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.

Chris Umson is the Director of Self-Driving Cars at Google[x].

A research scientist at Intel, Jennifer Healey develops the mobile internet devices of the future.

UPS's Wanis Kabbaj seeks new ways of understanding the growing complexity of our congested cities and globalized world.

Car design is a ubiquitous but often overlooked art form. As chief of design for the BMW Group, Chris Bangle has overseen cars that have been seen the world over, including BMW 7 Series and the Z4 roadster.

With Zipcar, Robin Chase introduced car-crazy America to the concept of non-ownership. Now she's flipping that model with Buzzcar, which lets you rent your own auto to your neighbors.

As executive chair of the Ford Motor Company, Bill Ford leads the company that put the world on wheels.

Larry Burns is the vice president of R&D for GM. His job? Find a new way to power cars.

Benjamin Wallace is a journalist and author of The Billionaire's Vinegar, the true story of the world's most expensive bottle of (possibly phony?) wine. He's been a contributor to GQ, Details, Salon and The Washington Post.

As Uber's co-founder and former CEO, Travis Kalanick is disrupting an entrenched industry and reinventing urban transportation.

Shai Agassi wants to put you behind the wheel of an electric car -- but he doesn't want you to sacrifice convenience (or cash) to do it.

Teddy Cruz looks for clues to the "city of the future" in the emerging urban areas of today.

Karissa Sanbonmatsu investigates how DNA allows cells in our body to remember events that take place.

Dr. Jessica Garza is an accomplished global business, sport and transformational coach, speaker and author.

Alicia Garza launched a global movement with a single Facebook post that ended with the words: “Black lives matter.”

Bill Gross founded Idealab, an incubator of new inventions, ideas and businesses.

Grace H. Kim is an internationally recognized expert in cohousing -- the art and craft of creating communities.

Toby Kiers investigates cooperation and punishment in nature.

Bernie Krause's legendary soundscapes uncover nature’s rich sonic tapestry -- along with some unexpected results.

As president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Dan Gross seeks to cut US gun deaths in half by 2025.

Sebastian Thrun is a passionate technologist who is constantly looking for new opportunities to make the world better for all of us.

Mike Cannon-Brookes is an entrepreneur, technology investor and passionate clean energy evangelist.

Alex Wissner-Gross applies science and engineering principles to big (and diverse) questions, like: "What is the equation for intelligence?" and "What's the best way to raise awareness about climate change?"

Ashley M. Grice believes in the power of wonder and unconventional thinking to disrupt industries and the status quo.

James Howard Kunstler may be the world’s most outspoken critic of suburban sprawl. He believes the end of the fossil fuels era will soon force a return to smaller-scale, agrarian communities -- and an overhaul of the most destructive features of postwar society.

Shubhendu Sharma creates afforestation methods that make it easy to plant maintenance-free, wild and biodiverse forests.

Ali Kashani explores the unexpected roles robots might take on in our daily lives -- including bringing us lunch.

TED Fellow Joel Jackson is the founder and CEO of Mobius Motors, set to launch a durable, low-cost SUV made in Africa.

Bastian Schaefer and a team of designers at Airbus have been imagining the high-concept future of the jet airlplane -- in a future with less fuel and more passengers.

Soft cars, jet packs and houses made of meat are all in a day's work for urban designer, architect and TED Fellow Mitchell Joachim.