Every year, a new wave of entrepreneurs emerges, but 2025 has been something special. This isn’t just about building big businesses; it’s about building with intention. The leaders on this list are redefining what it means to be an entrepreneur today. They’re turning personal missions into global movements, using innovation not just to disrupt industries, but to make life better for everyone.
What makes them worth watching? It’s not just their bold ideas or impressive growth. It’s their grit, their vision, and the way they stay rooted in purpose. These founders have learned to navigate uncertainty with resilience, and they’re not afraid to challenge the status quo.
What unites them isn’t a specific industry or background: it’s a mindset. A belief that entrepreneurship can be a force for progress, and that real success means leaving something meaningful behind. If you’re searching for the people redefining what it means to lead in today’s world, these are the entrepreneurs to follow in 2025.
Grant Cardone
Grant Timothy Cardone is an American entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker, and real estate investor. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from McNeese State University and began his career in sales and consulting. After overcoming personal struggles with addiction in his mid-twenties, he became president and CEO of Freedom Motorsports Group before establishing his own ventures.
Cardone founded Cardone Training Technologies, a sales and business training company, and wrote several best-selling books, including The 10X Rule, Sell or Be Sold, If You’re Not First, You’re Last, and Be Obsessed or Be Average. He also launched Cardone University, a widely-used online platform offering over 8,000 training modules to individuals and corporations worldwide.
In 2016, he founded Cardone Capital, a real estate investment firm focusing on multifamily properties. As of 2025, the firm manages approximately $4.8 to $5 billion in assets. While Cardone holds around $600 million in personal net worth, his influence spans far larger—summit speeches, social media (millions of followers), real estate crowdfunding, and a high-profile media presence have amplified his brand.
Cardone is a polarizing figure: praised for his relentless drive, sales acumen, and motivational energy, but also criticized for bold marketing claims and aggressive selling tactics. He has faced lawsuits related to Cardone Training and Cardone Capital, and his Scientology affiliation attracts media attention. Nonetheless, he remains one of America’s most influential—and controversial—entrepreneurial voices in sales training and real estate investing.
Natalia Denegri
Natalia Denegri is an Emmy Award-winning television producer, journalist, entrepreneur, humanitarian, and author whose career spans over two decades and multiple countries. Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, Natalia began her career in the performing arts, working as a theater actress and television personality before evolving into a powerhouse voice in media and philanthropy. With a unique blend of on-screen charisma and business acumen, she has carved out a distinctive space as a transformational figure in Hispanic media and beyond.
Denegri rose to prominence in the United States as the host and executive producer of Corazones Guerreros, a groundbreaking television program focused on sharing the stories of children with disabilities and individuals overcoming adversity. Airing on Mega TV and previously CNN Latino, the show has garnered both critical acclaim and a loyal following, earning her more than 25 Suncoast Regional Emmy Awards, making her one of the most awarded Latina producers in the U.S. Her work combines emotional storytelling with a deep commitment to social impact, always giving voice to the voiceless.
As a businesswoman, Natalia has built a robust media production company, overseeing numerous international television projects, documentaries, and branded content campaigns. She is also a partner in the renowned restaurant group Baires Grill, one of the most prominent Argentine culinary brands in the United States. Her entrepreneurial vision extends into the publishing world and philanthropic initiatives, where she leverages media platforms to create sustainable social change. She is known for transforming storytelling into a vehicle for empowerment, and her leadership continues to inspire a new generation of socially conscious creatives.
Beyond television, Natalia has produced over a dozen documentaries highlighting humanitarian issues in Latin America and around the world. Projects like Hope in the Darkness and The Forgotten Class have been screened internationally, including at the United Nations, and recognized for their powerful advocacy. These films reflect her unwavering dedication to spotlighting crises that are often overlooked, from child poverty to war zones.
