Ric Elias, cofounder and CEO of Red Ventures, built one of the most influential digital media and marketing platforms by combining performance marketing with data-driven consumer acquisition. Since launching Red Ventures in 2000, Elias has expanded the company through disciplined reinvestment and major acquisitions, building a diversified portfolio of well-known brands across travel, finance, and home services, including properties such as The Points Guy and Bankrate. Known for an intense execution culture and long-term ownership mindset, Elias has turned Red Ventures into a powerhouse at the intersection of media, commerce, and analytics.

Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay, created one of the internet’s earliest and most enduring marketplaces by enabling peer-to-peer commerce at global scale. Launching eBay in 1995, Omidyar built trust mechanisms and open access that allowed millions of individuals and small businesses to transact online, helping define modern e-commerce. After stepping back from day-to-day operations, he focused on impact investing and philanthropy through the Omidyar Network, backing initiatives in financial inclusion, governance, journalism, and technology for social good.

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.

Paul Singer, founder and CEO of Elliott Investment Management, is one of the most influential activist investors in the world, known for combining deep legal expertise with relentless capital discipline. Since launching Elliott in 1977, Singer has built a multibillion-dollar firm that targets complex situations across public equities, debt, and sovereign restructurings, often pushing for governance reform and value realization. His campaigns have reshaped outcomes at major corporations and governments alike, cementing Elliott’s reputation for rigor, persistence, and results. Beyond investing, Singer is a prominent political donor and philanthropist focused on free markets, democracy, and human rights.

Paul Sciarra, cofounder of Pinterest, helped build one of the most distinctive consumer internet platforms by focusing on visual discovery and intent-driven inspiration. After early roles in venture capital and startups, Sciarra partnered with Ben Silbermann and Evan Sharp to launch Pinterest, shaping its early product vision, fundraising, and growth into a global platform used by hundreds of millions. Following his time at Pinterest, he returned to investing and advising entrepreneurs, bringing a founder’s perspective to early-stage technology companies.

Patrick Soon-Shiong, physician, biotech entrepreneur, and investor, built one of the most consequential careers at the intersection of medicine, science, and capital. After developing the cancer drug Abraxane, which he sold to Celgene in a multibillion-dollar deal, Soon-Shiong went on to found and back numerous life-sciences companies focused on immunotherapy, data-driven medicine, and personalized healthcare. Beyond biotech, he is the owner of the Los Angeles Times and has invested heavily in medical research, AI-enabled health systems, and pandemic preparedness. His work reflects a long-term ambition to reengineer healthcare around biology, data, and scalable innovation.

Nicolas Berggruen, investor and philanthropist, built a global reputation as a contrarian thinker blending capital, policy, and long-term societal vision. Founder of Berggruen Holdings and the Berggruen Institute, he has invested across real estate, finance, and special situations while championing ideas around governance reform, technology, and globalization. Known for his unconventional lifestyle and intellectual focus, Berggruen has positioned himself less as a traditional financier and more as a patron of cross-disciplinary thought, convening global leaders to address structural challenges facing modern societies.

Nathan Blecharczyk, cofounder and chief strategy officer of Airbnb, is the technical architect behind one of the world’s most influential travel platforms. After building Airbnb’s original website and payment systems, he helped scale the company from a startup renting air mattresses into a global marketplace operating in nearly every country. Blecharczyk has played a central role in shaping Airbnb’s long-term strategy, trust and safety infrastructure, and international expansion, while also serving as chairman of Airbnb China. Known for his engineering-first mindset and low public profile, he remains a key force behind the platform’s global growth and resilience.

Mitchell Rales, cofounder of Danaher Corporation, is one of America’s most successful industrial builders, known for pairing disciplined capital allocation with a relentless focus on operational excellence. Alongside his brother Steven, Rales transformed Danaher from a small real estate company into a global science and technology conglomerate by pioneering the Danaher Business System, a management framework rooted in continuous improvement and lean manufacturing. After stepping back from day-to-day operations, Rales has remained an influential investor and philanthropist, supporting education, public policy, and cultural institutions through the Rales Foundation and Glenstone Museum.

Sir Michael Moritz, legendary partner at Sequoia Capital, is one of Silicon Valley’s most influential venture capitalists, helping back transformative companies such as Google, PayPal, YouTube, Stripe, and Airbnb. A former Time magazine journalist turned investor, Moritz played a key role in shaping Sequoia’s disciplined, founder-focused strategy and global expansion. His philanthropic efforts—through the Crankstart Foundation—support education, social mobility, and civic initiatives in the U.S. and U.K. Moritz’s combination of narrative instinct, strategic clarity, and generational dealmaking has left an unrivaled mark on the tech landscape.

