Phillip Ragon, founder and CEO of InterSystems, built one of the most influential private software companies in the world by focusing on high-performance data platforms for healthcare, finance, and government systems. Since founding InterSystems in 1978, Ragon has guided the company’s development of mission-critical database and interoperability technologies used by hospitals, banks, and national infrastructures globally. Known for remaining fiercely private, profitable, and independent, he has prioritized long-term engineering excellence over short-term growth. Ragon is also a major philanthropist, supporting global health, education, and human rights initiatives.

Philippe Laffont, founder and CEO of Coatue Management, built one of the most influential technology-focused investment firms by blending public-market investing with private venture capital. After starting his career at Tiger Management, Laffont launched Coatue in 1999, developing a research-driven model that spans hedge fund strategies and late-stage technology investments. Under his leadership, Coatue became a major backer of category-defining companies across software, fintech, internet platforms, and AI. Known for deep data analysis and thematic conviction, Laffont has helped shape the modern crossover investing landscape.

Patrick Collison, cofounder and CEO of Stripe, built one of the world’s most important financial infrastructure companies by making online payments programmable, global, and developer-friendly. Launching Stripe in 2010 with his brother John, Collison focused on simplifying complex banking rails into clean APIs, enabling millions of businesses—from startups to global enterprises—to transact online. Under his leadership, Stripe expanded into billing, fraud prevention, payouts, and financial tooling that power a large share of the internet economy. Known for intellectual rigor and long-term thinking, Collison has become a defining architect of modern fintech.

Noubar Afeyan, founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, is a leading biotech entrepreneur and venture creator known for inventing companies at the intersection of science and breakthrough innovation. Through Flagship, he has co-founded and incubated dozens of life-sciences companies, most notably Moderna, helping pioneer the mRNA platform that reshaped vaccine development and global public health. Trained as a chemical engineer, Afeyan combines deep scientific rigor with venture discipline, backing long-horizon technologies across biology, health, and sustainability. His work has made Flagship a cornerstone of modern biotech company creation.

Michael Saylor, cofounder and executive chairman of MicroStrategy, is one of the most prominent advocates for Bitcoin in corporate America, steering the software-intelligence company into a bold strategy of converting excess cash into digital assets. A pioneer in enterprise analytics since the 1990s, he transformed his public profile through high-conviction Bitcoin accumulation, positioning MicroStrategy as a major institutional holder and driving global conversation around digital monetary standards. His outspoken leadership and long-term vision make him one of the most influential figures in technology and cryptocurrency.

Michael Rees, co-CEO of Blue Owl Capital, helped build one of the fastest-growing alternative asset managers by combining strategic credit, private equity, and direct lending platforms into a unified scale investment franchise. Since launching the firm’s predecessor units and ultimately merging with Owl Rock and Dyal Capital, Rees has expanded Blue Owl into a multibillion-dollar public powerhouse serving institutional clients worldwide. Known for disciplined capital deployment and tailored solutions across private markets, he has positioned Blue Owl as a leading voice in credit and private investing in the post-crisis era’s evolving financial ecosystem.

John Oyler, cofounder and chairman of BeiGene, is one of the most prominent figures in global oncology drug development, helping build a multinational biopharmaceutical company centered on innovative, accessible cancer therapies. After successful ventures in medical technology and data analytics, he launched BeiGene in 2010 with a mission to integrate world-class research with large-scale clinical operations across Asia, Europe, and the United States. Under his leadership, the company has developed breakthrough cancer drugs, secured major partnerships with industry leaders like Novartis and Amgen, and scaled into a global enterprise listed on multiple exchanges. Known for his scientist–entrepreneur mindset, Oyler has reshaped how biotech innovation and commercialization connect across continents.

John Bicket, co-founder and CTO of Samsara, turned a PhD-level tech project at MIT into a multibillion-dollar industrial Internet-of-Things company. After earlier selling his first startup, Meraki, to Cisco for $1.2 billion, Bicket teamed up with Sanjit Biswas in 2015 to build Samsara—fusing sensors, AI, and cloud software to monitor fleets, equipment, and field operations across thousands of enterprises. With stakes valued at around $3 billion each post-IPO, Bicket reflects the rare path from academic research to top-tier tech billionaire, while steering product strategy, engineering culture, and long-term innovation at the heart of the connected-operations era.

James Y. Chao, co-founder and chairman of Westlake Corporation, has built the Houston-based chemicals and materials company into a global industrial leader. Since establishing Westlake in 1986, he has overseen its growth into a multibillion-dollar enterprise producing petrochemicals, polymers, and building products with operations across North America, Europe, and Asia. Known for his strategic discipline and long-term vision, Chao has guided the company’s expansion through innovation, acquisitions, and a strong family-led culture, making Westlake a cornerstone of the global chemicals and construction materials industry.

Irwin Jacobs, cofounder and former CEO of Qualcomm, is a pioneering engineer and entrepreneur who helped revolutionize wireless communications. After an academic career at MIT and UC San Diego, he launched Qualcomm in 1985, driving the development and commercialization of CDMA technology, which became the global standard for mobile networks. Under his leadership, Qualcomm grew into a multibillion-dollar powerhouse at the heart of the mobile phone industry. Beyond technology, Jacobs is a noted philanthropist, supporting education, science, and the arts, particularly in San Diego, where his contributions have had lasting civic impact.

Frank Laukien, chairman, president, and CEO of Bruker Corporation, has built the scientific instruments maker into a global leader in analytical and diagnostic solutions. Taking the helm of the company founded by his father, Laukien expanded its product portfolio across life sciences, materials research, and industrial applications, serving top research institutions and laboratories worldwide. A physicist by training, he has guided Bruker’s growth through innovation-driven acquisitions and a focus on precision technologies, securing its reputation as a critical partner in advancing scientific discovery.

Ed Hallen is the co‑founder and Chief Product Officer (later Chief Strategy Officer) of Klaviyo, the Boston-based SaaS platform powering email/SMS marketing and customer data for over 100,000 brands, including Unilever and Citizen Watches  . A systems engineering graduate from UVA and MIT Sloan MBA, he previously led product at Applied Predictive Technologies and held roles at Google before launching Team Engine in 2018.

Douglas Leone is a billionaire venture capitalist and former Global Managing Partner at Sequoia Capital. Recruited in 1988, he rose to partner in 1993 and later led Sequoia’s international expansion across China, India, and Southeast Asia. Under his stewardship, Sequoia backed major tech wins including ServiceNow, RingCentral, Medallia, Nubank, and YouTube.

David M. Siegel is an American computer scientist turned investor who co-founded Two Sigma Investments in 2001 alongside John Overdeck. With a PhD in Computer Science from MIT and early roles at D. E. Shaw and Tudor, Siegel helped build Two Sigma into a quant trading powerhouse managing roughly $60 billion in assets. He now serves as co-chairman and leads the firm’s technology and philanthropy initiatives through the Siegel Family Endowment.

Ben Silbermann is an American internet entrepreneur and co-founder & Executive Chairman of Pinterest, the visual discovery platform he launched in March 2010. A Yale graduate in political science, Silbermann transformed a failed app into a global tech powerhouse that went public in April 2019, with over 500 million monthly users. He stepped aside as CEO in June 2022 to focus on long-term vision and product innovation.