A true multi-hyphenate and global citizen, Natalia stands as a model of what it means to lead with heart, purpose, and entrepreneurial drive. Her legacy continues to grow as she uses her platform to advocate for justice, inclusion, and the limitless potential of Latin American voices.
Abdalla Kablan
Dr. Abdalla Kablan is a multi-exit technologist, serial entrepreneur, and visionary investor dedicated to redefining the future of venture capital through DELTA Wealth Partners (DWP). His mission is to back bold thinkers building frontier technologies that deliver significant societal value. Central to his philosophy is the evolution from artificial intelligence to what he describes as Artificial Wisdom technology that integrates context, ethics, and consequence to guide responsible innovation.
Drawing on extensive experience as both a founder and advisor, Dr. Kablan recognized the challenge truly transformative ideas often face in finding genuine support. This understanding inspired the creation of DWP, a firm distinctly set apart by its thoughtful, systems-based approach. Rather than chasing short-term trends, DWP prioritizes intentional, multidisciplinary strategies, investing in technologies from AI and quantum computing to climate tech and decentralized infrastructure that reshape industries and societies at a fundamental level.
Dr. Kablan candidly shares the lessons he has learned through his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing resilience, humility, and staying true to one’s values. For him, entrepreneurship is an exercise in perseverance, grounded by purpose and supported by a committed team.
At the core of Dr. Kablan’s motivation is his role as a father. He seeks not just to succeed, but to leave a legacy of meaningful, ethical progress for future generations. Whether advising founders, challenging venture capital norms, or advocating for responsible technology, Dr. Abdalla Kablan remains driven by one vision: to ensure innovation is guided by wisdom and humanity.
Bethza Flores
Bethza Flores is the founder of a real estate and property management business rooted in purpose, integrity, and personal transformation. Based on her own journey as a single mother navigating uncertainty and financial hardship, Bethza was inspired to create a business that offers more than just property transactions, it offers peace of mind. She helps clients buy, sell, rent, and manage their properties with a full-service, personalized approach that makes them feel supported every step of the way.
Operating in one of the most competitive industries, Bethza has carved out a niche by doing things differently. Her brand stands out through its deep commitment to transparency, empathy, and long-term relationships. “More than transactions, we build sustainable results,” she says. Her philosophy is simple: take the time to understand each client’s goals, and then provide honest, strategic support that leads to lasting success, whether for a first-time homebuyer or an experienced investor.
Her path hasn’t been easy. With no financial safety net and many personal responsibilities, Bethza had to build her business from the ground up while facing debt, stress, and self-doubt. She credits her resilience, discipline, and willingness to keep learning as key factors in overcoming those early struggles. Her story is a testament to the power of patience and persistence, proof that success doesn’t have to come fast to be meaningful.
What keeps her going is the real impact she sees in people’s lives. Every family that finds a home, every property well cared for, every investor who feels confident: they’re all part of Bethza’s bigger mission. This year, she plans to expand her services with digital tools for tenants and property owners, host webinars and in-person events, and build stronger partnerships with local service providers to enhance the value she delivers.
For Bethza, entrepreneurship is about leaving a mark—creating something that uplifts others and builds community. Her message to future business owners is clear: “Believe in your vision, even when no one else does. Start with what you have, keep learning, and stay consistent.”
Patrick Collison
Patrick Collison is an Irish entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Stripe, a fintech company that enables online payments globally. He co-founded Stripe in 2010 with his brother John, after dropping out of MIT. Early fundraising included backing from PayPal co-founders and top venture capital firms.
By 2016, the Collisons became the world’s youngest self-made billionaires, after Stripe’s valuation climbed to around $9.2 billion. In 2019, the brothers led Stripe to a $35 billion valuation, maintaining majority control. As of 2025, Stripe continues to expand its enterprise products, and Patrick joined Meta’s board.
He also co-founded Fast Grants in 2020 to accelerate COVID-19 research, and in 2021 helped launch the Arc Institute, a nonprofit for advanced scientific research. Collison posts regularly about technology, science, and progress studies.
