The Worthy 100 Issue 2025

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CHAIRMAN

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Josh Kampel

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Paul Stamoulis

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

SENIOR EDITOR

ASSISTANT EDITOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

CONTRIBUTORS

Dan Costa

Eva Crouse

Caroline Bienfang

Nicole Dudka

Cait Bazemore, Larry Kantor, Bob Diamond, Max Isaacman, Jonathan Russo, Deborah Grayson, Alexis Nikolia Buncich, Kirsten Cluthe, Jason Allen Ashlock, Oliver Rist

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DIRECTOR OF HOSPITALITY Kimberly Anderson-Marichal

Our Mission Is Building Worth Beyond Wealth

Worth helps our influential, successful community better invest their time and money. We believe business is a lever for social and economic progress. From practical financial advice to exclusive profiles of industry leaders, Worth inspires our readers to lead more purpose-driven lives. Through our conferences, digital channels, and quarterly print publication, we connect the people and companies that are building the future. We showcase products and services that are indulgent, luxurious, and sustainable.

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Redefining Success

The Worthy 100 are proof that leadership and empathy can coexist.

BY JIM MCCANN

Each year, the Worth team undertakes what feels like an impossible challenge: identifying 100 people who, in their own ways, embody what it means to be worthy. These individuals are not only accomplished or influential but also guided by purpose. They use their platforms, passions, and resources to move the world forward.

Look at this year’s list and you’ll see that “worth” takes many forms. There’s Alicia Keys, whose artistry and activism amplify the power of self-expression; Keanu Reeves, whose humility and generosity have become as legendary as his film roles; and Darius Rucker, whose music and philanthropy continue to bring people together. Jacqueline Novogratz, through the Acumen Fund, reimagines how capital can serve humanity, while David Miliband, at the International Rescue Committee, shows that leadership can be both compassionate and pragmatic.

Entrepreneurs like Melanie Perkins and Vinod Khosla are pushing industries to innovate responsibly. Thinkers and educators such as Barbara Oakley, Gary King, and Arthur

Brooks remind us that wisdom is something we can practice and share. From Dr. Vivek Murthy, who champions human connection as an antidote to loneliness, to Denise Resnik of First Place AZ, who creates inclusive communities for adults with autism, every person on this list shares a belief that success is most meaningful when it uplifts others.

I was reminded of that idea during a recent conversation with the artist Romero Britto. His instantly recognizable work radiates optimism. “Art should be a bridge,” he told me, a “way to connect people through hope and happiness.”

What Britto said about art rings true far beyond the canvas. The people we celebrate this year are bridge builders of every kind. They use creativity, empathy, and innovation to bring the world a little closer together.

At a time when the headlines often dwell on division and decline, this list is our reminder that progress continues, driven by individuals who see possibility where others see limits. The Worthy 100 are not simply achievers; they’re catalysts.

They challenge industries, spark movements, and use their influence to expand opportunity and understanding.

Publishing this list each year is an act of optimism. It reflects our conviction that the currency of the future will not be wealth or power, but wisdom and the willingness to share it. These honorees remind us that the most enduring kind of worth comes from generosity, not accumulation.

Romero Britto paints his hope in vivid colors. His peers in the Worthy 100 express theirs through ideas, invention, and compassion. Both remind us that joy and purpose are powerful forces—and that when we use what we have to lift others, we create something lasting.

That’s why Worth celebrates the Worthy 100 each year: not to crown the most successful, but to honor those who are redefining what worth really means.

— Jim McCann CHAIRMAN, WORTH MEDIA jim.mccann@worth.com

The New Icons of Impact

Worth is more than a magazine—it’s a movement of entrepreneurs, investors, and creators uniting to drive impact beyond the bottom line.

BY JOSH KAMPEL

Each year, our Worthy 100 issue captures the heart of what we stand for at Worth: Worth Beyond Wealth. It celebrates the entrepreneurs, executives, athletes, artists, and innovators who remind us that success isn’t just about what you accumulate, it’s about what you contribute. The list recognizes the people who are leading with purpose, transforming their industries, and using their influence to create impact that lasts.

This year’s cover, created by the fantastic artist Romero Britto, embodies that spirit of optimism, creativity, and joy. His vibrant colors and signature style are instantly recognizable, but it’s his story that resonates most deeply. Romero himself is among this year’s Worthy 100, recognized not only for his art but for his unwavering commitment to philanthropy and community. This cover should remind us that art, like leadership, has the power to uplift, inspire, and unite.

The Worthy 100 issue is also one of my favorites because it brings together the many facets that make Worth unique. We’ve positioned our brand at the intersection of business, finance, innovation, impact, and lifestyle, a reflection of how our audience truly lives and leads. Our readers and community members don’t fit neatly into one category; they’re investors and entrepreneurs, creators and changemakers. They’re as passionate about markets and technology as they are about health, travel, and legacy.

Every feature, interview, and event we create is curated with that in mind. We strive to serve our community not just as a source of information, but as a source of inspiration and connection. We want to educate, entertain, and most importantly, bring together people who share a common goal: to live lives of success, purpose, and meaning. Worth isn’t just a media platform; it’s a community of accomplished individuals exchanging ideas, experiences, and opportunities to create something larger than themselves.

This past year, we’ve seen that vision come to life in remarkable ways. From our custom editions at the Super Bowl and the Milken Institute Global Conference to the growing impact of our Techonomy and Living Well platforms, Worth has continued to expand its reach while staying true to its core mission. These initiatives reflect not only our editorial excellence but also our ability to convene the conversations that matter most to business leaders, investors, and changemakers alike.

Looking ahead to 2026, our ambition is only growing. We’ll continue to strengthen our core franchises like Groundbreaking Women, Living Well, and Techonomy while introducing exciting new platforms such as Beyond the Game, which highlights athletes as entrepreneurs and investors, and the Beyond Wealth Summit, designed to convene conversations about legacy, leadership, and the next generation of impact. Through it all, our guiding principle remains simple yet powerful: influence isn’t only measured by net worth. The individuals we honor in this issue, and the community that surrounds Worth, remind us every day that success has a higher purpose.

— Josh Kampel CEO, WORTH MEDIA josh.kampel@worth.com

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When Success Isn’t Enough

In an age of historic inequality, The Worthy 100 celebrates those redefining success through impact, inclusion, and intent.

BY DAN COSTA

For a generation after World War II, the United States lived by an unspoken deal: when the economy grew, everyone moved forward. Productivity rose, wages followed, and prosperity was shared across classes. That deal has worn thin. Between 1979 and 2019, output per worker climbed nearly 60%, but the typical worker’s pay rose only about 16% in real terms, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

The top 1% now collect about 14.6% of all wages—double their share in 1979—while the bottom 90% receive barely 58.6%. On the wealth side, the top 1% hold roughly 30% of the nation’s assets; the bottom half, scarcely 2%.

John F. Kennedy once said, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” Maybe, but lately the yachts are rising faster than the rowboats.

These aren’t just economic facts; they’re civic ones. Inequality corrodes institutions and fuels anger. As Martin Luther King Jr. warned, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” When people stop believing the system works for them, politics turns into a contest of resentments. This is how the greatest country in the world elects a self-dealing, billionaire, blowhard president. This is how the greatest city in the world entrusts itself to an inexperienced democratic socialist promising to freeze rent and make buses free.

Both actions spring from the same sense of betrayal. Neither is likely to improve things.

The Worthy 100 is our rebuttal to that cynicism. It’s a reminder that wealth, power, and influence are not ends in themselves. At Worth, we’ve long argued for worth beyond wealth—leadership measured by how it expands opportunity for others. This year’s honorees include technologists designing ethical AI systems that put people before algorithms, investors channeling capital into overlooked communities, and artists re-imagining culture as a public good. They prove that capitalism, tempered by conscience, can still widen the circle of prosperity.

The last 40 years have shown that growth alone doesn’t guarantee fairness. Economist Dalton Conley put it plainly: “The question isn’t whether markets deliver growth—they do. The question is whether that growth is widely shared.” The Worthy 100 answers that question in the affirmative. Their work asks something larger of all of us: growth for whom, and to what end?

Artificial intelligence is now the frontier where this struggle plays out. It promises astonishing advances but also threatens to erode middle-class work and concentrate rewards at the top. The “Magnificent Seven” now make up roughly

one-third of the S&P 500’s market value, and as AI capex accelerates, their data-center build-out is the driving force in the U.S. economy. (See p.92 for more on that.) The market itself is incredibly topheavy.

Without intention, the AI revolution will repeat the same mistakes made by the advocates of globalization and deregulation. To misquote an old Broken Social Scene album title, “They Forgot It in People.”

This year’s Worthy 100 is all about the people. Many of this year’s honorees are working to use technology not as a wedge, but as a bridge.

If you’re in Miami for Art Week, join us on Wednesday, December 4, for the official launch of the Worthy 100 issue—an evening of conversation and connection among artists, entrepreneurs, and investors. It will be a chance to celebrate an achievement that serves a larger purpose.

As you turn these pages, consider not just who made the list but why. The people featured here remind us that success without purpose is only accumulation. What lasts is what we build for others.

— Dan Costa EDITORIAL DIRECTOR dan.costa@worth.com

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Oliver Rist

Oliver Rist is a long-time journalist specializing in all kinds of technology. Though he lives in Connecticut, he’s traveled the world, usually astride a motorcycle. Riding like this, he’s motored up and down Route 66, negotiated an ocean of switchbacks across the Alps touching Germany, France, and Italy; whizzed through the Andalusians; traveled the length of the Pacific Coast Highway down to Cabo San Lucas in Baja; even dragged a modified Norton up the Tribhuvan Highway in Nepal back when he was younger, dumber, and didn’t yet suffer from altitude sickness. His current rides are a Ducati Diavel and an aging, but nevertheless awesome, BMW K1200S. Since seeing Curtiss Motorcycles’ electric flagship, however, he’s started dreaming about one of those and maybe figuring out how to EV restomod a ‘69 Mustang Mach 1.

Kirsten Cluthe

Kirsten Cluthe is a producer, showrunner, and writer with over 20 years of experience in entertainment and media. As the founder of Studio Kairos, she develops and produces original content across podcasts, live events, and branded experiences—collaborating with artists, tastemakers, and cultural voices to bring standout ideas to life. In addition to her production work, Kirsten has been writing about travel and lifestyle for more than 15 years, contributing richly reported stories that explore culture, design, and the art of discovery.

Bob Diamond

Diamond is Founding Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Merchant Capital and is based in New York. Until 2012, Diamond was Chief Executive of Barclays, having previously held the position of President of Barclays and was responsible for Barclays Capital and Barclays Global Investors (“BGI”). He became an executive director of Barclays in 2005 and was a member of the Barclays Executive Committee since 1997.

Prior to Barclays, Diamond held senior executive positions at Credit Suisse First Boston and Morgan Stanley in the United States, Europe and Asia. Diamond worked at Credit Suisse First Boston from 1992 to 1996, where his roles included Vice Chairman and Head of Global Fixed Income and Foreign Exchange in New York, as well as Chairman, President and CEO of Credit Suisse First Boston Pacific. Diamond worked at Morgan Stanley from 1979 to 1992, including as the Head of European and Asian Fixed Income Trading.

Lamborghini’s New Temerario Outshines Its Bigger Sibling

This plug-in supercar might be mid-tier in the Lambo lineup, but it’s top-shelf fun on the track.

BY TIM STEVENS

The path to high-end electrification has been a bumpy one, and some manufacturers are navigating it more effectively than others. Ferrari’s first attempt at a plug-in performance machine, the SF90 Stradale, has experienced unprecedented depreciation in a segment of cars that typically gain value after purchase, rather than lose it. The first all-electric Prancing Horse, meanwhile, is scheduled for release next year.

Just up the road in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Lamborghini seems to be doing just fine. The company is taking its time before releasing its first full-on EV (we’ll have to wait until the end of the decade for that), but every model Lamborghini makes is already available as a plug-in hybrid. A core focus on fun and outrageous style means the addition of batteries and motors hasn’t impacted the desirability of the brand’s machines at all.

The addition of electrification to the Urus SE just made that SUV even more wild, while the three motors in the 1,001-horsepower Revuelto just serve to keep its V12 in check. It’s much the same story with the company’s newest car—and its latest PHEV. It’s the 907-horsepower Temerario. It, too, has a trio of electric motors paired with a high-strung internal combustion engine, but with a wild personality that puts even the Revuelto to shame; it’s the new jewel in the Lamborghini lineup.

THE HEIR APPARENT

The Revuelto replaces the Huracán, which has served as the brand’s entry-level sports car for a full decade. That model underwent numerous iterations between 2014 and 2024, gaining power, poise, and even improved ground clearance in its final form, the all-terrain Sterrato.

But it’s gone now, replaced by the Revuelto, a machine that’s propelled by a twin-turbo V8, not the V10 of before. Typically, such downgrades are cause for sadness, especially given how epic the V10 was in the back of the Huracán. But Lamborghini has created a marriage of combustion and electrification so extreme in the Revuelto that it’s impossible to view it as anything other than a considerable upgrade.

Here, the trio of electric motors isn’t just there to boost efficiency; it’s actually designed to address the shortcomings of the car’s engine. Engines are generally tuned to

deliver their power in a specific way, often focusing on big, stumppulling torque at low revs or thrilling power delivered at high RPMs. Rare is the engine that can do both.

For the Revuelto, Lamborghini designed an engine optimized for peak power at high RPM.

In this case, an engine that can spin all the way up to 10,250 RPM without flying apart. This kind of rotational fury is usually only sustained by tiny motorcycle engines. Adding a pair of turbochargers to the mix means even more power, but worse performance at low revs. That’s where the electric motors come in.

ELECTRIC TORQUE

The first motor, the largest one, is embedded directly in the engine and is primarily designed to provide a much-needed surge of torque when the engine is at lower RPMs, like when accelerating away from a stop sign.

Once the engine spins up to a higher RPM, turbochargers gain boost, and the combustion cycle gains momentum. At this point, the motor is used less for power and instead is more there to keep the engine in check. It effectively adds a regenerative braking effect, pulling power from the engine to prevent the rear wheels from spinning.

The other two motors are located at the front of the car, providing the Revuelto with all-wheel drive. They certainly can help make this car more stable in low-grip conditions, like rain or snow, but when the asphalt is dry, those motors are actually used to make the Revuelto feel more lively.

“The idea of this car is that we wanted to have a little bit more agility, a little bit more playful character,” Lamborghini CTO Rouven Mohr told me. “This means you need a little bit more rotation in the car.” More rotation means more fun.

DRIVING AND DRIFTING

How does it all come together? Surprisingly well, especially in the Revuelto’s new Drift mode. Dial up Drift mode to 3 (its highest setting) and, when you turn into a corner, the car actually applies regenerative braking to the inside front wheel. It uses the torquevectoring rear differential to apply power to the outside rear wheel.

“The idea of this car is that we want to have a little more agility.”

The result is a car that just immediately pivots and slides into the corner far more easily than a super sports car riding on sticky 21-inch rear tires should. On my very first attempt, I got the tail sliding through a tight hairpin on the Estoril circuit in Portugal, that slide only getting better on subsequent attempts.

But most of the time on the track, I wasn’t trying to slide the car. Instead, I was focused on driving fast. And fast the Revuelto is. I didn’t hit 213 mph, the car’s top speed. There simply wasn’t enough room for that. However, I did manage to reach 190 mph on Estoril’s front straight. At that speed, the Revuelto was perfectly smooth and stable, even when I jumped on the brakes as hard as I could to slow down for the track’s tight first corner.

Some of that stability comes from the longer wheelbase the Temerario offers, 1.6 inches greater than the outgoing Huracán. The car itself is about 10 inches longer, and, worst of all, it has gained some 300 pounds over the car it replaces. More weight is never a good thing in a machine like this, but the Revuelto hides it well.

DECISION TIME

The combination of the car’s innate balance and grip, plus all the digital trickery happening at the front axle, creates a vehicle that feels light and nimble. Mohr said they wanted the Temerario to be playful, and that it certainly was, feeling far more exciting on the track than the even bigger, even heavier Revuelto.

In fact, even if they cost the same, were I to have to choose, I think I’d have a Temerario. However, the good news is that they certainly don’t. While you’re looking at well over $600,000 to get yourself into a Revuelto, the Temerario starts at just over $380,000. For that, it feels like a total bargain.

That said, it’s not a perfect car. I must admit that I do miss the sound of the Huracán’s V10, and I think that car is far better looking than the Revuelto, which to the world appears to be a race car that escaped the paddock and is roaming free. Don’t get me wrong, the overly perforated, exceedingly ventilated racer look is cool in its own right, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the style of the Huracan.

