Ballymoney’s Naomi McGregor Makes Forbes 30 Under 30 List

An entrepreneur and former Miss Northern Ireland finalist has earned a spot on one of the world’s most prestigious industry lists.

Naomi McGregor (28), from Ballymoney, has been included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list for Social Impact, in recognition of her work supporting female athletes through injury prevention and performance enhancement.

The north Antrim native is the founder and CEO of Movetru, a start-up aiming to transform the health and fitness sector with cutting-edge wearable technology designed to reduce injuries and improve recovery in athletes.

At the age of 14, Naomi’s decade-long dedication to ballet came to an abrupt end due to a knee injury that ended her hopes of becoming a professional dancer.

It took three years and eight specialist consultations to pinpoint the problem — but by then, the opportunity to pursue her dream had passed.

In 2020, she launched Movetru with a vision to ensure other athletes — particularly women — wouldn’t face the same challenges, especially as women are up to eight times more likely to suffer ACL injuries. “Ultimately, the research that we're doing will disproportionately benefit female athletes, because right now, all biomechanical data that's done in a lab has been assessed on male athletes,” she explained.

“That's why we're seeing a lot of injuries in sports, because we're training women as small men, and a lot more needs to be done.”

Forbes highlighted that Naomi was chosen for the ‘30 Under 30’ list in part due to Movetru’s impressive milestones — including $2.2 million in funding from venture capital, key enterprise partnerships, pilot programs with elite teams, and the development of a groundbreaking data set aimed at transforming injury prevention worldwide.

She was previously named in the Belfast Telegraph’s ‘30 Under 30’ entrepreneurs list in 2022.

A year earlier, she was a finalist in the Miss Northern Ireland competition — a platform she used to advocate for women in STEM. “That year [of Miss NI] there were so many contestants who worked in STEM and were ‘boss’ women, and we learned so much about public speaking and how to present yourself — all things you need in a professional role and skills I’ve carried with me through to Movetru,” she told this newspaper.

But running a global start-up is no easy feat. Naomi spent a third of 2024 living out of hotels while traveling for work and meetings.

She regularly takes phone calls at 3am and responds to emails at all hours. Naomi McGregor (28) has been named on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list for social impact 2025.

“It is a lifestyle, and to have that global ambition, you have to live it everyday,” she continued.

Speaking about her inclusion on the Forbes list, she said: “I am so grateful to my phenomenal team, our investors, and the many people who have supported this journey.
“Your belief has made moments like this possible, and this is only the beginning.”

The Forbes list spotlights young innovators and leaders under 30 across around 20 categories, honoring those who are shaping the future in areas including business, tech, finance, media, arts, and entertainment.

Among the other Northern Ireland trailblazers recognised this year are Peter Gilleece (28), a former Aston Martin engineer from Belfast, named in the manufacturing and industry category for Vikela — a 3D printing tech company he founded in 2020, which produces lightweight body armour and advanced composites.