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USC Marshall Alumnus Named in Forbes 30 Under 30 List

USC Marshall Alumnus Named in Forbes 30 Under 30 List

Dylan Tang MSEI ’22 earns a spot on the prestigious list for his innovative work in the grape and agricultural industries.

by: Alexander Bernard
01.31.25
Dylan Tang on his farm

Dylan Tang MSEI ’22 is using the entrepreneurial mindset to take the agricultural industry by storm.

[Photo courtesy of Tang]

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Dylan Tang MSEI ’22 is off to a fast start in his entrepreneurial career. As founder and president of Tang’s Vineyards, he sells his patented variety, “Blueberry Grape,” across H Mart, Bristol Farms, and Ranch 99. For his early success, Tang was recognized in the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 List 2025 (Food and Drink category), which honors the brightest young minds in their fields.

Tang graduated from USC Marshall’s Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation (MSEI) program. He credits the program, faculty, and the school with teaching him a new mindset, allowing him to redistribute responsibilities and expand his entrepreneurial horizons.

“I found that MSEI was a perfect fit for me,” Tang said. “What’s most popular in the entrepreneur world is AI, finance, those high technologies. I knew many of the students in the MSEI program were in those industries. It was a great way for me to get some connections and some inspiration.”

Prior to Marshall, Tang was an up-and-coming founder with a burgeoning agricultural business he started as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. New to the daily challenges of entrepreneurial life, Tang says he micro-managed his business and had trouble delegating key responsibilities.

At Marshall, however, Tang developed an alternate approach and quickly observed a change in himself and his employees.

“I noticed that I’m putting more trust in my managers and also the supervisors and my teams. Therefore, they [became] more motivated to do things and it provided them the freedom to try out things,” Tang said. “Eventually a successful company needs all the people working together to make it successful instead of only just the owner trying to make it successful.”

As a young entrepreneur, Tang felt responsible for every little task, but his Marshall professors Albert Napoli, senior lecturer of clinical entrepreneurship, and Paul Orfalea, founder of Kinko’s and adjunct professor of entrepreneurship, urged him to take a step back and find balance.

“Don’t let the business own you. You need to own the business,” Tang reflected on a lesson imparted by Orfalea. “I started thinking more on how I can manage my employees better instead of putting all of the job on myself … The benefit of it is that now I have more time to think about other things.”

Those “other things” include scaling Tang’s Vineyards, expanding distribution, and investing in other agricultural ventures.

“Without that mindset change, I wouldn’t be able to do that,” Tang said of his new investments. “I might still be fully in the farming industry, just thinking all about my daily operation, my seeding, my planting all the time. I wouldn’t have the time and energy to deal with other stuff.”

What’s most popular in the entrepreneur world is AI, finance, those high technologies. I knew many of the students in the MSEI program were in those industries. It was a great way for me to get some connections and some inspiration.

— Dylan Tang

MSEI ’22 / Founder and President, Tang's Vineyards

Tang’s Vineyards is a specialty farm focused primarily on grapes. At just 19 years old Tang founded the company with the goal of bringing the flavors of his home country, China, to his adopted home, California. Today, his business sells three Asian-infused flavors: Kyoho Grapes, Gold Finger Grapes, and their most famous Blueberry Grapes.

The produce industry is ruthlessly competitive, says Tang, but his vineyards are pushing for space among the larger providers. In 2023, the business sold more than 350,000 cartons of grapes generating a revenue of over $2.5 million. Since then, the vineyard has grown to 150 acres across California and Chile and employs over 300 people during the peak seasons.

Though Tang’s grapes can be found in many high-end Asian supermarkets, the founder is hoping to expand to larger retailers, such as Costco, Walmart, and Albertsons.

“If you go to Vons or Ralphs or Safeway in [Northern] California, there’s probably only 20 companies occupying the whole produce shelf,” Tang said. “I’m trying to be one of those companies.

Shelf space at major supermarkets will require Tang to grow and scale his business to compete at a higher level. Fortunately, many of Tang’s classmates work in industries outside of agriculture, such as advanced technology. He believes these connections could be the leg up he needs to compete with the larger brands.

“My agriculture is in such a unique niche zone that it’s really hard to find somebody that can fit into what my industry is,” Tang said. “But I like to be involved with different industry people where all the new ideas are coming from.”

Tang was honored to be included on the Forbes list, a milestone representing a decade’s worth of work, tracing back to his late teens. Yet, the work is just beginning. While Tang may have originally chosen Marshall for the vast Trojan Network, the shift in his business approach has proven the most valuable commodity earned in the Master of Science, Entrepreneurship and Innovation program.

“I think [you go] to Marshall ... to try to change your mindset throughout your whole study life,” Tang said. “I might’ve gotten [the entrepreneurial mindset] eventually … but, MSEI shortened that time. It’s worth the whole value of joining the MSEI program.”

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