“You are Looking at over $600,000 to get yourself into a Revuelto, the Temerario starts at $380,000. For that, it feels like a total bargain.”

The mediocre 7 miles of allelectric range in the Temerario is also a bit of a disappointment. Still, these are all minor complaints in what is not only an engineering master class but a genuinely great car. Lamborghini may not be leading the pack in the race to fullbore electrification, but it’s clearly chosen the right path, creating a trio of vehicles that are made more fun and desirable thanks to, and not despite, their batteries.

Offshore Sailing Has Captivated the World— Just Not America

While France, Australia, and New Zealand treat their solo sailors like national heroes, only a handful of Americans dare to take on the open ocean. Meet the duo trying to change that.

BY JONATHAN RUSSO

Ask an American to name a professional offshore sailor and you’ll get a blank stare. Ask a French person, and you’ll get a list. In France, solo sailors are treated like astronauts: explorers who vanish over the horizon for months at a time, flirting with death, glory, and the indifferent brutality of the sea.

Americans are having none of that. After all, offshore sailing is lonely, punishing work—freezing cold or broiling hot, full of danger from storms or sunken shipping containers. Equipment failures are routine, and in places like the ice-strewn Southern Ocean, rescue is iffy at best.

The one name a few Americans might recognize isn’t an offshore sailor at all but a billionaire tech mogul: Oracle founder Larry Ellison. His vision—highspeed sail boats skimming like fighter jets, roaring crowds close enough to feel the spray—turned sailing into a Formula One-style spectacle. Offshore racers don’t have that. Their audience is a satellite feed. Their company? Slapping waves and their inner monologue.

In Europe, offshore racing is sacred. Winning skippers are national heroes. Corporations line up to sponsor them. Luxury brands slap their logos on hulls and sails; others offer long-term endorsements for sailors and their boats.

A few continents away, Australia and New Zealand also are obsessed. In 1983 Australia took the America’s Cup away from the U.S. The current long-time holder is New Zealand. Aussie and Kiwie

sailors dominate professional sailing and they routinely win golds at Olympic events.

A recent illustrative event was the 2025 Offshore Doublehanded World Championship, primarily sponsored by the century-old UK’s Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and French racing clubs including The Yacht Club de France and boat maker Jeanneau. The boats themselves are festooned with decals from a dozen supporting marketers. America could only muster two teams out of 30.

One response to this deficit of U.S. participation comes from Charlie Enright, CEO of US Sailing and one of the world’s greatest offshore racers. At his inauguration he said, “I am looking forward to building on US Sailing’s legacy, working with our dedicated team to grow the sport.”

Jesse Fielding and Leah Sweet, two Americans who sailed in the recent Doublehanded race, are trying to address this nautical gulf. They spoke to Worth about their campaign and the future of American offshore racing. Fielding is from the sailing capitol of America, Newport, Rhode Island. According to North Sails, the preeminent global maker of racing sails, of the seven offshore sailors you need to know, only one, Jesse Fielding, is American. Sweet has an international background and currently lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She is one of America’s top female sailors.

Worth asked them why they chose offshore sailing as a sport. According to Sweet, “In many ways it chose me. Offshore is where I feel the happiest and most at peace.” Fielding’s reason: “I see it as the ultimate challenge. The racecourse is the ocean at large.”

The race they chose to showcase American sailing took place on some of the world’s trickiest waters, off Cowes, Isle of Wight from September 22nd to October 1st. There were 30 entrants and 28 were not American. The teams had to be both genders and they had to qualify via a long list of offshore experiences, for example having sailed shorthanded in a variety of boats including Volvo 65’s &70’s, as well as TP 52’s, and IMOCA’s. These are state-of-the-art, fast, at the edge-of-design and construction ocean racers. Simply qualifying was validation of America’s international competitiveness.

Fielding observed, “This is a brutal race that hones skills. Stiff winds, cold nights, harsh coastlines and vicious tides.” Sweet added, “Tides posed the most difficult challenge. They are heavily influenced by the geography of the coast.”

The boat they competed in was the very small Sun Fast 30, a onedesign, meaning they are identical in every way, from weight to rigging to sails to gear. The goal of the race committee is to eliminate every variable…. but the sailors. The boats are randomly assigned on the day of the race. Non-sailors should know these 30 footers are not going to be comfortable. Every wave, every wind change will be instantly felt. In any kind of heavy weather, the boat itself is going to be a challenge to keep afloat.

This was acknowledged by RORC CEO Jeremy Wilton who stated, “The racing area in the Solent and English Channel is one of the most historic and challenging racing locations in the sport. It is complex, offering many tactical and strategic possibilities.”

Post race, Worth asked what it was like competing against the best sailors in the world, sailors with huge funding advantages and who train all year. “No two ways about it, we are playing catch-up. Racing in foreign waters takes more planning, resources and commitment,” said Fielding. According to Sweet, “The French dominate in all areas, and the rest of the European teams are strong as well. The Kiwis and Australians are keenly competitive and willing to take risks; they seem to just enjoy time on the water.”

To those of us on land, it is hard to imagine two people in a small boat for days battling the ocean’s forces. There must be some very special sauce that keeps the team together as they need to make countless crucial decisions while facing physical challenges… like changing sails on stormy seas in the middle of the night. Fielding offered, “First and foremost, we love what we do. Representing the U.S. on a global stage is an honor. Sweet and I have built a solid relationship based on mutual respect and the desire to be the best teammates we can be.” Additionally, according to Sweet, “Communication is the key and developing a clear style off the water makes high pressure moments easier to navigate. When the going gets tough, humor, inside jokes and even a little sarcasm go a long way to keeping things light.”

As to the bigger picture, what is the future of American offshore sailing? What would it take to bring up a generation of sailors who want to venture into this dangerous and difficult sport? Both Fielding and Sweet had so much to say.

Sweet’s thoughtful response: “I believe we can be competitive, but it will take both focused investment and creative storytelling because offshore racing doesn’t offer the instant, high-

scoring drama of traditional U.S. sports. But its endurance and adventure are unmatched—the challenge is showing that to a wider audience. The bigger factor, though, remains financial. In France, sponsorship drives the sport because companies know offshore races capture national attention for weeks, not just hours. We need sponsors willing to take that same leap, and sailors delivering the stories that connect with fans. Sharing the excitement of this sport is something that drives me—not just competing, but proving that offshore racing can be exhilarating, inspiring, and very much worth supporting.”

Fielding agreed, “The optimist in me says Americans can compete. We enjoy sport, we love an underdog story and we love the pursuit of a goal that is beyond the norm. All of those elements are true for an American offshore sailor.”

While the team did not make the finals, they are undaunted. It was always a long shot against the well-financed competition that is continuously training.

Up next for Fielding? “I’m going to take some time way from the open ocean and walk the trails of western Ireland. Then I’ll look for the next sailing adventure.”

Sweet says “Family time is on the agenda. Then, big picture, I have my sights set on a personal circumnavigation followed by bringing American offshore sailing into the global spotlight, both with The Ocean Race and my own campaign for the Globe40. Short term, I welcome more opportunities to sail double handed with Jesse. As far as the race we just entered, I feel the same way as most athletes after an event they haven’t won. The fire is lit and the desire is always to come back stronger next year for another stab at itI’m there!”

Both Fielding and Sweet are available to speak on sports training and motivation or just describe what it is like to sail for days in a small boat on some of the most challenging waters on earth. Believe me, it is a tale worth hearing.

Hong Kong Is Heritage in Motion

At The Peninsula Hong Kong, the city’s past and present converge in quiet luxury—where RollsRoyces, rooftop helipads, and Michelin-starred meals meet a deep reverence for tradition.

BY KIRSTEN CLUTHE

The worst part of any long-haul flight is the departure time. It’s almost always at some ungodly hour—2 a.m., say—but that, too, has its advantages. Exhaustion makes it easy to fall asleep once you’re in the air.

My flight to Hong Kong left New York at 1:55 a.m., but I was flying Cathay Pacific. The real dilemma wasn’t the hour; it was how to stay awake long enough to enjoy the service. I managed a glass of champagne and a bowl of curried cauliflower soup from the late-night menu—part of a dining program with a serious wine menu that currently includes the first Chinese wine series—before falling into six uninterrupted hours of sleep.

Fifteen hours later, I was gliding through early-morning light in a Peninsula-green Rolls-Royce Phantom, crossing the Tsing Yi Bridge as dawn broke over Victoria Harbor. The sleepless departure from New York felt like another lifetime. A typhoon hovered somewhere off the coast, but the city ahead was glittering in the morning light.

It was 6 a.m. when I arrived at The Peninsula Hong Kong, and my room was already waiting—roses on the table, a view of the harbor, and a quiet hum that signaled everything was in order. The hotel opened in 1928 and has managed to remain both timeless and modern through war, reconstruction, and reinvention.

The rooms are an elegant study in tone: cream, champagne, and rose set against dark wood and polished metal. Cherry blossom motifs trace the walls. Technology is discreet—lighting and temperature panels at your bedside,

Chromecast-enabled televisions, Wi-Fi fast enough for streaming, and a well-stocked minibar with a Nespresso machine and an ornate tea set.

Tea, in fact, is central to The Peninsula’s story. Its afternoon service has been a Hong Kong institution for more than 80 years. The lobby buzzes at all hours, but never more so than when guests and locals gather for raisin scones and finger sandwiches stacked high on silver tiers, a pot of tea at the center, and the sound of live strings drifting through the neoclassical hall. Add a glass of champagne and you’ll understand why it remains one of the city’s most beloved rituals.

The hotel’s sense of heritage extends far beyond the scones. It was here, in the 1980s, that XO Sauce was first created—the nowiconic condiment of dried scallops, Yunnan ham, and Chinese spices. The recipe remains secret, but the

flavor—rich, smoky, and distinctly Hong Kong—has become a culinary benchmark across Asia.

Much of The Peninsula’s grace comes from its people. The hotel employs some of the city’s longestserving staff: 36 employees have worked here for over 30 years, and more than 100 for over two decades. It’s that continuity—knowledge passed from one generation of hoteliers to the next—that gives the place its ease and warmth.

From the moment you step out of your car (likely a Rolls-Royce Phantom, of which the hotel owns 14, along with a lovingly maintained 1934 Phantom II), the service is effortless and precise.

“36 of the Penninsula’s employees have worked there for more than 30 years.”

Those gleaming green Phantoms, setting a record for the largest single order in RollsRoyce history, are more than transport—they’re an extension of the hotel’s philosophy of hospitality as an art form.

With nine restaurants, the hotel makes a convincing case for staying in. Spring Moon, the Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant, is the place for refined dim sum and barbecued duck lacquered to perfection. Imasa handles Japanese precision, while Chesa, the Swiss chalet tucked into a corner of the property since 1965, remains a nostalgic favorite. Gaddi’s, another Michelin-starred classic, has hosted Hong Kong’s elite for more than 6 decades, serving French haute cuisine in a room that embodies old-world glamour.

For something more contemporary, Felix, designed by Philippe Starck, serves modern European

dishes in a groovy, mirrored space overlooking the skyline. Finish with a nightcap at The Bar, where the martinis are strong, the vibe is private-club, and the lighting is low and sexy.

Still, it would be a mistake not to step outside. Hong Kong unfolds in layers —modern, historic, and everything between—impossible to summarize.

Start in SoHo (south of Hollywood Road), a walkable neighborhood where colonial facades give way to cafés, art galleries, and restaurants that feel as international as they do local. The mix is lively but unpretentious: espresso bars, antique shops, Indian and Peruvian kitchens, and the steady hum of music from upstairs wine bars. Stop at the Man Mo Temple, built in 1847 and dedicated to the gods of literature and war. Beneath the spiraling incense coils, worshippers make food offerings—fruit, cakes, roast meats—to invite wisdom and protection. It’s one of the few places in the city where time still feels suspended.

A short taxi ride away, PMQ (formerly the Police Married Quarters) has been reimagined as a design hub housing more than a hundred studios and boutiques. You’ll find locally made jewelry, custom mahjong sets, modern ceramics, and a curated mix of art and lifestyle goods. The creative energy is palpable—designers at work in open studios, cafés filled with students and collectors, and a sense that Hong Kong’s creative scene is constantly rewriting itself.

Among PMQ’s highlights is Louise, a one-Michelin-star restaurant from French chef Julien Royer and Yenn Wong. Set in a two-story colonial house surrounded by greenery, it feels more like dining in a friend’s elegant home than in a fine-dining room. The signature roasted chicken for two is a must. (Cathay Pacific also partners

with Louise on select flights, bringing Royer’s refined French dishes—from Provençal beef cheeks to Guanaja dark chocolate desserts—to the skies.)

Hong Kong’s art scene is as layered as its skyline—a blend of the traditional and the avantgarde, shaped by its shifting cultural identity. The West Kowloon Cultural District has become its creative core, anchored by two museums that embody that balance.

M+, with its angular Herzog & de Meuron design facing Victoria Harbour, rivals MoMA or the Tate in scope. Its exhibitions span design, architecture, photography, and moving image, exploring both Hong Kong’s visual culture and global contemporary art. Current shows include Canton Modern, which traces a century of southern Chinese visual expression, and Dream Rooms, a major survey of women artists who have created immersive environments from the 1950s to today.

“After three days of walking, eating, and absorbing the city’s contrasts— temples and towers, tea houses and neon—I ended my stay where I began: in a place of calm. ”

Next door, the Hong Kong Palace Museum connects the city to its dynastic past. As a satellite of Beijing’s Palace Museum, it displays treasures—jade, bronze, ceramics, lacquer—that have rarely been seen outside the Forbidden City. Visiting with a guide brings the experience to life, revealing how centuries of artistry still resonate in this hypermodern city.

The Peninsula’s concierge can arrange private museum tours, art previews, or even a helicopter ride from the hotel’s rooftop helipad, complete with access to the aviation-themed China Clipper Lounge. It’s a touch of cinematic indulgence—the kind of “superlative luxury transport” that has defined the hotel since its earliest days.

After three days of walking, eating, and absorbing the city’s contrasts—temples and towers, tea houses and neon—I ended my stay where I began: in a place of calm. The Peninsula’s spa offers a ritual of recovery before the return flight. Boost your vitality with a guided Tai Chi session or a swim in the glasswalled pool overlooking the harbor before heading to the airport.

At Hong Kong International Airport, Cathay Pacific’s lounges are destinations in and of themselves. The Pier and The Wing combine fine dining, spa treatments, and quiet spaces designed for rest. The Noodle Bar serves delicate wonton soup, the perfect punctuation to the journey. From here, Southeast Asia is at your doorstep—Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo—all within reach. But few places capture the interplay of heritage and velocity quite like Hong Kong.

Rebuilding Paradise: Canouan’s Quiet Comeback

From the reborn Mandarin Oriental to the free-spirited Soho Beach House, Canouan proves that luxury and resilience can share the same shore.

BY EVA CROUSE

The hum of a motor sounds from across the bay. I reluctantly stand from my perch at the water’s edge, waving goodbye to the baby sharks I had been watching chase each other, making tight loops around the shallows. I need to grab my stuff—my ride is almost here.

The day before, our host told me that Shell Beach is where George Clooney had his 60th birthday. It’s easy to see why. The beautiful, sheltered waters of the bay lap gently against the pale sand dotted with weathered wooden lounge chairs. They sit empty beneath classic dried palm leaf umbrellas arranged to mirror the bay’s curve. Only one of them has a cushion, placed there for me by a member of the full staff stationed at the tiki bar about 100 yards down th empty beach.

Fifteen minutes later, as I jump from the motorized dinghy, my feet splash into crystal blue waters just beneath my hotel room window. The Mandarin Oriental, which Hurricane Beryl severely damaged in June 2024, has just undergone a frantic restoration. But if you weren’t told about it, you’d might never notice. “Everyone on the island really pulled together after the storm,” the Hotel Manager told me. “We finished the repairs and renovations in just six months.” The concept of ‘island time’ is completely abandoned in periods of crisis.

The Mandarin isn’t a bad place to find yourself in a post-apocalyptic situation, though. Beneath the resort itself—a labyrinth of sand-colored marble, dark wood, and gleaming mirrors—lies its water filtration plant and recycling facilities. Silvina Miguel, the director of sustainability, showed us how the resort filters and distributes its water in a closed-loop system that sustains the entire estate. Since clean drinking water is hard to come by on the island, Miguel proudly shared that they send all their employees home with as much water as they can carry each day.

Providing potable water to families isn’t the only way the hotel supports its team. The storm destroyed

many homes in the surrounding area, so the marble resort—which was more resilient but still damaged—became a sort of refuge for displaced workers. Staff members moved themselves and their families into the luxury suites while their homes were reconstructed. And in return, it was all-hands-on-deck to get the Mandarin back up and running.

