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.

Kang Lee has devoted his career to understanding the development of social cognition and behavior.

Christopher McDougall is the author of "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen."

A Louisiana native, Colette Pichon Battle fights to advance human rights for communities on the frontline of the struggle against climate change.

Matt Ridley argues that, through history, the engine of human progress and prosperity has been, and is, "ideas having sex with each other."

Drew Philp is the author of "A $500 House in Detroit: Rebuilding an Abandoned Home and an American City," a memoir of rebuilding a former abandoned home while finding his place in his city, country, race and generation.

Ronald Sullivan is a leading theorist in the areas of criminal law, criminal procedure, trial practice and techniques, legal ethics and race theory.

Erik Brynjolfsson examines the effects of information technologies on business strategy, productivity and employment.

UPS's Janet Stovall has developed a business approach that addresses corporate racism head-on -- and has created methods to help dismantle it.

Kathryn Kolbert is a pioneer for reproductive freedom.

Andreas Raptopoulos and his colleagues are building the flying internet of things, using drones to carry essential goods to otherwise inaccessible areas.

William A. "Sandy" Darity Jr. is the Samuel DuBois Cook Professor of Public Policy, African and African American Studies and Economics and the director of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University.

In his memoir, "There Will Be No Miracles Here," Casey Gerald reimagines what it means to truly live and succeed in our society.

As CEO of Citizen University, Eric Liu is working to spark a civic revival in the US and beyond.

Kelli Jean Drinkwater is a multi-disciplinary artist and activist recognized for her creative practice and voice in radical body politics.

Abigail Disney advocates for real changes to the way capitalism operates in today's world.

Fred Krupp is a leading voice on climate change, energy and sustainability, and a champion for harnessing the power of the marketplace to protect our environment.

Peter van Manen is the Managing Director of McLaren Electronics, which provides data systems to major motorsports series.

Detective of fads and emerging subcultures, chronicler of jobs-you-never-knew-existed, Malcolm Gladwell's work is toppling the popular understanding of bias, crime, food, marketing, race, consumers and intelligence.

Culinary evangelist Jon Gray is the voice of Ghetto Gastro, a cooking advocacy collective that ignites conversations about race, class and inclusion via the medium of food.

Dambisa Moyo is an international economist who analyzes the macroeconomy and global affairs.

Stephen Hawking's scientific investigations shed light on the origins of the cosmos, the nature of time and the ultimate fate of the universe. His bestselling books for a general audience have given an appreciation of physics to millions.

With scholarship and incisive commentary that exposes the marginalized narratives hidden within "mainstream" history, Brittney Cooper writes at the vanguard of cultural criticism.

Dr. Valerie Purdie-Greenaway teaches, conducts research and consults with global leaders to help them develop and foster diverse and inclusive work.

After losing the power to speak, legendary film critic Roger Ebert went on to write about creativity, race, politics and culture -- and film, just as brilliantly as ever.

Amanda Williams blurs the distinction between art and architecture through works that employ color as a way to draw attention to the political complexities of race, place and value in cities.

Once an up-and-coming star in the Missouri State Senate, Jeff Smith went to prison for covering up an election law violation. Since his release, he's created a new space for himself as a professor, writer, political commentator and advocate for those he was locked up with.

A former two-term governor of Michigan, Jennifer M. Granholm makes the case for empowering states to create jobs through a Clean Energy Jobs Race to the Top.

Woody Norris is a serial inventor of electronics, tools and cutting-edge sonic equipment -- such as the LRAD acoustic cannon.

Darrick Hamilton crafts and implements innovative routes and policies that break down social hierarchy and move society towards greater equity, inclusion and civic participation.