Patrick is widely regarded as a champion for productivity, innovation, and academic rigor in entrepreneurship. In 2025 he remains committed to scaling Stripe while promoting scientific philanthropy and institutional reform.
Maria Cristina Fernandez
María Cristina Fernández Reséndiz is a certified Maestra Mezcalera, tasting judge, and one of the driving forces behind Atado, a premium artisanal mezcal brand rooted in ancestral Mexican tradition. Her journey into the industry was born from personal loss during the pandemic, a time of profound grief that became the catalyst for transformation. Channeling that pain into purpose, she embraced the power of reinvention and set out to dignify mezcal as both a cultural symbol and a refined spirit.
Atado was founded not merely as a business, but as a tribute to tradition, to resilience, and to the sacred rituals of the land. María Cristina immersed herself in the Sierra Oaxaqueña, learning from the wisdom of indigenous communities and mastering the delicate, centuries-old process of producing mezcal. Every bottle of Atado is the result of walking steep terrain, harvesting mature agaves, slow roasting in earthen pits, fermenting naturally, and distilling twice in copper stills. Her belief: with other drinks we toast, but with mezcal, we offer.
Atado stands out in the industry for its commitment to authenticity, sustainability, and sensory excellence. The brand offers four wild agave expressions: Tepeztate (Agave marmorata), winner of international awards in Brussels, San Francisco, and Mexico; Tobalá (Potatorum), Mexicano (SP), and Jabalí (Convallis), the latter also a national gold medalist. Each variety is a celebration of Mexico’s biodiversity, offering complex and evocative tasting profiles. Importantly, Atado is the world’s first spirits company certified by SME360X and UPS for reducing its carbon footprint.
Beyond production, María Cristina is on a mission to elevate Mexican mezcal on the global stage. She has successfully positioned Atado in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, while maintaining a strong presence in Mexico’s most prestigious retail spaces. She is currently developing Casa Atado, an immersive experience center on the Oaxacan coast that will offer mezcal tastings, culinary workshops, certifications, and sustainability education.
As an entrepreneur, María Cristina understands the challenges of competing in an industry where high-quality producers often face disproportionate taxes, market saturation, and pricing pressures. Yet her response has always been perseverance, innovation, and community. Atado operates as a collective effort, where each member brings value, knowledge, and vision to the table. Her motivation is clear: to expand production, generate jobs, support agave-growing communities, and proudly represent Mexico around the world.
In everything she does, María Cristina seeks to create lasting impact, not only through world-class mezcal, but by nurturing cultural pride, sustainability, and economic opportunity. She believes the best way to give back to her country is to honor its traditions and transform them into products of global relevance.
Dr. Juan Jose Moguel
Dr. Juan José Chávez Moguel is a renowned Mexican dental surgeon and a pioneer in the field of implantology, with over 35 years of clinical experience and more than 17,000 successful implants placed. Known as a Cutting Edge Dentistry Implant Expert, he is the creator of the groundbreaking “3ON8” technique, a full-mouth restoration method that offers patients greater stability, durability, and comfort compared to traditional implant procedures. His innovation, used exclusively in his clinics, reflects decades of hands-on expertise, relentless learning, and a deep commitment to transforming lives through dental care.
At the heart of Dr. Moguel’s practice is a philosophy that goes beyond technical precision. For him and his team, restoring teeth means restoring joy, confidence, and quality of life. His clinic, Dental Implants in los Algodones, is designed not just as a treatment center, but as a space of emotional healing, where cutting-edge technology meets compassion and ethical care. With a highly skilled team and a reputation for excellence, Dr. Moguel has built a business rooted in integrity, patient-centered results, and continuous innovation.
What truly sets Dr. Moguel apart is his belief that dentistry is a calling, not just a profession. From mentoring young professionals to supporting his family and patients alike, he leads with humility and purpose. During the COVID-19 pandemic, while many clinics shuttered, he remained open and committed to serving with the highest safety standards. Today, he continues to refine his techniques, expand his services, and inspire trust in every patient he treats.