WHERE TO GO IN THE CARIBBEAN

Canouan, a small island in the St. Vincent and the Grenadines archipelago, is known for its privacy and ultra-luxury resorts frequented by high-profile travelers. A short private flight from Barbados, the Canouan Estate is made up of several such properties, including the Mandarin Oriental and Soho Beach House. Both are oceanfront resorts offering two very different interpretations of escape.

Canouan is a volcanic island, and hiking to the top of the dormant giant, Mount Royal, is a popular experience. Led by one of the Mandarin Oriental adventure guides, the hike ranges from 20 to 45 minutes, depending on your fitness level. Standing at 877ft, it’s the highest peak on the island and is famed for its panoramic views, which you will enjoy over a curated breakfast picnic set up just in time for your arrival.

While the birds-eye view is a definite highlight, it’s hard to compete with the accessibility to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Soho Beach House, a personal favorite between the two resorts—which are about 10 minutes apart by car—leans heavily into the “boho beach house” vibe, a stark contrast to the opulent marble and roaming hallways of its sister property. Volleyball, paddleboarding, and multiple bars shaded by thatched, dried palm fronds almost demand late nights and too many margaritas while mingling barefoot in the cool evening sand. It’s a place that reminds you that luxury doesn’t have to whisper—it can laugh, too. But it’s equally serene; low-rise driftwood furniture in the resort’s beachfront restaurant faces constant views of the expansive horizon, which shifts between bright turquoise, navy blue, and cotton-candy pink. A jetty juts out into the bay, offering panoramic views that attract many proposals.

The beach house holds a distinctly different energy from the elite, often stuffy atmosphere of its NYC counterpart—here, the wooden wardrobe squeaks when opened, revealing a simple hanging rod and two drawers. The room feels less like Mia Thermopolis’ suite in Genovia and more like a friend’s guest room: quiet, familiar, and full of small comforts. It’s a kind of luxury that doesn’t announce itself, choosing instead to simply exhale. Light, white, floating drapes surround the king-size bed that takes up most of the bedroom; the balcony overlooks the bright blue Caribbean waters, and the room’s comfort, combined with the beauty right outside, creates a genuine sense of contentment. Just don’t bring your room

service outside because you will find yourself beset by a cloud of scavenging sky thieves.

Along with hiking the volcano, you can take a private Pilates class, unwind in the spa, hit the gym, or just watch baby sharks chase each other around the bay’s shallows—but in truth, the real attraction is the water itself. On Canouan, the whole ocean is your playground. Wind and Sea, a boating company partnered with SoHo Beach House, docks its catamaran against the jetty—ready and waiting for you to board. The Tobago Cays are home to hundreds of marine species. Most notably, sea turtles. Step on board to find snorkeling gear, a stocked cooler of water, sodas, and snacks, and relax as the double-hull cuts through the chop. Lines and buoys mark the spot—protected areas where boats cannot pass, but snorkelers are welcome to float above the resident turtles grazing on seaweed in their designated feeding ground. If you’re lucky, you might catch sight of

a stingray or two flapping by.

St. Vincent is the largest island in the archipelago, surrounded by a scattering of smaller ones—including Canouan. But between those lie the tiniest islets of the Tobago Cays. Once we had reboarded, chatting happily about curious sea turtles that had swum up to inspect us, our Wind and Sea captain wasted no time whisking us away toward the mini islands.

“Remember in Pirates of the Caribbean when Jack Sparrow and Keira Knightley were stranded on that little deserted island?” our first mate asked me, pointing toward what looked less like an island and more like a sandbank with two palm trees sticking out of it. “That’s that island.”

Whether it was the Wind and Sea crew, the Mandarin’s hotel manager, or the 20-year-old Guest Butler who drove me to Shell Beach in a golf cart, proudly sharing that he was soon off to law school in New York, every conversation found its way back to the same point—the speed of the rebuild

and the cooperation it demanded. At the height of the storm, locals from nearby islands came to help, a bartender told me, bringing tools, food, and words of support. Some stayed for months. “We don’t wait for help here,” one staff member said, shrugging as if it were obvious. “We just help each other.”

By the time I left, that spirit had shown itself in everything I observed—the way a bartender wiped salt spray from the counter before each guest arrived, or how the staff waved to fishermen passing just offshore. The luxury was real, yes, but it rested on something sturdier than marble or brand prestige: community.

Canouan may be known for its exclusivity, but what sets it apart isn’t isolation. It’s interdependence—the kind of quiet strength that only reveals itself to those on the outside once the storm passes and the gentle, lapping tide returns.

Evergreen Wealth: Merging AI, Tax Strategies, and Human Advice

The legendary fintech CEO wants to rewrite the rules of wealth management with personalized portfolios, direct indexing, and a human-AI partnership designed to maximize after-tax returns.

BY DAN COSTA

When Bill Harris takes the stage, people in fintech pay attention. After all, the former CEO of Intuit and PayPal, as well as the founding CEO of Personal Capital and One Finance, has spent decades shaping how Americans manage their finances. With his latest venture, Evergreen Wealth, launched last week in New York, Harris is attempting something even more ambitious: to merge the best of technology, tax strategy, and human expertise into a new model for wealth management.

“This feels like the culmination of my career,” Harris told the audience.

“We’ve developed a thing called the Dynamic Portfolio, and then we do financial ‘epoxy’ here. I think we’ve found combining man and machine into something that really can give this thing—being advice—to people.”

A NEW ERA IN PORTFOLIO DESIGN

Evergreen Wealth is built around what Harris calls the next evolution in investing: the Dynamic Portfolio. He places it in a historical arc that stretches back 150 years. “We’ve seen four generations of how to invest,” he explained. “The brokerage account. The mutual fund. The ETF. And now, the dynamic portfolio.”

At its core, the Dynamic Portfolio is “a tax-optimized, personalized, diversified way to manage your money.” What enables this leap forward, Harris argued, is sheer computing power. “When I started my last investment advisor, Personal Capital, we did some of the same things for some of the same customers. We didn’t have this kind of computing capability at the time. Now we can do an incredible amount of compute, which allows us to do things in a completely personalized way for every customer.”

The result is a system that offers “professional construction, extreme personalization, synchronization across your entire portfolio, daily monitoring, and of course, tax optimization.”

While much of the launch focused on the engine beneath the hood, Evergreen is also betting that a seamless, user-centric interface will differentiate it from legacy wealth platforms. The app surfaces complex investment intelligence in an elegant dashboard. Users can log in to a personalized home screen that surfaces key performance metrics, tax optimization opportunities, and behavioral nudges in plain English rather than financial jargon.

The experience mirrors the relationship one might have with a human advisor—but available 24/7 and powered by real-time data. Instead of sifting through charts and tables, users interact with their portfolios through a narrative-style feed that contextualizes market moves, flags potential tax-loss harvesting opportunities, and even anticipates liquidity needs based on spending and savings patterns.

Harris believes that this kind of design is crucial to achieving better financial outcomes. “Money… is the most emotional topic that you can think of,” he said. “More people get divorced because of money than because of love and sex. In order to deal with those kinds of emotional and personal things, having a dedicated advisor always ready for you is an incredible benefit. It helps you sleep at night.”

The Evergreen interface reflects this philosophy by integrating human and machine advice in a single view. A user might see a recommendation from the AI engine to adjust exposure to international equities alongside a note from their dedicated advisor explaining how that move fits into their long-term plan—reinforcing the idea that technology amplifies, rather than replaces, human guidance.

THE TAX ADVANTAGE

If Harris has a central message, it’s that taxes matter more than most investors realize. “It’s not what you earn. It’s what you keep,” he said. “If you are a single taxpayer in New York City… your tax rate can be as high as 50% on interest. This means your corporate bonds, this means your bank account… Even if you’re in a high-yield savings account, you feel pretty good. Don’t forget taxes— you’re making 2%. And that’s not even keeping up with inflation.”

Evergreen tackles this head-on with strategies like direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting, which Harris says can “bring the tax rate on capital gains down to zero.” Unlike other firms that offer similar strategies only at the account level, Evergreen applies them “across the entire portfolio,” resulting in “higher aftertax performance than a comparable equity ETF or mutual fund.”

The math is compelling. “Tax-loss harvesting alone can deliver an additional 29% in after-tax return after 10 years,” Harris said. “Far in excess of anything you might do if you happen to be lucky enough to find a guru who actually can beat the

market. And by the way, I don’t believe that they exist—not on a statistically reliable basis over the long haul.”

Beyond minimizing taxes, Evergreen uses techniques like taxgain harvesting to “eliminate taxes on some of your investments” through strategies such as family gifting, charitable giving, and inheritance planning. “Follow these strategies,” Harris said, “and you can offset, reduce, defer, or in some cases even eliminate taxes.”

BLENDING AI WITH HUMAN EMPATHY

To that end, Evergreen pairs every client with a personal wealth advisor, a deliberate contrast to robo-advisors. “You cannot get that from a robo advisor,” Harris insisted. “Also, you can’t get it in the same way from a regular advisor without the technology. It’s the combination—the technology and the empathy.”

This philosophy extends to Evergreen’s AI advice engine, which Harris described as “specifically tuned to the financial arena” and capable of leveraging a vast investment knowledge base, including details on mutual fund constituents. The goal is to blend machine precision with human guidance—a synthesis he believes is essential to the next era of wealth management.

Evergreen’s ideal clients, Harris said, are “achievers in their peak working years”—people building careers, families, and futures. “They need this kind of help, this kind of advice, this kind of discipline, to build what they will need for their family now and for decades to come.”

The company’s approach to advice is deliberately fluid and client-driven. “Many advisors have a five-step program or a seven-step program. You come to them, and they will fit you into that program. We meet them where they are,” Harris said. “We meet them with whatever questions they have, whenever they want.”

With Evergreen Wealth, Bill Harris is once again betting that technology—from AI to taxoptimized direct indexing—can transform how people invest. But he’s equally adamant that tech isn’t enough on its own. The future, in his view, belongs to platforms that marry machine intelligence with human judgment—and make those tools intuitive, accessible, and even inviting.

“What we’re doing,” Harris summed up, “is helping people maximize return, minimize risk, and—most importantly—keep more of what they earn.”

Tax Harvesting as a Long Term Strategy

Source: Evergreen Wealth

10 Best Gifting Wines This Holiday Season

From small-production gems to world-class estates, these bottles capture the spirit of the season and the art of giving well.

BY KIRSTEN CLUTHE

There’s something timeless about giving a great bottle of wine. It is as welcome at an elegant dinner party as it is under the tree, equally suited to both the devoted collector and the casual sipper. A wellchosen bottle tells a story: of place, of the people who made it, and of the care that went into its creation. Whether you’re thanking a host, surprising a friend, or toasting to the year’s end, the right wine is personal, celebratory, and meant to be shared.

This year’s Worth roundup features ten remarkable wines from around the world, each selected for its craftsmanship, character, and sense of place. From sparkling rosé and finely textured whites to bold, cellar-worthy reds, the list showcases small-production artisans and generational estates alongside global names that have defined excellence for decades. It also highlights the visionaries behind the bottles, including Pam Walden of Willful Wines, Jesse Katz of Aperture, and Thomas Rivers Brown of Double Diamond. With a spectrum of styles and price points, these selections elevate the art of gifting into something truly memorable.

MACARI 2024 SPARKLING HORSES

CABERNET

FRANK

North Fork, Long Island, NY

$32

This bottle is a constant favorite for us at Worth and beyond, proving that Long Island’s North Fork deserves its place on the global wine map.

Macari’s Sparkling Horses Cabernet Franc is a vibrant, unexpected showstopper. Made using the traditional method, this sparkling rosé offers fine bubbles, bright acidity, and layers of strawberry, cherry, and crushed herbs—all signature notes of Cabernet Franc. Festive without being overly sweet, it’s perfect for toasts, brunches, or pairing with holiday hors d’oeuvres. Beautifully bottled and refreshingly original, it’s the kind of gift that surprises even seasoned wine lovers. New York elegance with a playful edge. Consider purchasing it this season to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Patti Smith’s groundbreaking debut album, which she is currently touring, and which inspired the name of this wine.

MOUNT VEEDER WINERY 2022 NAPA Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa Valley, California

$70

DOUBLE DIAMOND 2023 SAUVIGNON BLANC

Napa Valley, California

$55

The debut white from Double Diamond, the 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, brings a fresh dimension to a label best known for its bold, collectorworthy Cabernets. Crafted by acclaimed winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, renowned for his precision and artistry at Schrader Cellars, this wine is sourced from two of Napa Valley’s most iconic sites: To Kalon and Wappo Hill Vineyards. Bright and expressive, the 2023 Sauv Blanc offers a vibrant mix of green apple, key lime, and white peach, balanced by notes of citrus rind and delicate floral aromas of chamomile, lilac, and jasmine. Crisp yet supple, it elevates any holiday table, pairing beautifully with rich, creamy sides like mashed potatoes or green bean casserole. Elegant, lively, this bottle marks an exciting first chapter in what promises to be a celebrated new tradition for Shrader Cellars.

Crafted high above the valley floor, Mount Veeder’s 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon captures the elegance and intensity that only mountain fruit can deliver. The winery’s three estate ranches sit between 1,000 and 1,600 feet in elevation, where the vines bask in clear mountain sunshine and cool evening air. This unique microclimate allows grapes to ripen slowly, developing depth, freshness, and finely textured tannins. Blended with a generous portion of Merlot, the 2022 vintage offers expressive aromatics and layers of red and black fruit—think blackberry, cherry, and plum—lifted by notes of cocoa and spice. The palate is plush and approachable, with soft tannins that make it equally enjoyable now or after a few years in the cellar. Balanced and beautifully structured, this is a true gem from the revered Howell Mountain and Oakville AVA sites of Napa Valley.

THE ESTATES 2022 FUMÉ BLANC

Oakville, Napa Valley

$50

A modern nod to a Napa classic, the 2022 Estates Fumé Blanc blends Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon from the winery’s Oakville estate to create a white that’s both vibrant and luxuriously textured. The Sauvignon Blanc brings bright acidity and expressive notes of stone fruit, citrus, and minty herbs. At the same time, Sémillon adds depth and a creamy, rounded body. The result is a beautifully balanced wine that captures the character of its Oakville terroir.

Barrel-fermented and aged eight months in French oak, this vintage opens with aromas of citrus blossom, poached pear, and ginger, followed by flavors of jasmine, marzipan, and a whisper of seasalt minerality. Juicy and full-bodied with a long, elegant finish, it’s a versatile white that shines at the holiday table, equally at home beside shellfish, roast poultry, or creamy winter sides. A thoughtful gift for anyone who loves Napa’s refined approach to Sauvignon Blanc.

WILLFUL WINES 2021 NYSA VINEYARD PINOT NOIR

Dundee Hills, Oregon

$75

Winemaker Pam Walden built Willful Wines from the ground up— literally. After learning the craft hands-on in Oregon’s vineyards, she founded her label to create wines that reflect both the land and her own unflinching, independent spirit. Her 2021 Nysa Vineyard Pinot Noir captures that balance beautifully. Sourced from an east-facing block in the Dundee Hills, it’s supple and elegant, with a velvet texture and layers of raspberry, earth, and spice. Walden calls it “the closest I have come to expressing my love for Volnay.” Critics agree: Vinous awarded it 93 points, praising its “velvety textures and lifted grace.” In comparison, Wine Enthusiast gave it 94 points and a Cellar Selection nod. A stunning, smallproduction wine that’s as thoughtful and expressive as the woman who made it, this is a gift that will impress the true Pinot lover.

CHÂTEAU D’ESCLANS GARRUS 2023

Provence, France

$100

When Sacha Lichine set out to redefine rosé, he didn’t just make a wine—he made history. Garrus, considered Château d’Esclans’ finest wine, is the ultimate expression of that vision. Crafted from a single vineyard of nearly 100-year-old vines and entirely fermented and aged in new large French oak barrels, Garrus is a study in power and elegance. The 2023 vintage opens with concentrated aromas of dried citrus, then reveals layers of glazed pear, pineapple, and subtle spice. The finish is creamy and lingering, reminiscent of a fine vintage Champagne—without the bubbles.

Created to make rosé grand, Garrus embodies Lichine’s belief that pink wine deserves the same reverence as the world’s best reds and whites. Today it stands as an icon: a world-class, collectible rosé that feels at once festive and refined. For the holidays, it’s a bottle that makes an impression, and drinking rosé in winter seems very luxurious.

BARNETT VINEYARDS FOUNDATION

TRIO GIFT SET

Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley

$240

For four decades, Barnett Vineyards has been crafting elegant, mountaingrown wines from its perch high above the Napa Valley floor. Founded by Fiona and Hal Barnett in 1983, the family-run estate is celebrated for its small-lot, hand-farmed wines that embody both the rugged character and refined beauty of Spring Mountain. It’s been one of our favorite wineries for over a decade.

