When Marvin Rees was elected in May 2016, he became the first directly elected mayor of Black African heritage of any major European city.

Elizabeth Stordeur Pryor writes, teaches and engages questions on race and racism in the US.

Passionate about using music as a tool for empathy cultivation, Abby Dobson creates music to inspire audiences to reflect on the world we live in and engage in action to promote transformative social change.

Looking not at the heavens but at computer models, Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz studies some of the most powerful explosions since the birth of the universe.

Rose M. Mutiso works with a global network of experts finding solutions for energy deficits across Africa and Asia. She is also helping African women become scholars and thought leaders.

A social psychologist at Stanford University, Jennifer L. Eberhardt conducts research on race and inequality.

Reuben Jonathan Miller is a sociologist, criminologist and social worker whose work centers on race, democracy and the social life of the city.

Ruby Sales has preached around the country on race, class, gender and reconciliation.

Baratunde Thurston is an Emmy-nominated writer, activist and comedian who addresses serious issues with depth, wit and calls to action. He believes the stories we tell help shape the world in which we live. Also, he's from the future.

Mark Pollock was the first blind person to race to the South Pole. Now he's exploring the intersection where humans and technology collide on a new expedition to cure paralysis in our lifetime.

David Baron writes about science in books, magazines, newspapers and for public radio. He formerly served as science correspondent for NPR and science editor for PRI’s The World.

Sam Richards is a sociologist and teacher of the largest race relations course in the US. He argues that empathy is the core of sociology.

Tracee Ellis Ross is the star of the ABC comedy series “Black-ish” and an influential voice in the modern conversation around equality, respect, beauty and feeling empowered in your skin.

"The Pitch Coach" David S. Rose is an expert on the business pitch. As an entrepreneur, he has raised millions for his own companies. As an investor, he has funded millions more.

Sisonke Msimang untangles the threads of race, class and gender that run through the fabric of African and global culture.

Anna Malaika Tubbs is a multidisciplinary expert on current and historical understandings of race, gender and equity.

Tracy Edwards MBE battled against the odds (and the sea) to become the first woman to win the Yachtsman of the Year Trophy.

David Biello is TED's science curator and the author of "The Unnatural World: The Race to Remake Civilization in Earth's Newest Age."

Stacy Smith shows how Hollywood’s homogenous (and overwhelmingly male) culture systematically excludes women and minorities.

By cataloging every conceivable human skin tone, Angélica Dass illustrates that skin color and race are more complex than they might appear at first glance.

Andrew McAfee studies how information technology affects businesses and society.

With the hit economic blog MarginalRevolution.com, co-author Alex Tabarrok generates more hits than a summer hailstorm, and sheds light into the darkest corners of the dismal science.

Wendy De La Rosa uses behavioral science to help people make better financial decisions.

Miracle Jones works in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area to advocate for equity along the intersections of gender, race and class.

D-L Stewart empowers and imagines futures that sustain and cultivate the learning, growth and success of minoritized groups in postsecondary education.

Richard Thompson Ford is a professor of law at Stanford.

Miriam Zoila Pérez investigates how race and gender affect health -- and the people who create spaces for healing.

Stuntman and record-setter Steve Truglia was a stunt coordinator, performer and action unit director in the UK.

Dr. Christopher Bell specializes in the study of popular culture, focusing on the ways in which race, class and gender intersect in different forms of media.

An autonomous car may seem like a thing of the distant future, but mechanical engineer Chris Gerdes is racing to make it a reality today.