John Catsimatidis, billionaire businessman and founder of the Red Apple Group, built a diversified empire spanning supermarkets, energy, real estate, and aviation. After immigrating to the United States from Greece as a child, he left college to take over a small grocery store and expanded it into the Gristedes supermarket chain, later branching into oil refining and fuel distribution through United Refining. Catsimatidis also became a major New York real estate developer, adding residential towers and mixed-use properties to his portfolio. A prominent political donor, radio host, and philanthropist, he remains one of New York’s most outspoken and influential entrepreneurial figures.

John Calamos, founder and global CIO of Calamos Investments, is a pioneering figure in convertible securities and risk-managed equity investing. After serving as a U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, he launched his investment firm in 1977 with a strategy centered on convertibles—an overlooked asset class he helped bring into mainstream institutional portfolios. Under his leadership, Calamos Investments grew into a multibillion-dollar asset manager serving global institutions, public funds, and private wealth clients, while Calamos became known as a leading author and educator on volatility, capital structure, and portfolio construction. His disciplined, analytical approach has earned him a reputation as both an innovator and one of the most respected long-term investors in modern finance.

James Scapa, founder, chairman, and CEO of Altair, has spent four decades building the company into a global leader in simulation, high-performance computing, and data analytics. Starting Altair in 1985 with a small engineering team, Scapa helped pioneer computer-aided engineering tools that transformed product design across automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and technology industries. Under his leadership, Altair expanded into cloud computing, AI, and enterprise analytics, evolving into a multibillion-dollar publicly traded company. Known for his long-term vision and engineering-driven culture, Scapa remains one of the most respected leaders in applied simulation and computational science.

Jim Chanos, legendary short-seller and founder of Kynikos Associates, built his reputation as one of Wall Street’s most prominent contrarian investors. Best known for uncovering the Enron scandal by shorting the company before its collapse, Chanos has spent decades analyzing corporate fraud, overvaluation, and financial misrepresentation. His disciplined skepticism and forensic approach to investing have made him a key voice on market bubbles and corporate governance. Beyond finance, Chanos is an active philanthropist supporting education, economic research, and public policy initiatives.

George Yancopoulos, cofounder, president, and chief scientific officer of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, is one of the most accomplished scientist-executives in biotechnology. A Columbia-trained physician and molecular immunologist, he helped shape Regeneron’s R&D engine, leading to breakthrough therapies in ophthalmology, immunology, oncology, and infectious disease. Under his guidance, the company developed Eylea, a blockbuster treatment for macular degeneration, and partnered in creating COVID-19 antibody therapies. With hundreds of patents and a reputation for scientific rigor, Yancopoulos has become a driving force behind Regeneron’s rise as a global biotech leader.

George Sakellaris, Greek-American entrepreneur and engineer, is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Ameresco, a leading energy services company specializing in renewable energy, efficiency, and infrastructure modernization. Since launching the firm in 2000, he has overseen its growth into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise delivering clean energy solutions to governments, businesses, and institutions across North America and Europe. Known for combining technical expertise with a vision for sustainability, Sakellaris has established himself as a key figure in advancing the transition to a low-carbon economy.

George Marcus, Greek-American real estate mogul, is the founder and chairman of Marcus & Millichap, one of the largest commercial real estate brokerage firms in the United States. Since launching the company in 1971, he has expanded it into a nationwide powerhouse specializing in investment sales, financing, research, and advisory services. Beyond brokerage, Marcus also cofounded Essex Property Trust, a publicly traded REIT focused on West Coast multifamily housing, cementing his influence across both transactional and ownership sides of the real estate industry.

Charles Dean Metropoulos is a Greek‑American billionaire investor and turnaround specialist. Founder and CEO of C. Dean Metropoulos & Co., he has revived iconic consumer brands like Hostess, Pabst Brewing, Bumble Bee Foods, and Pinnacle—all through disciplined buy-and-build value creation across 80+ companies and ~$12 billion of invested capital.