The Foundation Trio showcases the varietals that have defined the Barnett legacy: a bold and structured Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, a supple and expressive Mountain Merlot, and a crisp, balanced Sangiacomo Vineyards Chardonnay. Together, they offer a snapshot of the winery’s signature style—depth, precision, and a clear sense of place. Presented in an elegant three-bottle gift box with the option for a personalized note, it’s an ideal choice for the discerning wine lover or anyone who appreciates Napa craftsmanship at its finest.

DALLA VALLE CABERNET

SAUVIGNON 2022

Oakville, Napa Valley

$300

A benchmark Napa Cabernet with nearly three decades of pedigree, Dalla Valle’s 2022 release captures the essence of its hillside Oakville terroir. In the glass, it reveals a deep, inky purple hue and aromas of ripe black cherry and cassis, unfolding into layers of dark currant, bittersweet chocolate, and subtle spice. The texture is plush yet structured, showcasing the balance that has defined Dalla Valle’s signature style since its very first vintage.

Elegant and expressive, this is a wine that feels both classic and contemporary—approachable now, yet built to age gracefully for years to come. With its seamless blend of power and polish, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is the kind of gift that speaks quietly of good taste and thoughtful generosity—perfect for the collector, the connoisseur, or anyone who appreciates a Napa legend at its peak.

CHAMPAGNE ARMAND DE BRIGNAC

BRUT GOLD

Champagne, France

$325

Champagne is essential for the holidays, and Brut Gold from Champagne Armand de Brignac is a standout option. Crafted by 12th- and 13th-generation winemakers JeanJacques and Alexandre Cattier, this champagne embodies their 250-year dream of creating an extraordinary wine. Made from a blend of 50% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, and 10% Pinot Meunier, it is produced using only the first and freshest portion of the grape press, ensuring exceptional purity.

Brut Gold opens with delightful aromas of freshly baked brioche and crystallized citrus. On the palate, you’ll discover notes of orange blossom, peach, lemon, vanilla, and honey, all showcased in a rich, creamy texture with refined acidity and a long, elegant finish. Decadent yet perfectly balanced, this champagne turns any holiday gathering into a memorable celebration, luxury, and artistry in one exquisite package.

APERTURE CELLARS 2021 COLLAGE PROPRIETARY RED

GIFT SET

Sonoma County, California

$1,275 (3-bottles)

Aperture’s 2021 Collage is more than a wine—it’s a statement. The most ambitious and artistically inspired release from winemaker Jesse Katz to date, Collage represents over a decade of precision farming and creative experimentation in Sonoma’s diverse terroir. Crafted from select vineyard lots across five premier appellations, each situated at elevations above 900 feet, the wine delivers remarkable depth, balance, and aging potential.

Richly layered and expressive, the 2021 vintage reveals dark fruit, cocoa, and spice wrapped in a sculpted tannin structure that lingers long after the final sip. Already the recipient of multiple 100-point scores, Collage is a collector’s wine that embodies both precision and poetry. Beautifully gift-wrapped in Aperture’s signature presentation box with a personalized note card and shipping included, it’s the kind of gift that feels as special to give as it is to receive.

Alice Herald Redefines New Zealand Luxury for an American Audience

With sculptural precision and ethical intent, the New Zealand jeweler is building a quiet but unmistakable presence in the U.S. fine jewelry market.

BY CAIT BAZEMORE

Breaking into the American luxury jewelry market usually takes a decade. Alice Herald did it in twelve months. When the New Zealand designer unveiled her work at the 2024 Couture show in Las Vegas, her pieces—rooted in classical form and modern restraint—stood out in a sea of ornamentation. Herald’s background in sculpture lends her collections a sense of proportion rarely seen in contemporary jewelry. At the same time, her commitment to local materials and ethical sourcing grounds her in something more profound than design trends. Her debut wasn’t just a commercial milestone; it was a quiet assertion that independent craftsmanship can still shape the global luxury conversation.

By Couture 2025—just one year after her initial U.S. debut—Herald was making significant headway with her presence and prominence in the U.S. market. This created a ripple effect, propelling her even further on her own soil and emphasizing the importance of the American market on a global scale. At the Couture Design Awards, Herald came runner-up in the Best in Gold category thanks to her exclusive use of recycled Australasian gold and native New Zealand alluvial gold—gold that has washed down from mountains by rivers and concentrated in gravel beds, particularly in the South Island’s Otago and West Coast regions. Herald has also taken home two other accolades in 2025 at New Zealand’s Best in Design Awards and the Fashion Quarterly Awards as Designer of the Year.

Honors aside, Alice Herald is a good human and an artist through and through. Her background was not initially in jewelry-making but in sculpture, which continues to inform her approach to design with a 360-degree sensibility. She swears by a particular artist’s pro-

cess, which involves isolating herself at her second home by the sea with only her dogs as companions while she designs a new collection.

In addition, Herald is dedicated to conscious and sustainable business practices, sourcing local materials that are ethically mined and partnering with local suppliers and artisans whenever possible.

For Herald, she prefers her role to be the creative, the visionary, the designer, and to surround herself with the best possible experts. The result is knowing every element of her supply chain and collabo-

“Herald’s trajectory feels deliberate, not meteoric. Her forthcoming residency at Bergdorf Goodman and partnership with Casa Tres signal a thoughtful expansion rather than a rush toward scale.”

rating with them to bring her artistic concepts to life. As a brand, Herald presents as a onewoman show, but behind the scenes is a well-nurtured group of suppliers, craftspeople, and other industry professionals who she says have been and will continue to be a part of the long-term vision for her brand.

Herald is also passionate about giving back to her community and causes near and dear to her heart. She’s collaborated with the Mint Charitable Trust, a New Zealand charity established to support individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families. Closer to home, Herald and her sister are BRCA positive and have lost their mother, Marceline, to breast cancer. Marceline was instrumental in propelling Herald to where it is today. She encouraged her to attend Central Saint Martins, one of the most renowned arts and design schools in the world, and insisted that you must never give up the childlike sense of curiosity that often gets lost in adulthood.

Perhaps Herald’s highest achievement of 2025 is the debut of her first Aphrodite capsule, inspired by the famous Renaissance painting, The Birth of Venus, by Sandro Botticelli, with a portion of sales going toward prominent cancer research organizations in each of her core markets.

ANCIENT INSPIRATION, MODERN SENSIBILITY

Roman and Greek art and design have long been a source of inspiration for Herald. The launch of her Istoria collection (Istoria meaning story in Greek) marked her U.S. debut at Couture in 2024, with the line drawing inspiration from the classical period of Greek mythology and architecture, particularly the columns of the Doric and Ionic Orders and coffered domed ceilings of ancient Rome. Herald followed this with her Deities collection, unveiled at Couture earlier this year. The flagship piece within the line is her Light My Fire pinky ring, inspired by the fire-bearing Titan Prometheus. This design earned her second place in the Best in Gold category at the show’s award ceremony—her first international accolade.

The initial installment of the Aphrodite capsule lives within the Deities collection and was not only informed by Herald’s fascination with Greco-Roman art and history but also by her oceanside design studio. Greek mythology states that Aphrodite is born of the seafoam, which Herald saw washing up on the shores during her daily beach walks with her dogs and immediately conjured the image of Aphrodite in her mind. The first set of designs in the capsule focuses on the feminine shape of Aphrodite herself, emphasizing the female form in correlation with the charitable component of the collection supporting breast cancer research. However, next year, we’ll get a second interpretation of Aphrodite incorporating a new set of native materials, including New Zealand Jade (or pounamu as called by the indigenous people) and New Zealand wood.

With the current Aphrodite capsule, 10% of proceeds go to the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research in New Zealand for online sales, to Breast Cancer Now for U.K. sales, and to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for U.S. sales.

Yes, with Herald’s expansion into the U.S. market comes her own dedicated point of sale at a newly established multi-brand gallery in the heart of Manhattan called Casa Tres.

AN OFFICIAL FOOTPRINT IN THE U.S.

Casa Tres was founded on the principle of helping global high-end and fine jewelry brands like Herald to have a full-service partner and U.S. footprint. More than a showroom, factory, or logistics provider, Casa Tres unites all three under a single umbrella, giving designers the infrastructure to scale sustainably while preserving creative freedom. Founder Mirta de Gisbert is a luxury industry veteran. Before launching

her own jewelry consultancy, Casa Tres de Gisbert worked at Edelman and Sotheby’s, as well as a variety of fashion and jewelry houses, including Burberry, Jessica McCormack, and Paula Mendoza.

Herald’s trajectory feels deliberate, not meteoric. Her forthcoming residency at Bergdorf Goodman and partnership with Casa Tres signal a thoughtful expansion rather than a rush toward scale. Every piece still begins the same way—sketched by hand near the sea, imagined as much for its story as its shine.

In an industry often driven by spectacle, Alice Herald’s work reminds us that refinement can still speak softly and be heard.

The Milken Institute Marks 10 Years of Philanthropy— and Continues Meeting the Moment

Charitable giving has evolved over the course of a decade, and funders must be more strategic than ever to drive impact. Here, we spotlight the work of Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy arm, and look ahead to its future.

In 2015, Melissa Stevens had been at the Milken Institute, a nonpartisan think tank and research center focused on global issues, for roughly eight years. During that time, she’d come to see philanthropy as, in her words, “a really unique asset class… We’re greatly inspired by our founder, Michael Milken, who over the past five decades has reshaped the way medical research is conducted. From these experiences, Mike and the Institute developed a methodology to help other funders improve the impact of their own strategic philanthropy. We bring these decades of collective experience to each new partner so they don’t have to start from scratch and find their own way.” To see how philanthropy might be deployed in other areas, she co-founded Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy that year. She continues to serve as its executive vice-president. In the decade since, Strategic Philanthropy has extended its work in the original biomedical space, but now under the rubric of the Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC), which focuses on more wideranging science and health philanthropy as well. Strategic Philanthropy has also established two new areas of focus: Environmental and Social Innovation (ESI) and the Philanthropy Leadership Collective (PLC)—the latter of which enables collaboration and community building across the other two portfolios and beyond. To date, Strategic Philan-

thropy has influenced the deployment of over $3.2 billion in assets and published more than 60 reports on topics from childhood brain cancer to gun violence prevention. In just a few short years, the team has gone from awarding its first grant in 2019 via SPARC, to helping launch more than $100 million in funding programs in 2025, from grants to innovation prizes—a testament to its deep partnerships and growing impact across the philanthropic landscape. It’s also contributed to the modernization of the philanthropy model which, although it’s been around since the turn of the 19th century, has never been simple. In the inimitable words of Andrew Carnegie, “It’s harder to give money away intelligently than to earn it in the first place.” In essence, it’s more than just writing a check. “Philanthropy can be nimble. It can play the long game. And it can be collaborative and bring different sectors together,” says Stevens.

To mark its anniversary, we highlight several innovative and unique-to-philanthropy strategies it embraces – and look at key projects which illustrate their value:

• Philanthropy can fill crucial funding gaps.

The Breakthrough Discoveries for Thriving with Bipolar Disorder, or BD², project began as a collaboration between SPARC and three inaugural funders: Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Keystone Capital co-founder Kent Dauten, and Roblox founder David Baszucki. Following strategic planning led by Dr. Cara Altimus, PhD, SPARC managing director and a neuroscientist, it launched in 2022 with a commitment of $150 million to advance research and patient outcomes, and among its most notable achievements is stepping up when other funding is not forthcoming. This philanthropic support was desperately needed as funding specific to bipolar disorder has steadily decreased by 50% in the past decade, partially due to the National Institute of Mental Health funding research into individual symptoms rather than psychiatric diagnoses and conditions as a whole. As a result, gene sequencing for bipolar was held back even though samples had already been gathered for this purpose. BD² stepped in to fund it and nearly 30 new genes are being identified with the disorder through its work. The potential for intercepting bipolar’s development and treating it with precision medicine has been bolstered significantly.

• Philanthropy can fund emerging fields that others may avoid - and contribute to their legitimacy.

When Strategic Philanthropy became involved in the study of misophonia—a disorder in which anxiety, fear and anger are triggered by clicking, tapping, or chewing sounds —it was misunderstood and even trivialized. “If you ask the public, ‘Do you hate chewing?’ 20% of people say yes,” says Altimus. “But 20% of people do not have the disorder.” Those that do can experience effects dramatic enough that

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they’re unable to attend school, maintain marriages, or even socialize. But when the Milken team, in collaboration with the REAM Foundation, got to work a half-decade or so ago to understand more about the disorder, it found something surprising. There was no agreed upon definition of it. That made it impossible to diagnose. “And if you couldn’t diagnose it,” says Altimus, “you couldn’t treat it. It was just totally off the wall.” Flash forward to this year: the team’s work led to a proposal for an official International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code for misophonia. With misophonia more easily diagnosable in practitioners’ offices, the field can continue building upon the foundation that the Milken and REAM teams helped to establish.

• Philanthropy prizes can offer unusually flexible, nimble, and risk-friendly funding.

In 2021 Dr. Patrice Motsepe and Dr. Precious Moloi-Motsepe, the first Black billionaires in South Africa after the fall of apartheid and the founders of the Motsepe Foundation, wanted to create a prize for technical breakthroughs that could improve the standard of living in Africa. To do so, they, in partnership with Emily Musil, PhD, the managing director of ESI, formed the Milken-Motsepe Innovation Prize. Each prize has rotated its focus area – from agritech to green energy to AI and manufacturing – and given out $6.5 million in unrestricted funds to 60 companies across dozens of countries. It’s also benefitted a million stakeholders, including smallholder farmers and newcomers to financial markets. Part of the reason for its success: It’s able to regularly adjust not only its topics but its approach to prize design. Only adding to the argument for this approach’s success: finalists and winners have received 10 times the prize money from other investors since their participation.

The above, of course, is just a sampling of Strategic Philanthropy’s accomplishments. Other strategies include its commitment to making an impact even in areas where funding is plentiful. This is illustrated by its work – in conjunction with

the Tullman Family Office and The Duchossois Family Foundation – on the military-to-civilian transition via the Veterans Community Initiative. Through interviews with an unusually wide range of experts, a report on philanthropic giving opportunities and an intensive retreat, it’s brought disparate stakeholders into the same proverbial – and literal – rooms to develop solutions. Another strategy of note is Strategic Philanthropy’s encouragement of philanthropist-to-philanthropist collaboration. Panelists at the Milken Global Conference this year shared about PepsiCo teaming up with Amazon to distribute critical aid during this year’s L.A. wildfires, among other examples, and more collaborations between companies are one of the Corporate Philanthropy Leadership Collective’s aims. (The group exists under the rubric of the Philanthropy Leadership Collective.) As the team looks ahead to deepening its impact over the next decade, they’re launching new initiatives such as the Future of Education, which will map how core systems must evolve to meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.

The Milken Institute is far from alone in this sphere. And Stevens is encouraged by what she sees in the larger philanthropy field, particularly as federal dollars for social issues are diminishing. “I’m heartened that the MacArthur Foundation, the Marguerite Casey Foundation are stepping in in bigger ways,” she says. Also on the bright side: the biggest transfer of intergenerational wealth in history is occurring. Over the next two decades, $84 trillion in assets is slated to change hands when members of the Silent Generation and Boomers pass their assets on, and not only are a new crop of philanthropists set to be minted but attendant fresh ideas for giving will no doubt arrive. Then there’s the uptick in charitable contributions. 2024 saw it increase more than 6% overall and 9% in the corporate sphere. Stevens concludes, “Philanthropy can be an unrelenting North Star in turbulent times. It’s our society’s risk capital that’s advancing solutions, informing capital flows, and changing policies. It can crowd in the voices of those with lived experience. And it can be the connective tissue between ideologies and sectors.”

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Worth celebrates 100 remarkable individuals redefining success through purpose, creativity, and impact. From entrepreneurs and investors to artists and athletes, these honorees prove that true influence comes not from what you have, but from what you give.

BY OLIVER RIST AND WORTH

Luis von Ahn

CEO OF DUOLINGO TECHNOLOGY

More people than ever before are looking to learn a second language. Luis von Ahn, cofounder and CEO of language learning app Duolingo, has played a huge role and made that a lot easier. One of Guatemala’s leading tech entrepreneurs, he’s also made himself a name as a crowdsourcing pioneer in the process.

Von Ahn is making language learning accessible to Duolingo app’s more than 50 million daily users. More than that, the app actually makes learning easier because it presents lessons in gamified, bite-sized chunks that are personalized via AI to adapt to your current skill level—way better than the “le stylo est vert” stuff I had in high school French class.

