Latest News

Former B6 Student Makes the Forbes Annual Top 30 Under 30

We’re delighted to share that B6 Alumni member, Misbah Mogradia, has earned a place in this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list. This is an incredible achievement for Misbah and places her in a list of leading sportspeople, entrepreneurs and creatives in Europe, recognised for their achievements in fields such as Science & Healthcare, Social Impact and Finance. Others in the Forbes 30 under 30 include footballer, Jude Bellingham, and actor, Bella Ramsey.

25-year-old Misbah appears in the Retail & Ecommerce category as the founder of Imaan Active, a modest activewear and swimwear company. Imaan Active sells products ranging from hooded tops to joggers, hijab wraps to swim turbans. The annual revenue is expected to surpass £450,000 in 2024.

Misbah, a former Essa Academy student, left The Sixth Form Bolton in 2017 with A Levels in Economics, English Language and Biology. Misbah was really active in enrichment at The Sixth Form and was the Student Council President organising a summer charity fundraiser and listening to the concerns of the student body. She really enjoyed her time at The Sixth Form saying:

“From having a tight-knit friendship group in school, to then knowing no one at Sixth Form, it was a huge personal development journey for me. To meet and connect with new people, trying different things (being involved in event organising) and adapting to different styles of teaching they all helped me to become more confident and world-ready.”

Misbah said her favourite subject was Economics which she later studied at Manchester University because her teacher “had such a passion for the subject and relayed the importance of current affairs”. She said all her subjects helped her to get where she is:

“I studied English Language, Economics and Biology (a mix because I had no idea what I wanted to do). My English Language comes into use for marketing Imaan Active - I am much more aware of how language impacts how customers perceive the brand. It’s especially important as I want Imaan Active to curate a community of active, empowered women and language choices within campaigns is especially important. Economics really helped me to understand the supply/demand for my products and understand how consumers behave.”

When sharing her news about being included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list for 2024, Misbah said:

“I cannot believe I am typing this right now… I have officially made it on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list for 2024! I started Imaan Active in 2019 in my bedroom as a 20-year-old university student, not knowing a thing about fashion or business but simply wanting to design modest activewear to empower women on their fitness journey. I couldn’t find activewear that covered me in the right areas, that was stylish and was at an affordable price-point. I knew this was a problem for SO many women and was a barrier for us keeping fit and taking care of our health. Whilst still at university, I took a leap of faith and launched Imaan Active.

The last 4 years has been quite the journey, but we have now built a community of over 100,000 supporting us from all over the world. The dream will always be to help women feel confident and comfortable in doing the activities they love.

And lastly, for every Muslim woman who is reading this… it is possible for US to make it. For US to excel in the path that we choose. For US to chase our dreams when the whole world is telling us otherwise. So dream big, and make it happen.”

Everyone a The Sixth Form is delighted for Misbah and we look forward to following her journey. Principal, Stuart Merrills said:

“We are all extremely proud of what Misbah has achieved since leaving the Sixth Form. To start up such a successful business from scratch and appear in the Forbes 30 under 30 is extremely impressive and Misbah is a wonderful role model for our students. We wish her every success in the future and look forward to following her journey.”

Explore Misbah’s range here. We look forward to welcoming Misbah back to The Sixth Form later this year as part of our Women into Leadership Programme.