Mark Pincus, founder and former CEO of Zynga, was a pioneer of social gaming, turning casual games into a mass-market phenomenon on Facebook and mobile platforms. After early ventures in internet services and venture capital, Pincus launched Zynga in 2007, scaling hits like FarmVille and Words With Friends into a multibillion-dollar business that went public in 2011. Known for his aggressive growth strategies and product experimentation, he later stepped back from daily operations while remaining an active investor and entrepreneur through Reinvent Capital. Pincus continues to influence consumer technology at the intersection of gaming, social interaction, and digital monetization.

Mario Gabelli, founder and CEO of GAMCO Investors, is one of Wall Street’s most respected value investors, known for applying fundamental research and private-market valuation techniques to public equities. After beginning his career at Loeb, Rhoades & Co., Gabelli launched GAMCO in 1977 and built a multibillion-dollar asset management firm specializing in value, merger arbitrage, and global equity strategies. His disciplined approach emphasizes cash flow, asset value, and management quality, often coupled with active engagement in corporate governance. Beyond finance, Gabelli is a major philanthropist and art collector, supporting education, cultural institutions, and charitable causes worldwide.

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.

Ken Langone, cofounder of Home Depot, is one of America’s most respected entrepreneurs and dealmakers, helping turn a radical big-box retail concept into one of the largest home-improvement chains in the world. After early success on Wall Street as an investment banker, Langone helped finance and launch Home Depot in 1978, and the company’s explosive growth made him a billionaire. Known for his blunt, patriotic style and deep loyalty to employees, he is also a major philanthropist—funding medical research, education, and veterans’ causes, including a landmark gift to make tuition free at NYU’s medical school. Langone remains a prominent voice on business, capitalism, and civic leadership.

Joe Mansueto, founder and executive chairman of Morningstar, transformed a one-man startup launched in his Chicago apartment into one of the world’s most trusted providers of investment research, ratings, and financial data. Since founding the company in 1984, he has championed transparency, independent analysis, and investor empowerment, expanding Morningstar into a global platform serving millions of investors and thousands of institutions across more than 25 countries. After taking the company public and stepping back from day-to-day operations, Mansueto has become an influential civic leader, philanthropist, and sports owner—acquiring Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire and supporting major cultural and educational initiatives. His legacy combines entrepreneurship, integrity, and a long-term commitment to investor advocacy.

Joseph Craft III, president and CEO of Alliance Resource Partners, is one of the most prominent figures in the American coal industry, overseeing one of the nation’s largest and most efficient coal producers. Since taking leadership in the late 1990s, Craft has expanded Alliance through disciplined capital allocation, long-term supply contracts, and a focus on low-cost, high-productivity mining operations across the Midwest and Appalachia. Beyond energy, he is an influential political and philanthropic figure, supporting education, economic development, and university programs throughout Kentucky and Oklahoma. Craft’s combination of operational expertise and strategic influence has made him a defining leader in U.S. energy and regional industry.

Jonathan M. Nelson, founder and managing partner of Providence Equity Partners, has built one of the world’s most successful private equity firms specializing in media, communications, education, and technology investments. Since founding Providence in 1989, he has overseen hundreds of transactions and managed billions in assets, backing major companies like Hulu, Univision, Warner Music Group, and Sotheby’s. Known for long-term sector-focused investing and operational support, Nelson has shaped entire industries—particularly media and telecom—while steering Providence as a top-tier global investment house.

John Doerr, chairman of Kleiner Perkins, is one of the most influential venture capitalists in Silicon Valley, backing industry-defining companies that helped shape the modern internet and clean-tech revolutions. Since joining the firm in 1980 after a successful career at Intel, he led investments in Amazon, Google, Netscape, Sun Microsystems, and later climate-focused innovators such as Beyond Meat and QuantumScape. Doerr is also a leading voice for mission-driven entrepreneurship, championing OKR management frameworks and ambitious climate policy through philanthropy and his book Speed & Scale. His decades-long impact continues to steer technology, leadership, and climate innovation on a global scale.

John A. Sobrato, founder of the Sobrato Organization, is one of Silicon Valley’s most influential real estate developers, building a multibillion-dollar portfolio that houses many of the world’s leading technology companies. After selling one of the Bay Area’s earliest tech office parks in the 1970s, he expanded aggressively into commercial and multifamily properties across the region, creating a dominant privately held enterprise now managed alongside the second generation. A dedicated philanthropist, Sobrato has devoted much of his wealth to education, housing, and community development, with the family pledging to give away the majority of its net worth, solidifying his impact on both the business and social fabric of Northern California.

Joe Gebbia, cofounder of Airbnb, helped transform a simple idea—renting air mattresses in a San Francisco apartment—into one of the world’s most influential travel and hospitality platforms. As the company’s design visionary, he shaped Airbnb’s user experience, trust systems, and brand identity, guiding its growth from a scrappy startup to a multibillion-dollar public company operating in more than 190 countries. Beyond Airbnb, Gebbia founded Samara, a design lab focused on housing innovation, and became a major philanthropist supporting refugees, homelessness initiatives, and global social causes. His blend of creativity, product instinct, and mission-driven leadership has made him a defining figure in modern tech.