Von Ahn has used Duolingo to team up with global literacy nonprofits to roll out tailored programs for low-literacy learners, and even launched special modules for displaced communities, helping them navigate new countries and cultures. In other words, he’s made it easier for people around the globe to get along—Worthy 100, indeed.

Corie Barry

CEO OF BEST BUY ENTERPRISE

As CEO of Best Buy, Corie Barry is also leading the Best Buy Foundation, which has impacted thousands of young people through its Teen Tech Centers—safe, creative spaces where young people can explore everything from coding and robotics to music production and graphic design.

The Foundation has a long history with learning support, starting with its inception in 1994 when it focused on education, health, and wellness for K-12 students. By 2002, its average annual giving exceeded $10 million, and in 2008, it established the first of its Best Buy Teen Tech Centers in partnership with The Clubhouse Network.

Since Barry took on the role of Best Buy’s CEO, the Foundation has expanded the Teen Tech Center program, launching the Community Impact Hub (now the LA Teen Tech Collective) in Los Angeles County in 2021 and committing to expanding the program to support 12 such centers in LA.

Corie’s leadership has also seen the 50th Teen Tech Center opening as well as new career pathway programs that connect teens with mentors, internships, and real job opportunities in STEM fields.

Arthur Brooks

PROFESSOR AT HARVARD KENNEDY SCHOOL HEALTH

A Harvard professor teaching at the Kennedy School and the Business School while also doing speaking gigs at Fortune 500 companies—reading that, you might form some preconceptions. Like talks that are so stunningly boring people play them back later as a sleep aid. But in Arthur Brooks’ case, you’d be very wrong. See, Brooks is a self-described happiness scholar, and he wants you to be one, too.

The man has spent the past couple of decades helping teach anyone who’ll listen how to build meaningful lives through routines backed by his research in behavioral science. He’s written 15 books on the subject, the latest being The Happiness Files: Insights on Work and Life, which delves into how to treat your life like a startup. So taking smart risks, finding real purpose, and doing away with the fear of regret.

Arthur’s also teaching happiness classes at Harvard, hosting packed venues all over the world, and even has his own podcast, called Office Hours, where last October he shared his own daily routine: wake up at 4:30 a.m., hit the gym, meditate, and then down a protein-loaded breakfast. I’m not doing any of that.

Romero Britto

ARTIST

CULTURE

He’s allegedly the most licensed artist in the world, but Brazilian-born Romero Britto is also a vocal advocate for positive change, and when we say ‘vocal,’ we mean it. He’s an advocate for over 250 charities (wow), using his platform to support causes ranging from animal welfare and cancer research to children’s hospitals.

Britto describes his life mission as creating and spreading ‘happy art,’ something he infuses into everything he does, including his humanitarian work. For example, in July, Britto visited a summer camp at Florida International University’s Center for Children and Families where he helped children with ADHD create art to boost their confidence and reinforce teamwork, but also to remind them that art is a powerful tool for self-expression. That same joyful energy shines on the cover of this year’s Worthy 100 Magazine, which Britto designed exclusively for the issue.

In October 2025, he collaborated on the “La Cuvée One Drop Miami 2025” event, where some of his art was auctioned off with the proceeds going to the One Drop Foundation and BLUE Missions, two organizations dedicated to providing access to safe water.

Britto is a fascinating personality and an engaging speaker, so if you want to know more about him, check out the documentary he released in 2025, The Britto Doc.

Khaliah Ali

DESIGNER,

AUTHOR, AND HUMANITARIAN PHILANTHROPY

Carrying forward her father Muhammad Ali’s legacy, Khaliah Ali has devoted her life to empowerment and service. A designer, author, and former Ford model, she transformed fashion with her inclusive Khaliah Ali Collection and bestselling sewing patterns for McCall’s, Vogue, and Simplicity, celebrating women of all sizes.

Ali is also a leading advocate for health equity, women’s empowerment, and animal rights. Her bestselling book Fighting Weight and national TV appearances have inspired selfacceptance. She serves on the board of the UN World Food Programme and supports organizations like Project Sunshine and Help USA.

Avril Benoît

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF DOCTORS

WITHOUT BORDERS, USA HEALTH

You’re immediately aware of Avril Benoît’s positive social influence just by looking at her job title; she’s the executive director of Doctors Without Borders USA. In that role, she’s constantly out front when it comes to bringing much-needed medical care to places that are too remote or too ravaged by disasters to get it any other way. Her work has saved countless lives over the past year alone in places like Gaza, Haiti, and the Sudan.

Benoît is also very vocal about protecting humanitarian workers, keeping a host of world governments aware that they need to do better in this regard.

You might think someone like this is difficult to engage, but you’d be wrong. Just in the last year, Benoît has spoken at a long list of global events, managed live online discussions with Doctors Without Borders staff, and even done an AMA on Reddit. She’s exactly the kind of person who belongs among the Worthy 100—smart and fearless with an endless well of compassion.

Bad Bunny

DJ AND RAPPER INFLUENCE

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio is a great name, but you probably know him as Bad Bunny, a DJ and rapper who uses his music for activism, not just entertainment.

In January of this past year, he dropped his sixth album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, which included a short film. The experience was designed to highlight everything Puerto Ricans are going through on a suddenly volatile political level as well as a difficult recovery from Hurricane Maria. He called out issues like gentrification from an influx of wealthy investors and the political tension that it’s causing.

In 2024, he backed the Partido Independentista Puertorriqueño during the governor’s race, using his platform to spark political conversations and support Puerto Rican identity. He also founded the Good Bunny Foundation, which helps the underprivileged youth in Puerto Rico through music, arts, and sports.

Look for him at next year’s Super Bowl halftime show, where you’re sure to hear not only great music, but a heartfelt expression of Latin pride, too.

José Bautista

ATHLETE

EQUITY

José Bautista, nicknamed “Joey Bats,” is a Dominican-born former MLB slugger who played 15 seasons, primarily with the Toronto Blue Jays. From 2010-15 he hit more home runs than any other player; he became the 26th member of the 50-home-run club in 2010 and earned six All-Star selections.

In September he partnered with Toronto’s SickKids Foundation to launch the Bautista Impact Fund, a donor-advised fund that will provide unrestricted support to the hospital’s highest-priority needs and fuel paediatric research and care. Bautista said that as a father of four he feels deeply connected to SickKids’ mission and hopes the fund will help build a healthier future.

Christy

Turlington Burns

FILM

DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF EVERY MOTHER COUNTS

HEALTH

Christy Turlington Burns rose to fame as a supermodel in the late 1980s but has since become a leading voice in global maternal health. After experiencing childbirth complications, she earned a master’s in public health from Columbia and began working with organizations like CARE and Product Red.

In 2010, she directed No Woman, No Cry and founded Every Mother Counts, a nonprofit dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safer worldwide. Through EMC, she’s invested over $48 million in community-led programs across 17 countries and continues to champion maternal health through advocacy, filmmaking, and mentorship.

Dr. Uché Blackstock

CEO OF ADVANCING HEALTH EQUITY HEALTH

The gritty reality of healthcare may not be everyone’s favorite topic right now, but people like Dr. Uché Blackstock are working to make it better. As CEO of Advancing Health Equity (AHE), she’s working hard to eradicate racism in healthcare through her leadership and her advocacy about issues like inclusion and the sudden national backlash against diversity initiatives.

As head of AHE, she’s constantly working with hospitals, health systems, and big companies, especially pharmaceutical firms, to educate and integrate health equity into how they do business. Currently, her major challenge is coaching healthcare executives to stick to and promote these ideas even as they’re under attack in the public eye.

Next to her work inside the industry, Blackstock has also made a big dent in educating the rest of us by speaking out publicly and through her bestselling memoir, Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine, which was released in paperback in 2025.

Joy Buolamwini

FOUNDER OF ALGORITHMIC JUSTICE LEAGUE TECHNOLOGY

Worried about AI? Joy Buolamwini is on your side. Over the last year, her public advocacy and research on AI has exposed numerous high-profile cases of algorithmic bias and biased datasets, which led to her founding the Algorithmic Justice League (AJL).

She garnered the nickname “the poet of code” by using art to illuminate the social implications of AI and engage the public in important conversation. That art includes her influential book, Unmasking AI, and the subsequent Netflix documentary, Coded Bias.

She advised world leaders and high-level tech execs on being responsible with AI, including the World Economic Forum, the United Nations, and the Global Tech Panel convened by the European Commission.

Through her research and the AJL, Buolamwini is working to establish accountability and transparency from the people developing AI. So far, they’re being less than helpful about it, but like any Worthy 100, that’s not going to stop her.

Tarana Burke

FOUNDER OF #METOO AND DISRUPTORS COUNCIL EQUITY

You might remember Tarana Burke from when she was the founding force behind the Me Too movement. Turns out, she’s still going strong, but now she’s expanded Me Too by adding the Disruptors Council, which includes a number of well-known people, like Viola Davis, Ayanna Pressley, and Gabrielle Union.

Burke founded the Disruptors back in October 2025. By bringing together influential figures the council is looking to point an even brighter spotlight on sexual violence and the devastating harm it causes. The goal from there is to drive systemic change by calling out offenders and helping victims.

Based on her activities this past year, everything seems to have been leading towards the Disruptors launch. In March, she spoke at SXSW advocating the elevation of victims’ voices over those who’ve done the damage. She also spent the year emphasizing storytelling and empathy as paths to healing by speaking at other venues, such as the National Organization for Victim Advocacy (NOVA) conference in San Francisco, and her bestselling books Unbound and You Are Your Best Thing.

Inna Braverman

CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF SWEDISH ECO WAVE POWER CLIMATE

If you said that Inna Braverman has been riding a wave of humanitarian impact since all the way back in 2011, you’d be literally correct—and responsible for an absolutely awful play on words. But as CEO and co-founder of Swedish Eco Wave Power, she’s spent over a decade helping turn ocean energy into a real solution for clean power.

She’s also been a fierce advocate for women in STEM, teaming up with youthled groups like BFly GEMS to promote girl empowerment, climate action—a personal cause to her as she was born in the Ukraine just two weeks before the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and suffered respiratory arrest due to its subsequent pollution.

In 2025, she spoke at Davos alongside Nobel laureates and tech leaders, pushing wave energy into the global spotlight. That spotlight only grew brighter when she implemented Eco Wave Power’s technology on Gaza’s coastline, and signed an agreement with Africa Great Future Development to explore wave energy projects at South Africa’s Port of Ngqura.

Aya

Chebbi

PAN-AFRICAN FEMINIST AND DIPLOMAT POLICY

Aya Chebbi doesn’t just talk about empowering Africa’s youth; she’s built the playbook for how to do it. A diplomat, activist, and unapologetic Pan-African feminist, Chebbi first caught global attention as a political blogger during Tunisia’s 2011 revolution. From there, she became the African Union’s first-ever Special Envoy on Youth, meeting with presidents and policymakers while mobilizing over a million young people across the continent.

Her résumé reads like a blueprint for modern activism: founder of Nalafem, one of Africa’s largest feminist alliances; architect of youth campaigns that shaped AU policy; and board member for organizations from WHO to Oxfam. Her mission is nothing short of transforming how Africa’s next generation leads, through equality, inclusion, and an unshakeable belief that liberation is collective.

Jeremy Coller

MANAGING PARTNER AT COLLER CAPITAL CAPITAL

When you see a title like ‘Managing Partner at Coller Capital’, you might make assumptions, but Jeremy Coller’s history will quickly turn that on its head. He’s done some amazing work blending finance, ethics and animal welfare. In that quest, he’s worked not just through Coller Capital, but also the Jeremy Coller Foundation and the investor network FAIRR (Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return) Initiative.

One of his most notable achievements was last year when he founded the Jeremy Coller Centre for Animal Sentience at the London School of Economics (LSE). It required £4 million donation from the Foundation, but that created a cutting-edge place to research how animal minds function, their cognition, and their welfare. The ultimate goal is to inform public policy, law, and ethical guidelines to improve their lives.

In 2025, Coller pushed environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives further, rolling out tech-driven tools to help investors track environmental and social risks across $240 billion in opportunities. He’s truly an impressive force for social good and a perfect addition to the Worthy 100.

Chip Conley

FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF MODERN ELDER ACADEMY HEALTH

This writer is looking at middle age as a rapidly shrinking dot in the rear view mirror, but when it was closer, I wish I’d known about Chip Conley and the Modern Elder Academy (MEA).

MEA’s mission is to take people struggling with the negative aspect of a midlife crisis (oh my God, I’m not immortal) and turn that around. Instead of dreading midlife, MEA wants you to experience it as something positive, a time to grow not wither. To Conley and MEA that means committing to what they call Long Life Learning, and Conley wants to share that philosophy with more than just those with disposable income. According to MEA, it supplied scholarships to more than 50% of its current alums.

Outside MEA, Conley spent last year being vocal on the subject of older folks | in the workforce. Conley spoke about this at numerous events in 2025, including the Coaching.com Summit and the Phocuswright Conference. In those talks, he emphasized the need for building a new relationship between age markers, something that’s becoming increasingly important in many companies where power is shifting to younger employees even as five generations have begun working together.

Warrick Dunn

ATHLETE PHILANTHROPY

Many will recognize Warrick Dunn from his NFL career with the Buccaneers and Falcons. Since retiring in 2009, he has dedicated his life to philanthropy in honor of his mother, a single parent and police officer killed in the line of duty.

Dunn founded Homes for the Holidays in 1997 and Warrick Dunn Charities in 2002, partnering with Habitat for Humanity to help single parents achieve homeownership. In 2025, his organizations presented their 244th and 245th homes and expanded to include single fathers. Dunn also supports programs that promote financial literacy, fight food insecurity, and provide scholarships for students engaged in community service.

Richard Cumming

CEO AND FOUNDER OF FOODSTREAM NETWORK PHILANTHROPY

A former creative marketer, Richard Cumming co-founded FoodStream after he and his partner shuttered their agency during the pandemic and joined José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen, delivering millions of meals and discovering gaps in the food system.

FoodStream Learn, the DOE-approved education arm Richard spearheads, feeds and teaches thousands of New York City students every week through hands-on cooking, gardening, and nutrition lessons, while the platform’s logistics hub moves tens of thousands of pounds of fresh food to families in need.

Cumming’s network has grown from a pandemic directory of 850 organizations into a data-driven membership platform that links food banks, schools, and pantries to fight food insecurity and reduce waste.

Lisa Dyson

CEO OF AIR PROTEIN CLIMATE

Lisa Dyson is the founder and CEO of Air Protein, a company creating meat alternatives from elements in the air—carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, and water—eliminating the need for traditional agriculture.

By reducing reliance on animal farming, which drives 14.5% of global emissions, Air Protein helps fight hunger and cut carbon pollution. Last year, Dyson expanded production at the company’s San Leandro facility, supplying air-based chicken and seafood to major retailers and schools, and launched an initiative to mentor women and BIPOC founders in climate tech. She was named a Bloomberg New Economy Catalyst and featured on the AFROTECH Future 50 list.

Joel Embiid

ATHLETE AND PHILANTHROPIST INFLUENCE

Born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Joel Embiid played volleyball and soccer before former NBA player Luc Mbah a Moute spotted him at a 2011 camp and encouraged him to try basketball. He moved to the U.S. at 16, starred at the University of Kansas, and was drafted third overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014. A seven-time NBA All-Star and the 2023 NBA MVP, Embiid is also a two-time scoring champion, having led the league in 2021-22 (30.6 p.p.g.) and 2022-23 (33.1 p.p.g.).

Off the court, Embiid honors his late brother through the “In Memory of Arthur” (IMOA) initiative. The platform pledges $1 million to overlooked Philadelphia non-profits such as Philadelphia Youth Basketball, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, NOMO Foundation and Rhymes with Reason. IMOA funds the Alan Horwitz “Sixth Man” Center for Philadelphia Youth Basketball and supports efforts that provide meals, clothing and other essentials to those in need. Embiid’s philanthropy extends to his home country of Cameroon, where he supports youth programs and infrastructure. In July 2025 he used his offseason to visit NOMO Foundation, Rhymes with Reason and the Philly Goat Project, surprising youth at a community barbecue and spotlighting IMOA’s ongoing work.

Chris Evans

ACTOR INFLUENCE

Now I’m jealous of Chris Evans on multiple fronts. Not only does he get to hang with Ana de Armas, he’s also helping the rest of us communicate better with our elected officials. He’s doing that via his involvement with “A Starting Point” (ASP), a video-based civic engagement platform he helped launch in 2020 along with filmmaker Mark Kassen and tech entrepreneur, Joe Kiani.

The platform uses video to allow elected officials to explain their perspectives without the constraints of a typical media interview. The idea is to give politicians a place to explain complex political issues so they’re more understandable with the end result being more civic engagement among young people.

