Michael S. Smith, cofounder, chairman, and CEO of Freeport Financial Partners, has built one of the leading private credit platforms focused on non-sponsored middle-market lending. Since launching Freeport in 2008, Smith has emphasized disciplined underwriting, downside protection, and long-term relationships with founder-led businesses, helping the firm scale into a multibillion-dollar manager. A veteran of leveraged finance, he guided Freeport through market cycles by prioritizing capital preservation and consistent income, earning the firm a reputation for reliability among institutional investors. Smith’s steady leadership has positioned Freeport as a cornerstone player in private direct lending.

Michael Saylor, cofounder and executive chairman of MicroStrategy, is one of the most prominent advocates for Bitcoin in corporate America, steering the software-intelligence company into a bold strategy of converting excess cash into digital assets. A pioneer in enterprise analytics since the 1990s, he transformed his public profile through high-conviction Bitcoin accumulation, positioning MicroStrategy as a major institutional holder and driving global conversation around digital monetary standards. His outspoken leadership and long-term vision make him one of the most influential figures in technology and cryptocurrency.

Michael Rubin, founder and CEO of Fanatics, has transformed licensed sports merchandise into a data-driven global commerce and collectibles powerhouse, expanding into trading cards, sports betting, and live fan experiences. A serial entrepreneur who previously built and sold GSI Commerce to eBay, Rubin now sits at the center of the sports business ecosystem, leveraging deep league partnerships and technology to redefine how fans engage with teams and athletes. His high-profile leadership across commerce, culture, and philanthropy has made him one of the most influential figures in modern sports entrepreneurship.

Michael Rees, co-CEO of Blue Owl Capital, helped build one of the fastest-growing alternative asset managers by combining strategic credit, private equity, and direct lending platforms into a unified scale investment franchise. Since launching the firm’s predecessor units and ultimately merging with Owl Rock and Dyal Capital, Rees has expanded Blue Owl into a multibillion-dollar public powerhouse serving institutional clients worldwide. Known for disciplined capital deployment and tailored solutions across private markets, he has positioned Blue Owl as a leading voice in credit and private investing in the post-crisis era’s evolving financial ecosystem.

Michael Polsky, founder and CEO of Invenergy, is one of the most influential builders of the modern renewable-energy landscape in North America. After immigrating to the United States from Ukraine, he launched multiple successful energy ventures before founding Invenergy in 2001 and growing it into a global leader in wind, solar, and advanced energy-storage development. With billions invested in clean-power infrastructure and a portfolio of projects across more than a dozen countries, Polsky has become a pioneering force behind the energy transition—pairing engineering rigor with long-term capital and policy leadership to accelerate the shift toward sustainable power systems.

Michael Novogratz, founder and CEO of Galaxy Digital, is one of the most prominent Wall Street figures to fully embrace cryptocurrency, transforming a career in macro trading into leadership of a multibillion-dollar digital asset platform spanning investing, trading, mining, and blockchain infrastructure. A former Fortress Investment Group principal and Goldman Sachs partner, Novogratz brings global‐macro discipline and institutional credibility to the crypto ecosystem, while acting as a vocal advocate for regulatory clarity and the financial future of decentralized networks.

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.

Michael Morhaime, cofounder and former CEO of Blizzard Entertainment, helped create some of the most iconic franchises in video game history, including Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft, and launched World of Warcraft into a global cultural phenomenon. Over nearly three decades, he cultivated Blizzard’s reputation for obsessive craftsmanship, player-first design, and community-driven storytelling, fueling the growth of esports and online gaming. After departing Blizzard, Morhaime founded DreamHaven, assembling top creative talent to pursue new worlds and player experiences. His visionary leadership has left an enduring impact on how games are developed, played, and celebrated worldwide.

Michael Milken, financier and philanthropist, is widely recognized as the pioneer of the modern high-yield bond market, reshaping corporate finance and enabling a wave of entrepreneurial growth in the 1980s. After a controversial career at Drexel Burnham Lambert and subsequent legal challenges, Milken redirected his focus toward global health, medical research, and education—founding research institutions, spearheading public-health initiatives, and establishing major philanthropic programs through the Milken Institute. His enduring influence spans financial innovation and large-scale social impact, making him one of the most consequential—and debated—figures in modern business history.

Michael Krasny, founder of CDW, built one of America’s largest and most enduring technology solutions providers from a small Chicago basement startup into a multibillion-dollar enterprise. Beginning in 1984 by selling IBM personal computers to local businesses, Krasny expanded CDW into a leading distributor of hardware, software, and integrated IT solutions for corporations, government agencies, and educational institutions nationwide. Under his disciplined leadership and customer-centric philosophy, CDW went public and sustained decades of growth through strategic acquisitions and deep vendor partnerships. Krasny’s journey from entrepreneur to tech industry titan exemplifies long-term execution and operational excellence in enterprise technology services.

Michael Jordan, global sports icon and billionaire entrepreneur, transformed athletic excellence into one of the most powerful personal brands in history. Widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time, Jordan won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls and later parlayed his competitive legacy into business dominance through the Air Jordan brand, a cornerstone of Nike’s empire. Beyond sports, he became a pioneering team owner with the Charlotte Hornets and built a diversified portfolio spanning endorsements, private investments, and philanthropy. Jordan’s post-career success set a new standard for athlete-entrepreneurs, redefining how greatness compounds far beyond the arena.

