Peter Cancro, founder and chairman of Jersey Mike’s, built one of America’s fastest-growing restaurant chains by turning a single New Jersey sandwich shop he bought at 17 into a national franchising powerhouse. Over five decades, he expanded the brand through a simple model centered on fresh-sliced subs, operator loyalty, and strong local-store economics, helping Jersey Mike’s surpass 3,000 locations. After Blackstone’s 2024 acquisition of the company at an $8 billion valuation, Cancro stepped down as CEO in 2025 but remained chairman and a significant shareholder, continuing to shape the brand’s long-term growth.

Jerry Seinfeld, comedian, writer, and producer, turned observational stand-up into one of the most valuable personal brands in entertainment history. As co-creator and star of Seinfeld, he helped redefine television comedy, then extended his influence through stand-up specials, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, and the 2024 Netflix film Unfrosted. Known for disciplined craft, cultural longevity, and extraordinary syndication economics, Seinfeld remains one of the most commercially successful comedians ever.

William Koch, energy investor and member of the prominent Koch family, built a diversified fortune through oil, commodities trading, and industrial investments while operating independently of Koch Industries. As founder of Oxbow Carbon, he developed a global business focused on petroleum coke, sulfur, and related energy materials, supplying utilities and industrial customers worldwide. Known for high-profile legal battles, yachting victories, and major art and wine collecting, Koch combines traditional energy entrepreneurship with a strong presence in philanthropy and cultural patronage.

Bill Ackman, founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management, is one of the most prominent activist investors of his generation, known for high-conviction, concentrated bets on public companies. Since launching Pershing Square in 2004, Ackman has pursued large stakes in companies where he believes operational, strategic, or governance changes can unlock substantial shareholder value. His career has included both high-profile wins and costly missteps, reinforcing his reputation for bold, research-driven investing. Beyond markets, Ackman is active in philanthropy and public policy, frequently engaging in debates on corporate governance and economic reform.

Tope Awotona is the billionaire founder and CEO of Calendly, the scheduling automation platform valued at $3 billion. After immigrating from Lagos, Nigeria, and bootstrapping the company with his life savings, he has grown the service to over 20 million monthly users. In 2026, he is leading a strategic shift toward "Agentic AI" to transform scheduling into a fully autonomous experience. Recently inducted into the Technology Association of Georgia Hall of Fame, Awotona remains one of the few Black tech billionaires in the U.S. and a major advocate for diversifying the tech pipeline through his support of organizations like Black Girls Code.

Thomas Barrack Jr. is the U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and the Special Envoy for Syria in the second Trump administration, where he serves as a pivotal figure in Middle Eastern diplomacy. A veteran private equity investor and the founder of Colony Capital (now DigitalBridge), Barrack has leveraged his decades of experience in the region to broker historic regional agreements. In early 2026, he played a lead role in integrating the Syrian government into the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and oversaw major infrastructure MoUs, including a milestone gas exploration agreement between Syria and Chevron. His current diplomatic portfolio emphasizes regional security through "shared responsibility," successfully managing the complex transition of territory between the Syrian Democratic Forces and the central government in Damascus.

Ryan Breslow, founder of Bolt, emerged as one of fintech’s most recognizable young entrepreneurs by building a one-click checkout platform designed to rival the dominance of legacy payments giants. After founding Bolt in 2014, Breslow positioned the company around speed, fraud prevention, and merchant-first economics, signing major retail clients and raising capital at multibillion-dollar valuations. Known for aggressive ambition and a polarizing leadership style, his tenure also drew scrutiny over corporate governance and internal disputes, making Bolt a high-profile case study in hypergrowth startup culture and fintech competition.

Patrick Hanrahan is a pioneering computer graphics researcher and Stanford professor whose work helped define modern real-time rendering and GPU-driven visual computing. Best known as a co-creator of Pixar’s RenderMan rendering system, he laid the technical foundations for photorealistic computer animation used across film and media for decades. In academia and industry, Hanrahan’s research bridged graphics hardware and software, influencing the evolution of programmable GPUs and real-time graphics pipelines. Widely respected for translating deep theory into practical systems, he remains one of the most influential figures in computer graphics and visual computing.

Mark Davis, owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, inherited one of the most storied franchises in American sports and reshaped its future through bold, unconventional decisions. The son of legendary Raiders owner Al Davis, he took control of the team in 2011 and later orchestrated its high-profile relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas, securing a state-of-the-art stadium and a new commercial platform for the franchise. Known for his independence, loyalty to the Raiders’ renegade culture, and willingness to challenge league norms, Davis has turned the team into a central pillar of Las Vegas’s professional sports identity.