ASP also hosts educational resources to help anyone better understand how our government works along with a project called ASP Homeroom aimed at providing civic learning in schools. It’s a big project, and we’re not the first to recognize Evans’ work – he and his ASP co-founders received a Spirit of Service award in September, 2024.

Oh, and his abs are better than mine, too; or they would be if I had abs.

Adena Friedman

PRESIDENT AND CEO OF NASDAQ ENTERPRISE

Adena Friedman already broke new socially aware ground when she was named President and CEO of Nasdaq as that’s made her the first woman to lead a global exchange. But she’s taken things farther, championing smaller companies and protecting anyone, from small folks just dipping their toes into investing on up to financial professionals, from criminals.

She’s streamlined IPO access for smaller companies, helping them raise capital faster. The Nasdaq Foundation also offers quarterly grants to entrepreneurs from underserved communities, helping provide financial literacy and access to investors.

Perhaps most important, Friedman has increased Nasdaq’s ability to combat global financial crimes, including fraud, money laundering and even human trafficking. Nasdaq now extends its advanced security technologies to over 200 banks and supports digital and flat wallets, which helps large as well as small investors. And that’s important because 2025 also saw her backing tokenized securities and 24/5 trading, which allows even more everyday investors get in the game. Like, say, me.

Beth Ford

CEO LAND O’LAKES ENTERPRISE

As CEO of Land O’Lakes, Beth Ford has broken new ground in many ways. This year, she was named the 12th most powerful woman in business by Fortune magazine and she spent much of the last 12 months advocating for legal immigration reform and advancing US trade efforts. But she’s most known for her unwavering support of US farmers. For example, she’s pushed hard for public-private partnerships to get internet access to all kinds of remote areas, which has helped families, schools, and farms stay connected.

She also promotes other initiatives, like food security programs, climate-smart agriculture, and local development projects that actually listen to what communities need.

Under Ford, Land O’Lakes has made major inroads to help farmer resilience efforts, and it’s helped producers adapt to things as diverse as extreme weather and sudden market shifts. And that help is more than just words, with Land O’Lakes delivering financial support, new technology and the training to use it wherever it’s needed most.

Kiki Freedman

CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF HEY JANE ENTERPRISE

Kiki Freedman is the co-founder and CEO of Hey Jane, a U.S. healthcare company providing abortion-related and reproductive telehealth services. In 2025, she expanded Hey Jane’s offerings to reach more patients across more states, improving access to affordable, stigma-free care.

A strong advocate for medication abortion, Freedman spoke out following the FDA’s approval of generic mifepristone, emphasizing its importance for women facing difficult decisions amid growing political threats.

Under her leadership, Hey Jane continued its partnership with the National Network of Abortion Funds, launching a campaign that raised $10,000 for abortion care. In 2025, the company celebrated serving its 100,000th patient and reported a 164% increase in telehealth use since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

Michael J. Fox

ACTOR & ACTIVIST INFLUENCE

If there was one word that encompassed both hope and grit, it’d be the one I’d use to describe Michael J. Fox. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s back in 1991, he’s lived with this debilitating disease for 32 years without complaint—if you want a glimpse of that road, check out his new book, Future Boy, where he shares his journey.

Through the Michael J. Fox Foundation, he’s helped raise over $2 billion for research, backing bold, high-risk projects that are actually paying off—like discovering a key Parkinson’s biomarker in 2023. Last year, his Foundation expanded its $750-million Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) to include more participants, including those as young as 40, to explore earlier signs of the disease. He’s also been working on the National Parkinson’s Project, a new federal initiative aimed at speeding up treatments and finding a cure.

Then there’s his work with the federal government, which I’m sure took some extra grit this year. September saw him at a rally in Washington, DC to urge congress for more research funding, while the Foundation’s policy team actually won support for such initiatives in states like Florida and Texas. So he’s not only suffering from the disease, he’s also fighting it tooth and nail for the rest of us. Worthy 100 in spades.

Tim Gill

FOUNDER OF THE GILL FOUNDATION EQUITY

Tim Gill, the driving force behind the Gill Foundation, is walking a currently very rough road. He works towards LGBTQ+ primarily through vocal advocacy and grantmaking. He’s well known and recognized for these efforts, probably why he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January.

But that didn’t slow him down for the rest of the year. In 2024, he began pivoting the Foundation’s work towards protecting and strengthening the democratic institutions that help secure LGBTQ+ rights, most of which have been under heavy fire in recent months, and he’s continued that work throughout the year.

Since 2024, the Gill Foundation has awarded over $4.3 million in grants to prodemocracy nonprofits (only a small part of the more than $459 million it’s invested in such programs since its inception). Gill believes these efforts are crucial to ensuring a safer LGBTQ+ future.

The Foundation has been focusing its efforts on Southern and Western states where LGBTQ+ rights are most at risk, and it works in partnership with other organizations, including the ACLU and the Human Rights Campaign. Gill also bolstered efforts like One Colorado, which hosted its annual Freedom for All Youth Advocacy Retreat in October.

LaToya Ruby Frazier

ARTIST CULTURE

If you don’t know, LaToya Ruby Frazier is an artistic photographer who uses the medium to impact both art and social justice. Last year, she opened The Liberty Portraits installation at New York’s Barclays Center, which promoted female athletes by honoring the New York Liberty’s WNBA championship team.

Several more of Frazier’s works also remained on display in 2025, including her Carnegie Prize-winning More Than Conquerors: A Monument for Community Health Workers of Baltimore, which honored health workers who toiled during the COVID19 pandemic; Monuments of Solidarity, a retrospective on injustice, healthcare and environmental racism; and, Flint Is Family, which documented the Flint water crisis. There’s many more, but I’m short on space.

Finally, she reached out to future generations of activists by lecturing at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Southern Utah University. And even with everything else going on in her life, she reached even more students through her position as assistant professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

John Grisham

AUTHOR AND ATTORNEY POLICY

John Grisham is an American author and attorney best known for his legal thrillers, which have sold over 400 million copies and been translated into more than 40 languages. His novels—including The Firm, A Time to Kill, and The Pelican Brief— have become major films and TV series.

A former lawyer and Mississippi legislator, Grisham draws on his legal background to explore justice, corruption, and power in the U.S. legal system. He champions criminal justice reform and literacy, serving on the board of the Innocence Project and supporting libraries, arts, and scholarships through his family foundation. In 2023, he co-filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court advocating post-conviction DNA access, continuing his lifelong commitment to justice on and off the page.

Sophie Goldschmidt

PRESIDENT & CEO OF U.S. SKI & SNOWBOARD ENTERPRISE

Sophie Goldschmidt is the CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, the governing body for Olympic skiing and snowboarding. Beyond preparing athletes for next February’s Winter Games, she’s a strong advocate for gender equity and greater support for U.S. athletes.

In 2024, she launched the HERoic campaign to spotlight female athletes’ achievements, debuting the Stifel HERoic Cup in Killington, VT, which awarded $50,000 to the top woman alpine skier in domestic World Cup events.

Under her leadership, U.S. Ski & Snowboard honored Youth Enrichment Services with the 2025 DEI Champion Award for expanding access to snow sports. The organization also hosted more than 3,100 competitions and training days, helping over 186,000 young athletes get started on the slopes.

Yoshiki Hayashi

JAPANESE FASHION DESIGNER & SINGER CULTURE

Yoshiki Hayashi is a Worthy 100 heavyweight. He’s both a fashion designer and musician, but he’s also a long-time humanitarian and philanthropist, known for supporting causes across the globe for many years. Through the Yoshiki Foundation America, he’s supported many non-profit and charitable organizations, including the Japanese Red Cross, the Make A Wish Foundation, the Points of Light Foundation, and the Grammy Foundation.

Last year, he donated $500,000 to support the victims of LA’s wildfires doing so through seven different aid organizations. And, because he’s a popular musician, Hayashi leverages that fame for promoting action and giving, too. He’s helped raise millions for charitable causes this way, like relief for victims of the Ukrainian conflict.

Though his fashion firm, Maison Yoshiki Paris, may be a commercial venture, he maintains a sense of social awareness there by showcasing his work as part of a broader, more creative economy. Finally, he’s also a force for sustaining the arts by attending events like the 2025 Paris Fashion Week, and Dreamforce 2025, where he unveiled a next-gen AI project that fuses tech and artistry.

Hozier

MUSICIAN CULTURE

Matthew Hedman

RESEARCHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO CLIMATE

In 2025, Matthew Hedman, assistant professor at the University of Idaho, has done quite a bit more than just make space science look cool to his students.

He helped decode Saturn’s rings so we can better understand the planet’s interior, which helps us model climate patterns on Earth. That work used kronoseismology (yeah, I had to look it up, too) to study waves in Saturn’s rings like a giant cosmic ultrasound.

He and his students also participated in a research project, led by the Southwest Research Institute, that used the James Webb Space Telescope to discover a new, six-mile-wide moon orbiting Uranus.

But Hedman doesn’t just hide in the lab. He steps out to directly help and mentor students, not just at UofI but several other school districts in Idaho, too. If someone someday puts a foot onto Mars’ surface, it’s likely that person will have been mentored by Hedman. So it’s no surprise that in addition to making the Worthy 100 he was awarded the DPS Alexander Prize last year for his contributions to planetary science.

Fran Horowitz

CEO OF ABERCROMBIE & FITCH ENTERPRISE

As CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, it turns out that Fran Horowitz has done a bit more than run a store that always makes me feel two or three hundred years old. With her at the reins, A&F donated over $8.3 million in 2024 to initiatives that promoted mental health, youth empowerment, and community investment among other things.

In September 2025, she oversaw A&F’s annual “Challenge” music festival fundraiser. All proceeds benefited its six non-profit Impact Partners who focus on the mental health of young people. Those partners included GLSEN, The Trevor Project, The Steve Fund, SeriousFun Children’s Network, The JED Foundation, and the Kids Mental Health Foundation. These events epitomize Horowitz’s humanitarian history. Since 2022, she’s committed over $20 million to causes that promote belonging and opportunity, including LGBTQ+ communities as well as backing education and mental health programs. So, okay, next time I’m at the mall I’ll steer my walker into one of A&F’s outlets and buy something…for my niece maybe.

Andrew Hozier-Byrne—you may know him as the guy behind “Take Me to Church”— has always been an advocate for human rights and environmental causes. Whether he’s backing refugee aid or speaking out on climate issues, Hozier’s using his platform for more than music.

Over the past year, during his 2024–2025 Unreal Unearth tour, Hozier spoke out loudly for peace in the Middle East and an end to antisemitism, Islamophobia, and the increasingly devastating “cycles of genocide and violence” that Palestinians have endured for so long.

This past year, he released a special version of his song “Like Real People Do,” which he did to help fund environmental conservation. He announced that half of the royalties from the song will be donated to global conservation efforts through the Nature is the Artist initiative.

In early 2024, Hozier headlined the Love Rocks NYC concert, which raises money for God’s Love We Deliver. This is a New York-based charity that provides medically tailored meals and nutrition services to people living with severe illnesses. That’s a lot of awareness being raised by one man. Sing on, dude.

Priyanka Jain

CO-FOUNDER & CEO OF EVVY TECHNOLOGY

As CEO and co-founder of women’s health startup Evvy, Priyanka Jain spent 2025 being vocal about health equity and providing technology to address the gender health gap. In other words, she and Evvy are trying to make healthcare more accessible to all women, which is a worthy goal no matter who you are.

Jain collaborated with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, where she served on the Steering Committee for the Innovation Equity Forum, an initiative focused on moving women’s health research forward on a global scale.

Jain also expanded Evvy’s products to include not just at-home testing products that clearly explain what’s going on in a woman’s body, but services that connect them with a doctor appropriate to their condition if they don’t already have one of their own. It’s the first platform to combine testing, diagnosis, and personalized treatment all in one. For women everywhere, that sort of care and education is a big step forward.

Lester Holt

ANCHOR, NBC NIGHTLY NEWS & DATELINE NBC CULTURE

Erik Helgesen

PRESIDENT OF PAYMORE ENTERPRISE

Erik Helgesen is another Worthy 100 shoe-in because he leads the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), an international non-profit organization that protects human rights globally, especially against authoritarian regimes. It also organizes the Oslo Freedom Forum.

Last year, after at least 3,000 Palestinian children were killed, Helgesen, as the vicechair of the Swedish Dockworkers’ Union, organized a blockade of military shipments to and from Israel. Helgesen stated that the union wouldn’t accept “business as usual” under those circumstances. It was a bold move, but it cost him. Following the union’s protest he was fired from his job at the Gothenburg port where he had worked for 20 years.

But he kept going, undaunted. Via the Oslo Freedom Forum, Helgesen brought together voices from places like Belarus, Iran, and Venezuela. He’s given them a global stage to share stories and encourage change. He even saw to it that the HRF launched new grants in 2025 for creative resistance, meaning everything from protest art to encrypted communication platforms. A powerful force for positive change, Helgesen belongs among the Worthy 100.

Jenique Jones

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WHYHUNGER EQUITY

Jenique Jones became Executive Director of WhyHunger after 14 years leading City Harvest, where she helped deliver over 100 million pounds of food to New Yorkers in need. At WhyHunger, she advances strategies for food justice and supports grassroots initiatives addressing hunger’s root causes.

In 2025, Jones emphasized that ending hunger requires systemic change, speaking out against the government shutdown that halted the USDA food report and calling attention to the link between wage disparity and food insecurity. She also represented WhyHunger at the Nyéléni Global Forum in Sri Lanka and led efforts to equip BIPOC farmers in the U.S. to grow food sustainably.

At WhyHunger’s 50th anniversary, Jones urged collective action for a more just food system and announced the launch of the organization’s new Junior Board of emerging activists.

Lester Holt has anchored NBC Nightly News since 2015 and is one of the most trusted journalists in American broadcast media. A veteran reporter with over four decades of experience, he began in radio before moving to television and joining NBC in 2000, becoming the first Black permanent solo anchor of a weekday network evening newscast.

Holt has covered nearly every major global event of the past generation, including elections, social-justice protests, wars, pandemics, and natural disasters. He moderated the 2016 presidential debate and has received multiple Emmy Awards, the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award, and the NABJ Journalist of the Year Award.

Beyond anchoring, Holt promotes journalism ethics, newsroom diversity, and civic trust, speaking at universities and public forums. His steady commitment to truth-telling has made him a rare constant in American media.

Matteo Jaramillo

CO-FOUNDER AND CEO OF FORM ENERGY

TECHNOLOGY

In case his name isn’t familiar, Matteo Jaramillo is a cutting-edge energy pioneer. He co-founded and heads Form Energy, which makes revolutionary energy tech through its iron-air batteries. This platform stores energy for days rather than hours so it makes using alternative power sources like solar or wind much more adaptable and effective.

As CEO, he’s made Form Energy such a success that he was able to expand its factory in Weirton, WV last year, and he delivered the company’s first commercial-scale iron-air batteries, including a large pilot project with Great River Energy in Cambridge, MN.

But he also stepped outside Form Energy to help move global energy forward. He serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the American Clean Power Association (ACP), and he spoke at Climate Week in New York City, where he educated attendees on the current (and not-so-good) state of global energy and the importance of creating long-duration energy storage if we want to realize a decarbonized future. Spoiler alert, everyone should want that if we want to keep the lights on and he’s making it possible.

Joe Jonas

MUSICIAN PHILANTHROPY

The last couple of years have been mentally tough on Joe Jonas, but he’s managed to convert that pain into fuel for helping others. He started by dropping his latest album Music for People Who Believe in Love, which focuses on themes of love, forgiveness, and self-acceptance after heartbreak.

He made those themes tangible talking openly about his own issues, the value of therapy and the importance of processing your struggles.

He emphasized that early this year when he helped Buddies Coffee in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They’d posted a tragic video that went viral on TikTok because it shone a stark light on rising rent costs. Jonas visited the shop and shared it with his legions of followers. Finally, he partnered with Heineken for a cause dear to my heart. They called it the “Social Off Socials” campaign, and it promotes something we should all remember: taking breaks from screen time to have some real-world social connections.

James Jeter

CREATIVE

DIRECTOR, DESIGN & BRAND DIRECTION AT RALPH LAUREN CULTURE

James Jeter is one of those people that exemplify success through hard work. He graduated college in 2013 but had already been working at Ralph Lauren as a Rugby Sales Associate in 2008 and then later as a Concept Design intern. From there he kept climbing until the company named him as Creative Director in 2024, the first Black professional to hold such a post in its 57-year history.

In that job, he soon launched the Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs collection, a love letter to the historic Black beach town in Martha’s Vineyard. He’s intimated that the 62-piece collection isn’t just about clothes; it’s about honoring legacy and culture, and he worked closely with local groups in the Vineyard to ensure that.