Ivana Rodriguez
Ivana Rodríguez Pareja is a 24-year-old entrepreneur, speaker, and business owner from Mérida, Yucatán, who launched her first company at just 19. Fueled by creativity, resilience, and an unshakable determination, Ivana founded MYKOZ, a Greek yogurt ice cream brand built around health, flavor, and design. What began as a bold idea during the pandemic quickly evolved into a thriving business, known not only for its sugar-free, self-serve concept but for creating a full emotional experience through branding, architecture, and product innovation.
As the CEO and creative force behind MYKOZ, she has led the brand’s transformation into a scalable model poised for franchising, with a team of over 65 people. But her work doesn’t stop there. Through her conferences and mentorship, she shares the raw truths of entrepreneurship and empowers others to pursue their own ventures with clarity and courage. Ivana also co-leads a consulting firm that supports businesses across industries in building solid processes and making smarter decisions.
Today, MYKOZ is much more than a frozen treat, it’s a lifestyle brand that invites people to choose their own experience, whether they’re looking for something indulgent or something healthy. Ivana now leads a growing team and has created a business model ready for national expansion. In addition, what sets her apart is her honesty, her ability to connect, and her commitment to doing things differently.
She’s not just growing a company: she’s building a movement around authenticity, self-awareness, and action. With new franchise opportunities on the horizon and a growing platform as a speaker and mentor, Ivana is just getting started, and she’s bringing others along for the ride.
Elisa Hernandez
Elisa Hernandez is the founder of Chaud Pain, a unique bakery born out of her deep passion and respect for the culinary arts. Elisa’s inspiration came from the idea of blending different cultures, flavors, ingredients, and stories through the craft of baking. She sees baking as an art form that allows her to weave these elements into her bread recipes, creating a distinctive experience for her customers.
Operating in the gastronomic industry, Chaud Pain stands out for its dedication to fusing global influences into each loaf. Elisa’s commitment to storytelling through flavors sets her brand apart, offering more than just bread, but a cultural journey.
One of the biggest challenges Elisa has faced as an entrepreneur has been navigating financial education. She believes that no matter how innovative or creative your ideas are, without a solid financial foundation, success will be difficult to achieve.
In addition, what keeps her motivated is the joy and satisfaction she sees in her customers when they taste her bread. Their happiness fuels her drive to keep growing.
Elisa’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs is to invest in themselves first, emphasizing that the foundation of any business lies in understanding numbers, discipline, and commitment.
This year, Elisa plans to expand Chaud Pain with more locations, continuing to grow her brand and share her passion for baking. She also hopes to make a lasting impact on her industry and community, particularly inspiring women and young people. Elisa wants everyone who tastes her bread to feel the love and cultural richness of the countries that influence her creations.
Brianne West
Brianne West is a New Zealand environmentalist and entrepreneur, best known for founding Ethique, the world’s first zero-waste beauty brand, and Incrediballs, a plastic-free drinks startup. She grew up in Queenstown after emigrating from the Isle of Man at age seven and launched Ethique in 2012 while studying science at the University of Canterbury, initially formulating solid shampoo and conditioner bars in her own kitchen.
Under her leadership, Ethique grew into a global enterprise: by 2019 her company was saving millions of plastic bottles from landfills, had reached revenues over $10 million annually, and expanded into markets like the UK, Australia, Taiwan, the U.S. and Hong Kong. She garnered multiple accolades including being named a “Global Thinker” by Foreign Policy (2016), EY Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2019), winner of New Zealand’s Women of Influence Business Enterprise award (2019), and became a Barbie Role Model in 2022 when Mattel created a doll in her likeness.
