"We look at a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) funding, revenue, investors, social impact, scale, stage, inventiveness and potential," Forbes staff said. "While financial metrics are top of mind for most categories, there is no specific formula, algorithm or weighting we assign to these factors, as they vary by category and industry. We focus on highlighting entrepreneurs, founders and creators of their own brands–with less of an emphasis on those hired after a company's founding."

While a student at Chatham High School, Lilley competed on the school's robotics team. Lilley was featured on Chatham Patch in 2010 when he built a wind turbine in his backyard. He also won $4,000 for his role on the 2013 robotics team.