He’s also a vocal supporter of Ralph Lauren’s sustainability efforts, which last year included launching a denim recycling program and achieving a 34% reduction in carbon emissions.

Finally, 2025 also saw him work closely with his alma mater, Morehouse College, helping to organize Ralph Lauren’s $2 million scholarship pledge to HBCU students. From intern to creative director, Jeter is championing inclusivity, diversity and some muchneeded social consciousness.

Michael Jordan

ATHLETE INFLUENCE

He’s been a legend for more than 40 years, so you couldn’t complain if he was just resting on laurels, but that’s not Michael Jordan’s style. Across all that time he’s never stopped helping disadvantaged people through philanthropy that focuses on improving healthcare and education access and supporting social justice.

Last year was no exception. He opened his fourth Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic Wilmington, North Carolina, his hometown. The clinic will provide primary care, preventative care, and support from community health workers for uninsured and underserved people.

Plus, he’s still plugging away at the promise he made in 2020 to donate $100 million over ten years to support organizations dedicated to ensuring racial equality, social justice, and providing better education access for Black communities. In just 2024, he donated over $8 million in grants to 37 such organizations, and that’s not including what he’s done via his Jordan Wings organization to help disadvantaged students with educational resources and mentorship. I love people who don’t just make promises, but actually keep them.

Vinod Khosla

Alicia Keys

SINGER, SONGWRITER & MUSICIAN INFLUENCE

If you haven’t heard the voice of Alicia Keys over the past couple of decades, check your pulse because you might be dead. During that time, Keys has created four number-one hit songs and won 17 Grammy awards, among many other accolades. So we’ve established Keys can sing, but what you may not know is how much work she puts into helping others.

In 2025, she launched the Kaleidoscope Dreams Foundation, an organization she says was inspired by her Broadway hit, Hell’s Kitchen. Keys has focused the Foundation on advocating for DEI initiatives, as well as providing new opportunities for underrepresented groups to access education and career resources.

Her tireless efforts to raise awareness for the underprivileged—especially via the Kaleidoscope Foundation—have been noticed almost as much as her music. This year’s Grammy Awards saw her win the Dr. Dre Global Impact Award, recognizing that all her work, not just her music, is a powerful force for promoting diversity and social change.

CO-FOUNDER OF SUN MICROSYSTEMS AND FOUNDER OF KHOSLA VENTURES TECHNOLOGY

The co-founder of Sun Microsystems waaay back in 1982, Vinod Khosla has since turned venture capitalist with his own firm, aptly named Khoslo Ventures. So he’s making his societal and cultural impacts primarily through forward-thinking investments. Via Khoslo Ventures, he’s backing startups working on everything from AI that writes its own code to fusion energy that could power entire cities.

For example, in the healthcare sector, Khoslo is betting on a future where AI will offer high-quality medical expertise for little to no cost, especially in developing countries, and he invested in a startup called R1 to move that vision forward.

On the environmental front, he believes that fusion energy will be commercially viable within the next five years, so he’s backing companies like Commonwealth Fusion Systems and Realta Fusion, which are promising to deliver on that. He’s also investing in firms that prioritize or facilitate sustainability, including those developing low-CO2 cement, advanced solar technology, and next-generation energy storage.

Gary King

PROFESSOR AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY CULTURE

Gary King’s primary field of expertise is quantitative social science, which makes him the guy to see when you need to measure stuff that’s hard to measure. In his role as professor at Harvard University, he spent last year advancing social science research, developing data analysis software that also protects privacy, and advising on global health issues.

The differential privacy algorithm that he released along with his team lets social scientists analyze massive datasets, like what you’d get from a corporation or government, while guaranteeing mathematical privacy for the individuals being studied.

He went beyond being a professor to assume the mantle of Director of Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science, where he oversaw research on a laundry list of topics like the effects of social media on democracy, politics, and health. He took that last one a step further, continuing on as a Senior Science Advisor to the WHO, advising on statistical methods to help the organization’s research on global health issues.

Sal Khan

CEO OF KHAN ACADEMY TECHNOLOGY

I love Sal Khan because he’s been working tirelessly for something we all want: smarter people. In 2025, his Khan Academy rolled out new AI-powered tutors that are designed to work like a study partner rather than a tool you can use to cheat on tests.

They’re great because Khan’s tech personalizes them for every individual’s personal learning rate. They’ve helped millions of students learn at their own pace with less stress – unlike learning from Mrs. Honeycutt in second grade whose glare was nightmare fuel.

But Sal’s impact went beyond the Khan Academy last year when he stepped into a new role as “Vision Steward” for TED. That’s one of the planet’s most influential educational resources as well as a huge platform for exploring new ideas. Khan is now in a position to help guide TED, which is on-brand for a guy whose goal is to make lifelong learning available to everyone.

At a smaller level, he’s pushed the Khan Academy into more underserved communities, teaming up with schools and nonprofits to close the education gap. That’s edtech delivered through a Worthy 100 filter.

DJ Khaled

PRODUCER, DJ, AND FOUNDER OF THE WE THE BEST FOUNDATION PHILANTHROPY

Khaled Mohamed Khaled, known professionally as DJ Khaled, is a Grammy-winning record producer, DJ, and entrepreneur. In addition to his music career, he is the founder of the We the Best Foundation, a nonprofit organization established in 2018 to support education, youth programs, and disaster relief efforts in underserved communities.

The Foundation has partnered with organizations such as Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Get Schooled, and UNICEF USA to provide scholarships, school supplies, and mentorship to students across South Florida. In 2023, DJ Khaled hosted the inaugural We the Best Foundation Golf Classic in Miami, which raised over $1 million for local educational and community programs.

Beyond his foundation, Khaled has contributed to global humanitarian causes, including hurricane-relief donations in partnership with Direct Relief and UNICEF for victims of natural disasters in the Caribbean.

Through consistent charitable giving and local engagement in Miami, DJ Khaled has expanded his influence beyond music production into long-term community investment. His work demonstrates a sustained commitment to education access and neighborhood revitalization.

Dr. Vanessa Kerry

Kendrick Lamar

RAPPER & SINGER INFLUENCE

For starters, during the Super Bowl LIX halftime show he unfurled a flag that referenced both Sudan and Gaza as a protest against the ongoing wars in that region.

He donated $500,000, two tons of dry food, and ten truckloads of warm clothes to victims of the Texas floods. He even put handwritten notes in each relief package and helped organize the volunteer teams that ventured wherever they were needed.

At this year’s Grammy Awards, he dedicated his Record of the Year award to Los Angeles as a way to highlight the city’s recovery from recent wildfires.

He donated the proceeds from his Grand National Tour to support over 30,000 homeless children all across the United States, and continued his support of the music program at Centennial High School in his hometown of Compton, CA.

Jason Lee

FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, HOLLYWOOD CARES FOUNDATION CULTURE

Jason Lee is a media entrepreneur turned community advocate, using cultural influence for purpose. After founding Hollywood Unlocked, he launched the Hollywood Cares Foundation in 2022 to support underserved youth, especially in Brown and Black communities.

Through the foundation’s “I Am Ready” initiative, youths in Stockton, California, accessed civic workshops, mentoring, and holiday giveaways for over 3,000 children. His advocacy also helped secure a $2.086 million youth-services fund. By connecting celebrities, brands, and grassroots organizers, Lee turns cultural capital into tangible community impact, building access alongside attention.

CEO OF SEED GLOBAL AND SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION HEALTH

Dr. Vanessa Kerry, daughter of John Kerry (yes, that one), is the CEO of Seed Global Health and the Special Envoy to the World Health Organization (WHO) for Climate Change and Health. In those roles, she’s looking at healthcare from a global perspective, focusing on building stronger healthcare systems everywhere and addressing the health impacts of climate change.

Through Seed Global Health, she’s helped create long-term training programs for more than 47,000 medical professionals working in sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda, she launched new neonatology fellowship programs to train health workers in newborn care and reduce newborn deaths. Last year, she continued Seed’s efforts to find and recruit dedicated individuals to work as health educators in places like Malawi, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia, something that’s improving healthcare for over 76 million people.

She also spent 2025 speaking at major global forums, including the UN General Assembly and the World Health Assembly where she advocated for new policies to address the health impacts of climate change. She also argued for changes to global aid, promoting investment strategies that strengthen national health systems and prioritize sustainability not just short-term relief.

Julie Mehretu

ARTIST

CULTURE

Julie Mehretu has always used her art and influence to lift others up. She kicked off the African Film and Media Arts Collective (AFMAC), hosting workshops in cities like Dakar, Nairobi, and Cape Town to help emerging artists across the continent.

In late 2024, she donated $2.25 million to New York’s Whitney Museum to fund the Free 25 and Under program, which covers free admission for visitors under 25 so aspiring young artists have access to world-class art and exhibitions without worrying about the price tag.

Mehretu also designed “Uprising of the Sun” in 2025, a large-scale, 83-foottall glass installation for the new museum at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. And she’s still being vocal about social justice issues like ending mass incarceration and continues to support an artist residency program that fosters artists of color and LGBTQ+ artists.

Finally, she’s still running Denniston Hill, her artist residency in upstate New York, which gives creatives a space to breathe, reflect, and build community.

Nadine Labaki

ACTRESS CULTURE

You might recognize Nadine Labaki from her roles in popular films, such as Capernaum (2018), which garnered her an Academy Award nomination, and Where Do We Go Now? (2011). But Labaki has ensured her influence will reach beyond her film appearances. In 2024, she was on the jury at the Cannes Film Festival, and used that opportunity not only to judge films but also to emphasize the stories that matter now more than ever, especially those about war, poverty, and resilience.

Since 2018, Labaki has also been a High Profile Supporter for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. Her work there makes sense as Labaki was a refugee herself during Lebanon’s bloody civil war. Not till the war ended in 1991 was a 17-year-old Labaki able to pursue her career as an actress.

Because of those early experiences, you’ll find that the films she stars in and directs have a common theme–change. She’s been recognized as one of the 100 Most Powerful Arabs in Gulf Business’ annual list for both her cultural and humanitarian work.

Notes – Spreadsheet is wrong. Her agent is Roeg Sutherland, and his email isn’t what’s in the sheet. He works for CAA, but they have no email listed even for just general inquiries. I called and left a message for Sutherland with my email.

Shawn Lesser

FOUNDER OF THE REAL MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION HEALTH

I probably need to talk to Shawn Lesser. He’s the founder of the Real Mental Health Foundation, which works to help people in high-stress jobs survive burnout and other mental and emotional pitfalls. So me. He’s not messing around, either. He’s vowed to raise at least $10 billion for mental health treatment and prevention, help at least 10 million people get through mental health problems, and get 1,000,001 people repping the REAL brand all by 2030.

He’s got a book and a website full of resources, but he also travels the world helping men with their mental struggles. Last year, that included hosting “Real Summits” to bring together investors, philanthropists, and mental health innovators, which he held in places like the World Economic Forum in Davos in January and London in June.

Lesser’s main message is for men to embrace vulnerability as a strength rather than repress it as a weakness and he bases that on his own experience with a mental breakdown. The strategy is working, evidenced by the more than 350 ambassadors his Foundation now has in over 30 countries.

Michele Malejki

GLOBAL HEAD OF SOCIAL IMPACT AT HP INC. ENTERPRISE

Michele Malejki works as HP’s Global Head of Social Impact and ‘impact’ is the appropriate word for what she’s been doing in that role.

In just the past year, she led the HP Digital Equity Accelerator, which gives grants, tech, and training to nonprofits in places like Nigeria, Greece, and Indonesia, to its most successful year since it was founded back in 2022.

Malejki has worked hard to make sure the Accelerator isn’t just about handing out laptops. She allied with MIT Solve to offer coaching, workshops, and peer support so these nonprofits could scale up and do more good. Her work has helped over nine million people since the program launched.

She also ensured that HP continues to support other social impact initiatives like HP LIFE (Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs), alliances with other organizations to help with STEM access and sustainability, and making good on its goal to reach 150 million people by 2030 with real digital access.

Barry Larkin

SENIOR VP OF BASEBALL UNITED CULTURE

Barry Larkin is co-founder and Senior VP of Baseball United, an organization bringing professional baseball to new countries, including India, Pakistan, and the Middle East.

In 2025, the league launched its first full season with teams like the Mumbai Cobras and Karachi Monarchs and secured a deal with India’s Zee TV to stream games in English and Hindi. Larkin also supports Baseball United’s youth academies, giving children—especially in underserved areas— access to quality baseball training and life skills. His efforts were honored this year when Dubai’s new baseball stadium was named after him.

Ed Mitzen

CO-FOUNDER OF BUSINESS FOR GOOD PHILANTHROPY

Ed Mitzen co-founded the Business for Good Foundation with his wife Lisa in 2020, using a model that owns businesses to fund charitable ventures and provides capital to local entrepreneurs.

Originally focused on upstate New York, Mitzen expanded nationwide in 2025, addressing housing affordability, workforce development, and economic mobility. He invests in Black-owned businesses, supports local entrepreneurs, collaborates with policymakers to close the wealth gap, and mentors changemakers through initiatives like the Albany Black Chamber of Commerce.

Strive Masiyiwa

FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN ECONET / HIGHERLIFE FOUNDATION ENTERPRISE

With all the work he’s done to help people and the environment just last year, I’d say Strive Masiyiwa has an appropriate first name. He founded Econet in 1993 and today it’s become a telecommunications and technology powerhouse with interests in Africa, Europe, and Latin America. The company began as a wireless telecommunications provider, but Masiyiwa has grown it to platforms that cover AI, cybersecurity, data centers, fiberoptics, and an on-demand digital service platform. But even more important to his inclusion among the Worthy 100 are Econet’s social arms, the HigherLife Foundation and Delta Philanthropies.

Through these organizations, Masiyiwa and his wife Tsitsi have aided people and communities across Africa by providing educational opportunities, healthcare, disaster relief and new entrepreneurial initiatives in rural communities.

Under the Masiyiwa’s administration, HigherLife and Delta have invested over $160 million in its support programs, which has brought aid and relief to more than 250,000 people in multiple African countries. Additionally, Masiyiwa also chaired the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa from 2013 to 2019, which helped Africa’s small farming operations take advantage of new sustainability resources.

Maya Moore

ATHLETE

INFLUENCE

If you’re connecting Maya Moore’s name with basketball, you’re not wrong. She’s played all over the world and was the first all-around pick in the 2011 WNBA draft, eventually signing with the Minnesota Lynx. She won four WNBA championships and several MVP awards, along with two Olympic gold medals. An awesome record that has earned her selection for the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024 and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025.

But Moore’s influence has extended well beyond the basketball court, beginning in 2018 when she stepped down to focus her energy on her family and overturning the wrongful conviction of Jonathan Irons, who is now her husband.

After Iron’s release, she founded her nonprofit, Win With Justice, through which she has been a tireless voice for criminal justice reform. Her work not only supports the wrongfully convicted but also helps their families navigate what is always a terribly difficult situation and the justice system in general.

David Miliband

PRESIDENT AND CEO OF INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE POLICY

David Miliband is one of those people who should be on this list every year. He’s President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and in 2025, his contribution to world peace, hunger, and displaced peoples is awe-inspiring.

He started 2025 off by launching the IRC’s Emergency Watchlist, which spotlights 20 countries that have been hit the hardest by conflict, climate shocks, and displacement. This includes places like the Sudan and the conflict in Gaza, warning that because the crisis is not only violent but cruel in its denial of supplies.

On World Refugee Day back in June, he spotlighted the more than 122 million displaced refugees the world over (yes, that’s tragically a record number). He called for more efficient aid in helping these people find legal sanctuary. Those are just a few of Milinand’s humanitarian contributions in 2025—we haven’t touched on his work in health, malnutrition, and streamlining the international aid process. We just hope he keeps it all going in 2026.

Vivek Murthy

PHYSICIAN AND FORMER UNITED STATES SURGEON GENERAL POLICY

Vivek Murthy might’ve wrapped up his term as U.S. Surgeon General last year – probably because he believed in practicing medicine rather than outright hoo doo – but he’s not done helping people.

A pervasive theme of Murthy’s regarding humanity’s general state of health is a lack of attention being paid to mental illnesses and what’s causing them. As he was leaving his office Murthy released a final report urging Americans to combat the epidemic of loneliness by prioritizing community building; he even included a blueprint that IDed relationships, service, and purpose as what you need to build a community.

Murthy’s been sounding the alarm for years about rising anxiety and depression linked to online platforms, particularly social media. He criticized Congress last year for not regulating social media with things like warning labels to protect children’s mental health. He also joined the Board of Directors of Common Sense Media, which is working to create a safer digital landscape particularly for children. He continues to speak publicly about these issues and he’s an interesting guy, so if you get the chance, hear him out.