Marc Nathanson, cable television pioneer and philanthropist, helped shape the modern media landscape as a founding figure in the early cable industry. As founder of Falcon Cable TV in the 1970s, he built and later sold one of the largest cable operators in the United States, playing a formative role in the expansion of broadband and pay television. Nathanson went on to serve as U.S. ambassador to Norway and became a major force in philanthropy through the Nathanson Family Foundation, supporting education, public health, and cultural institutions. His career reflects a blend of entrepreneurial foresight, public service, and long-term civic impact.

Leon Cooperman, founder of Omega Advisors, is one of Wall Street’s most respected value investors, known for decades of disciplined stock-picking and outspoken market commentary. After a long career at Goldman Sachs, where he led the asset management division, Cooperman launched Omega in 1991 and produced strong returns through concentrated, research-driven investing in equities and credit. Though he has since converted Omega into a family office, he remains active in markets and philanthropy, donating hundreds of millions to education, medical research, and Jewish causes. Cooperman’s blend of candor, conviction, and lifelong commitment to investing has made him a defining figure in the hedge fund era.

Jon Oringer, founder and executive chairman of Shutterstock, is one of the earliest pioneers of the digital content marketplace economy. In 2003, he launched Shutterstock as a one-man operation—personally shooting the site’s first 30,000 stock photos—before scaling it into a global platform offering millions of images, videos, and creative assets to customers in more than 150 countries. Oringer took Shutterstock public in 2012, becoming New York’s first tech billionaire, and has since focused on building Pareto Holdings, an investment firm backing early-stage startups in Miami and beyond. Known for his product intuition and bootstrap discipline, he remains a central figure in the evolution of digital media licensing.

James Dolan, executive chairman and CEO of Madison Square Garden Sports and Madison Square Garden Entertainment, oversees one of the most powerful portfolios in sports and live entertainment. As owner of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, he has long been a central—often controversial—figure in the world of professional sports. Dolan has expanded his influence through major investments in venues and technology, including the groundbreaking MSG Sphere in Las Vegas, redefining immersive entertainment. Known for his aggressive business style and high-profile presence, he remains one of the most influential and polarizing executives in the sports and entertainment industries.

Glen A. Taylor, Minnesota billionaire businessman, built his fortune through Taylor Corporation, one of the largest privately held printing and marketing companies in the U.S. Starting as an employee, he bought the company in 1975 and expanded it into a diversified enterprise spanning printing, communications, and technology solutions. Beyond business, Taylor is well known as owner of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, as well as a former state senator. His career blends entrepreneurship, sports ownership, and community engagement, making him a prominent figure in both business and civic life.

George Lucas, filmmaker and entrepreneur, redefined modern cinema with the creation of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, building two of the most successful franchises in history. Beyond directing and producing, he pioneered advances in visual effects and sound through Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, setting new industry standards. In 2012, he sold Lucasfilm to Disney for $4.05 billion, cementing his legacy as both a creative visionary and shrewd businessman. Through the George Lucas Educational Foundation, he has also championed philanthropic efforts in innovative learning.

Geoffrey H. Palmer, founder of G.H. Palmer Associates, is one of Los Angeles’s largest apartment developers, with more than 13,000 units across the metro. He stamped downtown with Italianate mega-complexes like the Medici, Orsini, Piero, Da Vinci, and Lorenzo, and reshaped policy with the 2009 appellate win Palmer v. City of Los Angeles, which limited rental inclusionary mandates under California’s Costa-Hawkins Act. A prolific Republican donor, he remains a powerful—if polarizing—force in L.A. real estate.

Fred Ehrsam, cofounder of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, played a pivotal role in bringing digital assets into the financial mainstream. A former Goldman Sachs trader, he launched Coinbase in 2012 with Brian Armstrong, helping it grow into one of the world’s largest crypto platforms. After stepping back from day-to-day operations in 2017, Ehrsam cofounded Paradigm, a leading crypto-focused investment firm backing blockchain startups and decentralized finance projects. Known for his early conviction in Bitcoin and blockchain technology, he remains a prominent voice shaping the future of digital finance.

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.

Ernest García II is a self-made billionaire automotive entrepreneur and investor. After a criminal conviction in 1990 tied to the Lincoln Savings & Loan collapse, he rebuilt his fortune by acquiring and scaling DriveTime Automotive Group—a used‑car sales and financing company targeting subprime customers. He also remains the largest individual shareholder of Carvana, the online used‑car platform founded by his son, Ernest Garcia III. As of early 2025, García’s net worth is estimated at around $16–21 billion.

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.