William C. Stone, chairman and CEO of SS&C Technologies, built one of the most influential financial software and services companies serving asset managers, banks, and insurers worldwide. Since acquiring SS&C in 1986, Stone expanded the firm through relentless acquisitions and disciplined integration, transforming it into a global platform providing investment management software, fund administration, and financial operations services. Known for aggressive dealmaking and operational efficiency, he has positioned SS&C as a critical infrastructure provider to the global financial industry.

Tom Golisano is the billionaire founder of Paychex and a prolific philanthropist who has donated over $1 billion to healthcare, education, and disability services. In early 2026, his legacy expanded through the Golisano Children's Alliance, a network of ten hospitals bolstered by his recent $50 million gifts to centers in Buffalo, Connecticut, and Kentucky. He is also scaling his Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship, with a new campus opening in the former Buffalo News building in fall 2026. Beyond his business empire, the former Buffalo Sabres owner remains a leading advocate for tax reform and inclusive health for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Scott Kapnick, CEO of HPS Investment Partners, is a veteran credit investor who helped build one of the world’s leading alternative asset managers focused on direct lending, structured credit, and opportunistic financing. A former senior executive at Goldman Sachs, Kapnick co-founded HPS and guided its expansion into a global platform managing tens of billions for institutional investors. Known for disciplined underwriting and deep capital markets expertise, he has played a central role in shaping modern private credit as a core asset class.

Reinhold Schmieding, founder and CEO of Arthrex, built one of the world’s most influential orthopedic device companies by focusing on minimally invasive surgical innovation. After launching Arthrex in 1981, Schmieding transformed it into a global leader in sports medicine, arthroscopy, and surgical implants, supplying cutting-edge tools and techniques to surgeons worldwide. Known for obsessive product development, surgeon education, and privately held discipline, he scaled Arthrex into a multibillion-dollar enterprise while maintaining a strong culture of engineering and clinical excellence.

Kam Ghaffarian, serial aerospace entrepreneur and physicist, has built some of the most important private companies operating at the edge of human spaceflight. After founding Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (SGT) and becoming a major NASA contractor, he went on to cofound Axiom Space, which is building the world’s first commercial space station, and Intuitive Machines, a pioneer in lunar landers and deep-space robotics. Ghaffarian combines long-range vision, technical depth, and mission-driven leadership, investing hundreds of millions into commercial space infrastructure and future crewed missions. His work has made him one of the central architects of the emerging private space economy.

David Hoffmann founded and served as long-time chairman of the Hoffmann Family of Companies, a global multi-sector family office managing over 200 businesses in real estate, hospitality, logistics, agriculture, media, and more. A self-made billionaire who began DHR International—now the world’s largest privately held executive search firm—after mortgaging his house, Hoffmann has used his wealth to revitalize communities like Augusta, Missouri.