Amy Adele Hasinoff studies gender, sexuality, privacy and consent in new media.

Whether she’s inventing satellite radio, developing life-saving drugs or digitizing the human mind, Martine Rothblatt has a knack for turning visionary ideas into commonplace technology.

TED Fellow Sathya Raghu Mokkapati's agricultural startup builds low-cost greenhouse systems helping Indian smallholder farmers confront the impacts of climate change.

Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd is a leading international expert in weather and climate and is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia.

A professor and entertainer, Dannagal G. Young studies the impact of modern media on social and political discourse -- and delivers her findings in unexpectedly performative ways.

Wendy Freedman led the construction of the Giant Magellan Telescope, a massive earthbound observatory.

Biodiversity warrior Cary Fowler wants to save the world from agricultural collapse, one seed at a time.

A qualified physician with more than 15 years of experience in private practice, Dr. Kemi DaSilva-Ibru dedicates her time to addressing the needs of girls and women.

Using empathy and a clear-eyed view of mortality, BJ Miller shines a light on health care's most ignored facet: preparing for death.

Cara E. Yar Khan is an international human rights advocate promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities within all facets of society.

Inspired by art in all its forms, Daniel Lismore combines multiple inspirations from around the world into vibrant expressions of cultural appreciation.

Lucy Kalanithi is dedicated to helping others choose the health care and end-of-life experiences that best align with their values.

Dr. Irwin Redlener spends his days imagining the worst: He studies how humanity might survive natural or human-made disasters of unthinkable severity. He's been an outspoken critic of half-formed government recovery plans (especially after Katrina).

Professor Carolyn Bertozzi is a chemical biologist who invents technologies and medicines based on disease-causing sugar molecules.

Supasorn Suwajanakorn works on ways to reconstruct, preserve and reanimate anyone -- just from their existing photos and videos.

Talithia Williams builds statistical models that study the spatial and temporal structure of data.

Marc Goodman works to prevent future crimes and acts of terrorism, even those security threats not yet invented.

TED Fellow Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy seeks to push people to have difficult conversations about inequality and injustice.

Claire Malone searches for evidence of new fundamental particles and is passionate about making STEM accessible to everyone.

Ron Finley grows a nourishing food culture in South Central L.A.’s food desert by planting the seeds and tools for healthy eating.

In her reporting and writing, Leslie T. Chang explores the lives of workers in China, focusing on the experience of women.

What motivates you to share your personal information online? Alessandro Acquisti studies the behavioral economics of privacy (and information security) in social networks.

What if a computer could recognize your facial expression, and react to how you feel? Rana el Kaliouby sees big possibilities in making technology emotionally aware.

Choreographer + dancer

Inspired by open-source software models, Sage Bionetworks co-founder Stephen Friend builds tools that facilitate research sharing on a massive and revolutionary scale.

Steven Levitt's eye-opening Freakonomics took economic theory into the real world of suburban parenting and urban drug gangs, turning conventional wisdom upside-down.

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah is a BreatheLife Champion and founder of the Ella Roberta Family Foundation.

Newton Aduaka's award-winning Ezra, told through the eyes of a young boy in Sierra Leone, illuminates one of the most harrowing consequences of war: the recruitment of child soldiers.

A banker by training, Pavan Sukhdev runs the numbers on greening up -- showing that green economies are an effective engine for creating jobs and creating wealth.

Matthew Brookshire is a songwriter and performer originally from North Carolina.