Joseph Stiglitz
It's said that the day when the arms dealer Alfred Nobel picked up his newspaper and was shocked to find an obituary calling him a "merchant of death," he decided to dedicate the rest of his life to supporting peace and prosperity. Hence the Nobel Prize. It was good that he changed, because he has made it possible for us to honor people who have changed our view of the world for the good.
Joe Stiglitz, 68, has chaired President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers, served as the World Bank's chief economist and developed theories that will be remembered long after current controversies die down, because he has delivered to us a better understanding of economics, particularly with the crucial insight that markets aren't always efficient.
The return to political economy is under way — even if the journey is through the rather messy area of behavioral economics — after the revelations of the deficiencies of a purely market-based approach. Joe's Nobel Prize–winning work on information asymmetries is a crucial part of this journey.
He got the Asian crisis right, foresaw the bubble that caused such havoc in 2008 and is advocating global answers to a host of problems that can no longer be solved at the local or national level. This worldview is the essential dimension missing in economic-policy making but which has to be at the core of the next ways forward. Now a distinguished professor at Columbia, Joe is a brilliant intellect, a great conversationalist, and because his work goes on challenging us all to rethink our ideas, he will always be a controversialist wherever he goes.
Brown is a former Prime Minister of the U.K. and the author of Beyond the Crash: Overcoming the First Crisis of Globalization
Reed Hastings
Reed Hastings was a Marine and a Peace Corps worker before he became an entrepreneur. As he says, "Once you have hitchhiked across Africa with 10 bucks in your pocket, starting a business doesn't seem too intimidating."
And what a business he started. Reed, 50, had the idea for Netflix after misplacing a videocassette and racking up a big late fee. He was on his way to work out when he realized the gym had a much better business model than his video-rental store: pay $30 to $40 a month and exercise as little or as much as you want.
Netflix first revolutionized entertainment distribution using one of the oldest methods of delivery, the U.S. mail. Now it distributes everywhere — TV, computer, iPad or game console.
Reed's innovation has changed how the entertainment business reaches its audience and how that audience is able to access content. I am thrilled to be part of this game-changing pioneer's next move: the first original series for Netflix, House of Cards, to be directed by David Fincher.
Blockbuster was sold at auction in April. Meanwhile, Reed has figured out that giving consumers what they want and how they want it — or even better, how they never even knew they could have it — is the business model of the future.
Amy Poehler
I was originally asked to write 150 words of praise for Amy Poehler. Unfortunately, a personal matter has forced me to deviate from this assignment. Amy, I know you are reading this. You won't return my phone calls, e-mails or texts, and I'm fed up. In February 2011 you asked me to invest $15,000 in a "real estate" opportunity you had heard about. Since then, I have heard nothing from you, and my research shows that the company, Excalibur Equity, does not even exist. I want my money back. Now.
That said, I cannot say how much I admire and respect Amy Poehler. In comedy, a lot of what you see feels derivative and uninspired; with Amy, 39, there is always something fresh and unexpected, and that's why I love her work. I've always felt a bond with her, but it was not until I worked with her on her sitcom Parks and Recreation that I really got to know her. I have found that she is as kind and caring a person as she is hilarious. Simply put, Amy Poehler is my hero. However, if I don't get back my $15,000 soon, I will be contacting the authorities.
Geoffrey Canada
School Reformer
Geoffrey Canada is an extraordinary innovator and one of my heroes. He has shown time and again that education is the surest path out of poverty. The Harlem Children's Zone Project, which he founded, provides a cradle-to-career continuum of high-quality neighborhood schools and support services for disadvantaged children. It's based on the simple idea that you cannot divorce where kids live from where they learn — and it's the template for President Obama's Promise Neighborhoods program.
When Canada, 59, started HCZ Project 14 years ago, it was a one-block pilot program. Today it covers 100 city blocks and serves 8,000 kids, providing not just a good education but also early-childhood programs, after-school services and guidance to help parents play a key role in their kids' learning. Every day, Canada is driven by a deep belief that all children can succeed, regardless of race, wealth or ZIP code.
Mark Zuckerberg
Facebook Founder
I'm sure Mark Zuckerberg has heard many I-found-love-on-Facebook stories through the years, but my love story is unlike any other. I never knew when I created a Facebook account to connect with friends, relatives and constituents that I would find one of my residents who needed a kidney. But there was Carlos Sanchez, like some sort of cyberspace SOS on my NewsFeed, contacting as many people as he could to find a new chance at life.
Would I have been his donor without Facebook? We'll never know. But Facebook allowed me to sit quietly in my office and say to myself, You're up! Answer this call!
It is now a regular occurrence to see folks awaiting a transplant use Facebook to put out a call to action. And the element of connecting via Facebook has generated interest that helps us promote health, wellness and organ and tissue donation. Every year nearly 7,000 people in the U.S. die while awaiting a transplant. I know of at least one person who survived, thanks to Mark Zuckerberg, 26, and his little idea called Facebook.
Peter Vesterbacka
Game Developer
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