In late 2020, West sold a majority stake in Ethique and stepped down as CEO in 2023. She subsequently launched Incrediballs, set to debut in 2025, offering plastic-free drink concentrates. Beyond her businesses, she founded an environmental mentoring hub, “Business, but Better,” and invests in mission-driven startups within the sustainability space.
Brianne West continues to be a global leader in zero-waste innovation, sustainability education, and ethical entrepreneurship. Her peer recognition includes appointments such as one of EY’s 2025 Entrepreneur of the Year judges, and her ventures remain on track to significantly reduce plastic pollution worldwide.
Demis Hassabis
Sir Demis Hassabis is a British AI researcher, neuroscientist, and tech entrepreneur. A chess prodigy from childhood, he later studied at Cambridge and earned a PhD in cognitive neuroscience from University College London. In 2010, he co-founded DeepMind, which quickly became a leader in artificial intelligence.
DeepMind made international headlines when its AlphaGo program beat the world champion Go player in 2016. In 2020, it introduced AlphaFold 2, an AI system capable of predicting protein structures with atomic-level accuracy. This breakthrough earned Hassabis, alongside John Jumper, the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and numerous other awards.
In 2021, Hassabis founded Isomorphic Labs, an Alphabet subsidiary applying AlphaFold technology to drug discovery and life sciences. He remains CEO of both DeepMind and Isomorphic Labs. His work has earned him a knighthood, a fellowship at the Royal Society, and global influence in AI ethics and policy.
As of 2025, Demis Hassabis is recognized as one of the world’s foremost voices on AI’s scientific and ethical frontiers. He advises the UK government on AI strategy, leads research into general intelligence, and emphasizes the responsible application of AI in sectors like climate science and healthcare.
Stacy Madison
Stacy Madison is the entrepreneur behind Stacy’s Pita Chips, one of the most recognizable snack brands in the United States. Her journey began in the late 1990s when she and her then-partner operated a small food cart in Boston, serving healthy sandwiches. To keep customers happy while they waited in line, she started baking leftover pita bread into crispy, seasoned chips. The snack became so popular that it outshined the sandwiches, inspiring Stacy to pivot her business entirely toward packaged pita chips.
By 2005, Stacy’s Pita Chips had grown into a national brand, selling in grocery stores across the country. That same year, Madison sold the company to PepsiCo for a reported $65 million, securing her spot as one of the most successful self-made food entrepreneurs. Despite the sale, she remained an advocate for healthy eating and women-led businesses, mentoring up-and-coming founders and investing in early-stage food startups.
Today, Stacy continues to champion entrepreneurship through speaking engagements and venture advising. She has also launched BeBOLD Bars, a new line of plant-based snack bars, proving her ability to reinvent herself in the health food market. Her career reflects the power of spotting a small opportunity, scaling it with persistence, and building a household name from a simple idea.
Whitney Wolfe Herd
Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder of Bumble, a social networking app where women make the first move. After working at Tinder, she launched Bumble in 2014 in Austin, Texas. She became the youngest female CEO to take a company public in 2021.
In March 2025, Wolfe Herd returned as CEO of Bumble after a brief hiatus. The company has experienced fluctuations—reporting a 7.7% revenue drop in Q1 2025—but she’s committed to refocusing Bumble on meaningful and equitable relationships between users.
Wolfe Herd has earned numerous awards, including Forbes’s “30 Under 30” and Time’s “100 Most Influential People.” She also uses her platform to champion women’s empowerment, privacy, and anti-harassment features in social tech.
She balances executive duties with efforts to support female founders through mentorship programs and public speaking. By mid-2025, she is leading a renewed strategic vision for Bumble’s growth and impact.
Kelli Christina
With over three decades of leadership across hospitality, corporate recruitment, and healthcare staffing, Kelli Christina has become a respected voice in business leadership and a driving force in permanent medical placement. As the founder and CEO of KD-Staffing, she has built a nationally recognized contingency firm specializing in hard-to-fill positions for hospitals and medical practices across the United States. From nursing departments and directors to mid-levels and specialized roles, Kelli’s firm stands out for its white-glove approach to recruitment, offering far more than just resumes.
