Dr. Hao Hong, founder, chairman, and CEO of Asymchem Laboratories, has built the company into a leading global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) serving the pharmaceutical industry. Since establishing the firm in 1997, he has guided its expansion into advanced R&D services, green chemistry solutions, and large-scale manufacturing for biotech and pharma clients worldwide. With a focus on innovation, efficiency, and sustainability, Hong has positioned Asymchem as a key partner in accelerating drug development and advancing healthcare globally.

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.

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.

Herbert Fisk “Fisk” Johnson III is the fifth-generation leader of S. C. Johnson, the iconic cleaning‑products company founded in 1886. A Cornell alumnus with multiple degrees (BA, MEng, MS, MBA, PhD), he joined the family business in 1987 and became CEO in 2004. Known for his environmental advocacy and scientific approach, Johnson champions sustainable packaging and pulled SC Johnson into the fight against plastic waste.

Sir Dennis Barry Gillings, CBE, PhD is a British-American statistician, entrepreneur, and healthcare innovator. In 1982, he co-founded Quintiles, which merged with IMS Health in 2016 to become IQVIA, the global leader in clinical research and healthcare data services. He took Quintiles public in 1994 and privatized it in 2003 before retiring as executive chairman in 2015. The UNC School of Public Health is named in his honor following a landmark donation.

David E. Shaw is the Stanford‑trained computer scientist turned Wall Street quant and billionaire founder of D. E. Shaw & Co.. Launched in 1988 with $28 million, the firm pioneered algorithmic trading and grew into one of the world’s largest hedge funds—managing ~$65 billion in assets by 2025. Shaw stepped back from daily operations in 2001 to lead D. E. Shaw Research, advancing computational biochemistry and molecular-dynamics simulations.

David Hindawi is an Iraqi‑born American software entrepreneur and the co-founder of Tanium, the cybersecurity platform he built in 2007 with his son Orion. Prior to Tanium, he founded and sold BigFix (acquired by IBM in 2010) and several software firms. He holds advanced degrees—including a PhD from UC Berkeley—and his patents in systems-management software underpin enterprise-scale security technology.

Clifford “Cliff” Asness is the co‑founder, Managing Principal & Chief Investment Officer of AQR Capital Management, a quantitative investment firm managing roughly $120 billion in assets. A PhD from the University of Chicago and former Goldman Sachs quant strategist, he popularized factor-based investing and author of influential research on value, momentum, and market efficiency.

Benoit Dageville is a French-American computer scientist and co-founder of Snowflake, the revolutionary cloud data platform. As President of Product, he steers the technical vision and innovation behind SQL performance and AI integration. A former Oracle architect with a PhD in parallel database systems, Dageville holds over 80 patents and helped grow Snowflake from stealth mode in 2012 to a multi‑billion‑dollar IPO in 2020. 

Axel Stawski is an American billionaire real estate developer and founder of Stawski Partners, a New York City–based firm. A Holocaust survivor’s son with a PhD in international law, he has built a portfolio of Manhattan office buildings and luxury condos since 1973, including the notable 565 Fifth Avenue. His low-profile but focused approach continues to shape prime urban real estate.

Alexander Karp is the co-founder and CEO of Palantir Technologies, a data analytics firm known for its work with governments, defense, and large enterprises. With a PhD in philosophy and a background in law, Karp brings a rare intellectual rigor to the tech world, combining privacy-conscious ideals with powerful data infrastructure.