Walter Kortschak is a veteran venture capitalist and former managing director of Summit Partners, where he helped establish the firm’s West Coast presence and backed a long list of technology winners over more than two decades. After joining Summit in 1989, he built a reputation for high-conviction growth investing, with standout bets in companies such as McAfee, Finisar, and Xylan. He later helped launch SignalFire and now invests privately in early-stage technology, extending a career that has made him one of Silicon Valley’s most enduring investors.

Wesley Edens, cofounder and co-CEO of Fortress Investment Group, built one of the most influential alternative asset managers by specializing in credit, private equity, and infrastructure investing. Known for opportunistic dealmaking across distressed assets and complex financial situations, Edens helped grow Fortress into a global platform managing billions for institutional investors. Beyond finance, he is a prominent sports owner as co-owner of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and a leading figure in infrastructure development through Brightline, a privately operated passenger rail system in the United States.

Peter Gassner, cofounder and CEO of Veeva Systems, built one of the most successful vertical software companies by focusing exclusively on cloud solutions for the life sciences industry. After an early career at Salesforce, where he helped scale enterprise cloud adoption, Gassner launched Veeva in 2007 to serve pharmaceutical and biotech companies with regulated, mission-critical applications. Under his leadership, Veeva became a publicly traded, highly profitable software company known for deep industry specialization, long-term customer relationships, and disciplined execution. Gassner’s approach exemplifies the power of focus and vertical expertise in enterprise software.

Forrest Lee Preston, a self-made billionaire, founded Life Care Centers of America in 1970 and built it from a single facility in Cleveland, Tennessee, into one of the nation’s largest privately held networks of nursing homes, assisted-living, and retirement communities. As sole owner and CEO, he has overseen more than 200 locations across 27 states, employing over 30,000 people and serving tens of thousands of residents. Known for his hands-on control and aggressive expansion, Preston has navigated regulatory challenges and industry upheavals, cementing his reputation as a dominant force in the senior-care sector.