Kelli’s journey began in the restaurant industry, where she managed her first team at just 19 years old. After earning a hospitality degree from the University of North Texas, she spent over a decade in leadership and training before pivoting into healthcare staffing. In 2007, she launched KD-Staffing during one of the most volatile economic periods in modern history, the 2008 recession. Despite industry headwinds, she carved out a niche in hospital-based permanent placement, earning a reputation as a medical industry advocate and unofficial lobbyist pushing for fair business practices and ethical recruitment.
What makes Kelli stand out is her fearless combination of business savvy and moral clarity. A two-time best-selling author and international public speaker, she is best known for her award-winning book “Riding the Executive Roller Coaster—Medical Staffing Cases,” which chronicles both her rise and the challenges she faced, including whistleblower experiences and industry-wide legal battles. Her books blend memoir, leadership insights, and legal thriller elements to educate professionals on how to build success the right way: with transparency, operational systems, and an unwavering commitment to doing what’s right.
In addition to running KD-Staffing and her author brand KDC-Making a Difference LLC, Kelli dedicates her time to government reform efforts, exposing unethical practices in publishing and speaking out on national legal issues. She has worked pro bono with government officials for over a decade and is not afraid to shine a light on hidden industry abuses, from author royalties to fraudulent celebrity fan clubs. Her entrepreneurial resilience, particularly following reputational challenges and high-profile lawsuits, reflects her core belief: that rebuilding is always possible when your mission is clear and your values are strong.
Today, Kelli Christina continues to coach teams, rebuild her staffing firm post-pandemic, and speak on leadership, legal preparedness, and ethical entrepreneurship. Her philosophy is simple but powerful: “Win your success doing the right things.”
Anne Wojcicki
Anne Wojcicki is a biotech entrepreneur best known for co-founding 23andMe in 2006. After working in healthcare investment and research, she launched the direct-to-consumer genetic testing service to democratize genetic information and accelerate drug discovery.
23andMe went public via SPAC in 2021, with an initial peak valuation of around $6 billion. However, data privacy issues—including a significant breach in 2023—led to multiple lawsuits and declining revenues. In March 2025, 23andMe filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and Wojcicki stepped down as CEO. She remains on the board and is leading a bid to take the company private.
She has been recognized for her pioneering work, being named among Forbes’s greatest self-made women and featured by Fast Company. Despite 23andMe’s recent financial challenges, Wojcicki’s commitment to consumer genetics and privacy protection remains steadfast.
In 2025, Wojcicki is focused on steering the company through reorganization and sale, while advocating for transparent, ethical use of genetic data. Her continued presence on the board signals her enduring influence in biotech entrepreneurship.
Reshma Saujani
Reshma Saujani is an American lawyer, politician, and social entrepreneur. She served as deputy public advocate in New York City before founding Girls Who Code in 2012, a nonprofit working to close the gender gap in computer science by providing free coding education to young women.
Girls Who Code has reached hundreds of thousands of students and garnered substantial support from tech companies and philanthropists. Saujani has written several books on women and work, including Women Who Don’t Wait in Line and Brave, Not Perfect, and delivered a TED talk advocating for embracing risk and failure in leadership.
In 2025, she founded Moms First, a nonprofit focused on supporting mothers in the workplace and expanding paid family leave policies. She also delivered the commencement address at Harvey Mudd College, reaffirming her position as a leading voice on equity, technology, and public policy.
Saujani’s work bridges education, advocacy, and policy. She demonstrates how entrepreneurship and activism can intersect to drive social change—in this case, increasing women’s representation in technology and improving working conditions for families.