Michael Arougheti, cofounder and CEO of Ares Management, is one of the most influential figures in global alternative investing, having helped build Ares into a multi-hundred-billion-dollar asset management powerhouse. After beginning his career in leveraged finance at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Arougheti cofounded Ares in 1997 with a focus on credit markets—long before private credit became a dominant asset class. Under his leadership, Ares expanded across private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and secondaries, establishing itself as a core capital partner to corporations and institutions worldwide. Known for his strategic foresight, disciplined risk management, and ability to scale complex investment platforms, Arougheti has been central to shaping the modern private credit and alternatives landscape.

Michael Arougheti, cofounder and CEO of Ares Management, is one of the most influential figures in global alternative investing, having helped build Ares into a multi-hundred-billion-dollar asset management powerhouse. After beginning his career in leveraged finance at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, Arougheti cofounded Ares in 1997 with a focus on credit markets—long before private credit became a dominant asset class. Under his leadership, Ares expanded across private equity, real estate, infrastructure, and secondaries, establishing itself as a core capital partner to corporations and institutions worldwide. Known for his strategic foresight, disciplined risk management, and ability to scale complex investment platforms, Arougheti has been central to shaping the modern private credit and alternatives landscape.

Max Lytvyn, cofounder and chief revenue officer of Grammarly, helped build one of the world’s most widely used AI-powered productivity platforms, transforming how people write and communicate online. A Ukrainian-born entrepreneur, Lytvyn co-founded Grammarly in 2009 alongside Alex Shevchenko and Dmytro Lider, scaling it from a niche grammar tool into a global company serving tens of millions of daily users across education, business, and consumer markets. While his cofounders focused on engineering and product, Lytvyn drove commercial strategy, partnerships, and enterprise adoption, playing a central role in Grammarly’s evolution into a multibillion-dollar software company at the forefront of applied AI.

Max Levchin, cofounder of PayPal and CEO of Affirm, is one of Silicon Valley’s most influential fintech architects, having helped define digital payments, online identity, and modern consumer credit. As PayPal’s original CTO, Levchin built the company’s core anti-fraud and risk systems, laying the groundwork for one of the internet’s most successful financial platforms. He later founded Affirm to reinvent consumer lending with transparent, installment-based payments that challenge traditional credit cards. A prolific angel investor and cofounder of the Founders Fund, Levchin has backed and shaped dozens of iconic tech companies, earning a reputation for deep technical rigor, product-driven leadership, and long-term conviction.

Georges Marciano, cofounder of Guess, helped define the global rise of designer denim, turning a small California startup into an iconic fashion brand recognized worldwide. After emigrating from France, Marciano and his brothers launched Guess in 1981, blending European style with American marketing savvy to capture the youth and luxury-casual markets. As the company expanded internationally, Guess became synonymous with provocative advertising, celebrity-driven branding, and premium denim. Following his departure from the company, Marciano remained active in private investments, real estate, and philanthropy, maintaining a lasting legacy in the global fashion industry.

Matthew Roszak, cofounder and chairman of Tally Capital, is one of the earliest and most influential institutional investors in blockchain and digital assets. A former private equity executive, Roszak pivoted to crypto in the early 2010s, backing foundational projects such as Ethereum, Blockstack, and numerous Web3 infrastructure companies before the sector entered the mainstream. Beyond investing, he has played a key policy and advocacy role as chairman of the Chamber of Digital Commerce, helping shape regulatory dialogue around blockchain adoption in the United States. Known for his long-term conviction, ecosystem-level thinking, and bridge-building between technology and policy, Roszak remains a central figure in the maturation of the crypto economy.

Matthew Prince, cofounder and CEO of Cloudflare, is one of the most influential figures in modern internet infrastructure, building a company that now protects and accelerates a significant share of global web traffic. After cofounding Cloudflare in 2009, Prince led its transformation from a security startup into a critical platform providing content delivery, DDoS mitigation, zero-trust security, and edge computing services to millions of websites worldwide. Under his leadership, Cloudflare has become a publicly traded company trusted by governments, enterprises, and developers alike, known for its principled stance on internet resilience, free expression, and cybersecurity. Prince’s blend of technical insight, public advocacy, and long-term vision has positioned him as a central architect of the modern, secure internet.

Matthew Calkins, founder and CEO of Appian, built one of the most enduring low-code software companies by betting early on automation, workflow, and enterprise speed. Launching Appian in 1999, Calkins steered the company through multiple technology cycles, positioning it as a core platform for digital transformation across government and large enterprises. Under his leadership, Appian went public in 2017 and became a recognized leader in low-code development and process automation. Known for his long-term vision, intellectual rigor, and independent thinking, Calkins has maintained founder control while shaping how organizations build and deploy software at scale.

Matei Zaharia, cofounder and CTO of Databricks, is one of the most influential computer scientists behind modern big-data and AI infrastructure. While a PhD student at UC Berkeley, he created Apache Spark, the open-source data-processing engine that revolutionized large-scale analytics and became foundational to enterprise data platforms worldwide. Zaharia went on to help build Databricks into a multibillion-dollar company, translating academic research into commercial cloud-native tools used by thousands of organizations. Known for bridging deep research with practical engineering, he remains a defining architect of the data and AI stack powering today’s digital economy.