Justin McLeod
Justin McLeod is the founder and CEO of Hinge, the dating app designed to be deleted. Unlike many of its competitors, Hinge was built with a clear mission: to help users form meaningful, long-term relationships rather than casual encounters. McLeod launched Hinge in 2012 after realizing that most dating platforms prioritized swiping and superficial interactions. Drawing on his personal experience navigating relationships and heartbreak, he envisioned an app that encouraged deeper conversations and compatibility-driven connections.
In its early years, Hinge struggled to gain traction against giants like Tinder and Bumble. McLeod and his team took a bold step in 2016, completely redesigning the app and shifting away from the “swipe” format. The move paid off: by 2019, Hinge had become one of the fastest-growing dating apps in the U.S., eventually being acquired by Match Group, which owns several major players in the industry. Under McLeod’s leadership, Hinge positioned itself as the go-to app for singles seeking serious relationships, now boasting millions of users worldwide.
Beyond his role at Hinge, McLeod has become a recognized voice on the intersection of technology and human connection. He speaks regularly about building businesses with purpose and using tech to foster genuine relationships rather than replace them.
Susan Wojcicki
Susan Wojcicki was the CEO of YouTube from 2014 to early 2025. Before joining Google at its founding in 1998, she worked in marketing and management consulting. She holds a B.A. from Harvard and an M.S. from UCLA, and played a key role in acquiring YouTube in 2006.
During her tenure, YouTube grew from about 50 million views per day to over 2 billion logged-in users monthly, adding major milestones like YouTube Music, Premium, and TV. She prioritized creator monetization, copyright reform, and global expansion, establishing the YouTube Partner Program and Content ID systems.
Wojcicki consistently advocated for gender equality in tech and family-friendly policies, famously extending paid maternity leave and subsidizing on-site childcare at YouTube’s headquarters. She has received many awards, including Harvard’s Radcliffe Medal, reflecting her impact on digital media and leadership.
Upon stepping down in early 2025, she joined the boards of Salesforce and Instacart. She now focuses on education and media investments through her venture fund, supporting women-led and sustainable businesses.
Payal Kadakia
Payal Kadakia is the founder of ClassPass, a subscription-based fitness platform that revolutionized how people access boutique workout classes. A first-generation Indian-American and MIT graduate in Operations Research, Kadakia launched ClassPass in 2013 after struggling to find a ballet class online—a frustration that inspired her to rethink the way people discover and book wellness experiences.
Under her leadership, ClassPass expanded to over 30 countries and became a global leader in fitness technology, amassing millions of users and forming partnerships with over 30,000 studios and gyms. The company was acquired by Mindbody in 2021, and Kadakia transitioned into a board role while launching The Sa Dance Company, celebrating South Asian culture through performance and education.
In 2022, she published LifePass, a bestselling book on purpose-driven living, outlining the goal-setting method that guided her through entrepreneurship. In 2025, Kadakia is a frequent keynote speaker on identity, innovation, and work-life alignment. She also mentors South Asian founders and invests in wellness and women-led startups.
Ben Chestnut
Ben Chestnut is the co-founder and former CEO of Mailchimp, the marketing platform that transformed email automation for small businesses. Raised in a military family in Georgia, Chestnut studied industrial design and co-founded Mailchimp in 2001 with Dan Kurzius as a side project—bootstrapping the company without outside funding for nearly two decades.
Under his quiet yet visionary leadership, Mailchimp grew into one of the largest independent marketing platforms globally, with over 14 million users and $800M in annual revenue by the time it was acquired by Intuit for $12 billion in 2021. Chestnut stepped down as CEO in 2022 but remains an advocate for small business innovation and creator empowerment.
In 2025, Chestnut focuses on philanthropy through the Chestnut Family Foundation, funding education, workforce development, and community arts in the American South. He’s also an investor in emerging tech startups, favoring founders with grit and a long-term mindset over flashy scale tactics.
Known for his no-nonsense style, loyalty to small business owners, and creative marketing ethos, Chestnut remains a role model for purpose-driven entrepreneurship outside Silicon Valley’s spotlight.