Kenneth Nicholson

FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR CULTURE

Los Angeles-based designer Kenneth Nicholson launched his eponymous label in 2016 with a mission to broaden the narrative of menswear—and in doing so, has already become a meaningful voice in American fashion. After studying at the Academy of Art in San Francisco and serving in the U.S. Navy, Nicholson channeled his background of discipline, travel, and art history into a line that fuses military precision with whimsical tailoring and gender-fluid touches.

Nicholson’s label has gained industry recognition: he was a finalist for the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)/Vogue Fashion Fund. He was nominated for the 2021 American Emerging Designer of the Year award. He has been noted for his efforts to open menswear to new forms of expression, arguing that men should have the same choice in adornment that women traditionally enjoy.

In 2025, as the fashion industry grapples with inclusivity, representation, and the gender dynamics of clothing, Nicholson’s work sits squarely at the intersection of style and social change. He advances a vision of menswear—and, more broadly, fashion—that is expressive, equitable, and boundary-breaking. His label and voice mark him as a figure who combines craftsmanship with cultural shift. That blending of aesthetics + equity meets the worth beyond wealth criteria for the Worthy 100.

David Novak

CEO OF NOVAK LEADERSHIP PHILANTHROPY

David Novak, former CEO of Yum! Brands, now dedicates his time to developing future leaders. As founder and CEO of David Novak Leadership, he offers free online courses, a newsletter, podcast, book, and mobile app featuring content from Novak and leaders like Condoleezza Rice, Tom Brady, and Charlie Scharf. He also supports young leaders through programs like Lead4Change, the largest privately funded middle- and high-school leadership service program, and donated $21.6 million to create the Novak Leadership Institute at the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Jacqueline Novogratz

CEO OF ACUMEN ENTERPRISE

Jacqueline Novogratz’s humanitarian impact boasts some serious numbers. She’s CEO of Acumen (formerly the Acumen Fund), and since it was founded in 2001, it’s raised over $250 million and brought off-grid solar power to more than 70 million people across 16 subSaharan countries in Africa. Basically, she’s been bringing electricity to people who’ve only dreamt about it.

Acumen extends beyond Africa, however. It’s a global non-profit where impact investors can offer up “patient capital” to support businesses and entrepreneurs in underserved markets to help tackle poverty in those regions. Think of it as a series of new financial models that blend philanthropy with smart risk-taking in formats like loans tied to social impact.

2025 saw Novogratz focus on Acumen’s Hardest-to-Reach initiative (H2R), which is the primary force behind its huge energy push in Africa. She also delivered a TED Talk that highlighted the idea of universal electricity, her point being that the risk associated with leaving millions without power was greater than the financial risk of providing that power. Many media pundits, like moi, described it as an “audacious idea,” but frankly it reads like trailblazing common sense to me.

Mike Novogratz

FOUNDER

& CEO OF GALAXY DIGITAL ENTERPRISE

If you’re into cryptocurrencies, you’ve probably heard of Mike Novogratz. He’s the CEO of Galaxy Digital a crypto trading firm that posted a record and mindexploding profit of $728 million in Q3 2025. It also launched a new retail app, GalaxyOne, which helps individual investors like yours truly with high-yield savings accounts and a single place to manage both their crypto and equities investments. Novogratz has been vocal about GalaxyOne’s mission, which is to use his company’s institutional-quality infrastructure and make it available to the public, advancing his aspirations to build more accessible financial products for everyone. He’s putting new technical resources behind GalaxyOne through a new datacenter he’s building in a recycled Texas bitcoin mining operation; an effort he hopes will not only help GalaxyOne’s small investors but also accelerate the growth of AI. Through his philanthropic vehicle, Galaxy Gives, Novogratz continued to be a major funder of criminal justice reform in 2025. He’s got a long history here, working to reduce unfair incarceration and promoting social equity.

Kwame Onwuachi

CHEF CULTURE

Kwame Onwuachi, a man who cooks and helps–not a bad description to have. In the cooking department, you’d know him from restaurants like Tatiana in New York and Dōgon in Washington, D.C., though he has several others scattered about. The help list is much longer, including support for culinary students, advocacy against childhood hunger, philanthropy in local communities, and espousing general diversity in the hospitality industry, and that’s just to name a few.

Last year he continued to support the Kwame Onwuachi ‘13 Scholarship Fund at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), his alma mater. He also mentored aspiring chefs, giving freely of his own experience, which you don’t often see in a competitive industry.

He helped guide the non-profit, No Kid Hungry by retaining his post on its leadership council, while also attending speaking events advocating the need to feed hungry kids and their families.

Locally, his restaurant Tatiana partnered with New York’s Lincoln Center and Restaurant Associates, to support the Public Housing Community fund, and he also co-hosted a series of sold-out “Eat For Good” dinners to benefit the New York City Food Bank.

David ‘Big Papi’ Ortiz

FOUNDER, DAVID ORTIZ CHILDREN’S FUND PHILANTHROPY

Dr. Barbara Oakley

PROFESSOR AT OAKLAND UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY

Dr. Barbara Oakley, an Oakland University engineering professor, is best known for her popular course Learning How to Learn and last year launched Making Math Click: Understand Math Without Fear on Coursera.

In 2025, she published The Memory Paradox: Why Our Brains Need Knowledge in an Age of AI, offering guidance on blending human and AI intelligence while emphasizing the importance of feeding our own brains. She also spoke at global events, including the EdHeroes Global Forum and conferences in Japan, Armenia, and Singapore, sharing her expertise on learning and neuroscience.

Oakley was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, one of the field’s most prestigious honors.

David “Big Papi” Ortiz, a ten-time All-Star and Hall of Famer, has taken his legacy off the field and refocused it on saving young lives. In 2007, he founded the David Ortiz Children’s Fund, which provides essential cardiac care and training for children in the Dominican Republic and New England who cannot afford critical heart surgeries.

In line with the Fund’s mission, children are screened, treated, and supported in partnership with hospitals such as CEDIMAT in Santo Domingo and Massachusetts General Hospital for Children. Ortiz has leveraged his platform to mobilize philanthropy—his Vintage Papi wine label raised over US $150,000 for the Fund in 2008. Why he belongs on the Worthy 100: Ortiz has repurposed legendary athletic status into sustained impact-driven philanthropy, building a bridge from sport to service, and translating a stadium’s roar into children’s heartbeats.

Ajikumar Parayil

CEO OF MANUS HEALTH

Ajikumar “Aji” Parayil is the architect behind one of the most promising leaps in biomanufacturing. As the founder and CEO of Manus, he developed the company’s core platform technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), launching the firm in 2011 to commercialize complex natural product synthesis through precision fermentation. His innovations are backed by well over 180 U.S. and international patents and more than 60 peer-reviewed publications.

Under Parayil’s leadership, Manus’s microbial platform enables production of rare and costly compounds—from sweeteners to specialty chemicals—using engineered microbes that reduce land use and environmental burden. In 2021, he was awarded the Raphael Katzen Award by the Society of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology for his work in deploying biotech to produce fuels and chemicals from renewable resources.

At a time when climate disruption, supply-chain fragility, and bio-economy ambition converge, Parayil’s platform bridges chemistry and biology to create what could be the manufacturing blueprint of the future. He isn’t simply scaling a business—he’s building a toolkit for sustainable industry.

Jody Padar

CO-FOUND OF XCELLABS

ENTERPRISE

Ok, she’s an accountant, but Jody Padar stands well apart from the pack. She’s been shaking up the science of accounting and helping others while she’s at it. In the industry, they call her the Radical CPA, and she’s been a well-known commentator and expert for years. In her latest book, The Radical CPA; New Rules for the Future-Ready Firm, she describes a whole new approach to accounting.

In it, Padar urges companies to stop relying on outdated practices and embrace the hard work of incorporating technology, particularly AI, and new developments like smarter pricing strategies, into how their firms do business.

She’s also a prolific mentor to young professionals. She’s a regular public speaker at events like ENGAGE 24 in Vegas, and puts her opinions in writing for top industry media outlets. Finally, she’s also getting her hands dirty, helping build AI-powered tools from the ground up to make taxes less painful (I’m not sure that’s possible, but Go Jody) and much more intuitive.

Maura Pally

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BLACKSTONE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION

PHILANTHROPY

Maura Pally is making a big difference for tech students and aspiring technology entrepreneurs. As executive director of the Blackstone Charitable Foundation she manages programs focused on fostering career mobility and economic opportunity and she’s spent last year pushing that role to its maximum impact.

She’s been a big help to students looking for real-world experience. Pally helped launch the NYC Startup Internship Program, which places students at local startups for nine weeks of paid, practical experience. She developed tech talent in Miami, FL by establishing a $1 million grant to fund the Miami Startup Ecosystem Internship Program, and she architected the Blackstone LaunchPad initiative, so that lowincome students can get career skills training and paid internships, too.

She also helped people give to other causes by overseeing the “Blackstone Gives Back Challenge” in July where employees compete for grants for their favorite nonprofits. And, she led a panel discussion at the Back to School Summit in September that explored how we can use philanthropic capital to build new paths to economic mobility. So a very well-spent year, indeed.

Kathleen Paylor

VP OF IMPACT INVESTING AND PHILANTHROPY AT REGENERATIVE SOCIAL FINANCE CAPITAL

Kathleen Paylor became VP of Impact Investing and Philanthropy at Regenerative Social Finance (RSF), a leading donor-advised fund (DAF), in 2023. She helped raise around $200 million through RSF’s Social Investment Notes to support mission-driven enterprises and addressed a broader sector challenge: only about a quarter of DAF assets were going to grant payouts. She engineered a program encouraging clients to direct assets toward social investment rather than traditional market funds, influencing roughly $250 billion in global DAF assets.

Before RSF, Paylor founded Rise Philanthropy and helped scale impact at FoodCorps and Root Capital. Her work focuses on optimizing philanthropic and regenerative financing to benefit both donors and communities.

A leading voice in impact investing, she advocates for leveraging financial tools for social transformation, combining rigor, creativity, and commitment to social equity to produce outsized results.

Melanie Perkins

CEO OF CANVA TECHNOLOGY

Last year saw Melanie Perkins pretty much crush it as CEO of Canva, which, if you’re a designer or just anyone looking to edit a photo for free, is probably changing your world. She oversaw Canva’s new AI-juiced “Magic Studio” that helps even taste-challenged clods like this author turn rough ideas into polished content—fast. But she’s also looking to alleviate world hunger and uplift education, and she’s not messing around. Last year, she announced the Canva Foundation will pump a whopping $100 million into its partnership with GiveDirectly. That’s going to use cash transfer technology to help people living in poverty pay for immediate needs.

In July, The Australian reported that the Canva Foundation has already distributed $52 million in donations the previous year, as well as announcing it’ll be giving away $1 billion of product through its Canva for Education and Canva for Nonprofits programs every year.

Perkins is also getting her people involved. She managed Canva’s Force for Good Days event in August, which saw 1400 Canva employees volunteer for projects focused on helping make education more diverse and accessible.

Christopher Raeburn

FOUNDER OF RÆBURN CLIMATE

I’m not much of a clothes horse anymore (they whup that out of you once you pass 55). But back in the day, I’d definitely have gone for the RÆBURN Mercedes F1 hoody. I mention it here because the brand was founded by Christopher Raeburn, who is doing more with it than just making snappy hoodies.

Raeburn wants to be out front among the many fashion houses that have made sustainability a trend, but he’s going further than simply using reclaimed materials.

He partners with other fashion designers to increase sustainability through synergy. The latest example being SHIELD, a reclaimed line he announced in April 2025 in partnership with Benjamin Hubert, the founder of LAYER.

Raeburn also differentiates RÆBURN by offering workshops and mentorships to young designers who care about climate and creativity. Finally, he’s tirelessly vocal about reducing waste in the industry.

Denise Resnik

FOUNDER,

PRESIDENT, & CEO OF FIRST PLACE AZ EQUITY

Autism and other neurodevelopment conditions can influence many aspects of a person’s life—from work to housing to daily routines. Each individual has unique needs that deserve to be understood and supported. Ensuring that people with these conditions have access to the right resources and accommodations helps everyone thrive in inclusive communities. That’s where Denise Resnik and First Place AZ comes in.

She’s the mother of a son with autism and founded First Place AZ to help him and others live better in her home state of Arizona. Her work focused on replicating innovative housing models, expanding research, and advocating for policy change. She then expanded First Place AZ into First Place Global where she’s working to share her pioneering housing work with communities around the world.

Last year, Resnik convened thought leaders and advocates at the 14th First Place Global Symposium, Dimensions 2025, to explore advancements in housing, employment, and policy for adults with autism and other intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD).

She created the “Be Open Be Ready” campaign, an initiative to help employers create more neuro-inclusive workplaces and provides resources for job seekers with autism and I/DD. She even braved the world of politics, working with Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego to create policies that help those with I/DD find long-term employment and inclusive communities.

Keanu Reeves

ACTOR

PHILANTHROPY

Looking at the headlines in the morning, I often despair for humanity. But then I remember Keanu Reeves, someone who should be on every year’s Worthy 100 because he just keeps giving money, time, and just general kindness without issuing press releases or social media posts. He just does it.

Without fanfare, he’s given millions to health research and children’s hospitals, work that’s supported over 120,000 charity projects that have an impact on over 20 million people worldwide. He’s on the board of the Futureverse Foundation, and he donated a significant portion of his Matrix earnings (and more on top of that) to cancer research in part due to his sister’s battles with leukemia.

He’s helped fund playgrounds, orphanages, and education progr.a.ms from the US to Uganda. And he shows up where he’s needed–AIDs awareness events, disaster relief efforts, or (and this one’s amazing) you can sometimes find him just sharing a meal with a homeless person.

Other times he’s just nice to everyone around him, like when he donated several million dollars to crew members of the Matrix sequels and gifted the stunt team custom-made Harley-Davidson motorcycles simply as a token of appreciation. Reeves’ awesomeness just keeps going, so a place among the Worthy 100 is the least we can do in return.

Darius Rucker

SINGER & MUSICIAN INFLUENCE

You probably heard of Darius Rucker back when he was singing lead for Hootie and the Blowfish. Since going out on his own, he’s explored other styles of music, finally settling on country music in 2008. What hasn’t is Rucker’s commitment to helping others; it’s impactful and he’s been at it for an impressively long time.

For example, this year, his annual Darius & Friends benefit concert hit its 16th year (!) raising over $5.1 million for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He’s also kept the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation going strong, which was established all the way back in 2000. Since then, Rucker has been one of the driving forces behind its support for South Carolina nonprofits that support arts education, mental health, and veteran services.

Rucker’s mother had a long career as a nurse in the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), which is why he co-chaired a capital campaign that generated $150 million to help build the new MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. It’s one of the lengthiest humanitarian records on the list and makes Rucker a perfect example of the Worthy 100.

Drew Richardson

CEO OF PADI ENTERPRISE

I got my PADI SCUBA certification way back in 1997 in Honolulu (those were the days), but I never knew just how much PADI contributed to world ocean conservation. That commitment is exemplified by its CEO, Drew Richardson, who worked tirelessly in 2025 on initiatives that addressed ocean conservation, adaptive diving, and community outreach, among many other things.

On World Oceans Day back in June, he participated in an underwater panel discussion and continued to expand the PADI Adopt the Blue program, which creates protected marine areas around the globe. It also saw him team up with actor Huang Bo when the two led a group of PADI divers to plant more than 250 corals off the coast of Dadonghai, China.

He also championed PADI AWARE Week, which focused on collecting data from Dive Against Debris events to inform policy, and supported the Global Plastics Treaty with Ocean Torchbearer signatures.

Shiv Rao

CEO AND CO-FOUNDER OF ABRIDGE TECHNOLOGY

Shiv Rao is the CEO and co-founder of Abridge, an AI technology to ease the administrative burden on doctors and other healthcare workers. The idea is that by lessening those headaches, Abridge frees up time for doctors and nurses to give the rest of us more attentive care.

A major achievement for Rao in 2025 was his ongoing expansion of Abridge’s AI modules to work in tandem with the most popular health systems, including Kaiser Permanente, Northwell Health, and Mass General Brigham.

Another notable development was that Rao ‘saw’ nurses. He had Abridge partner with the Mayo Clinic and Epic to build a generative AI documentation tool specifically for nurses. He recognized that nurses are overburdened by paperwork, too, but in a different way than doctors. Abridge estimates its tools save the average healthcare worker at least three hours a day, time that lets them focus more on the frightened and often hurting people in hospital beds.

David Risher

CEO OF LYFT ENTERPRISE

As CEO of Lyft, David Risher already makes a great impression since he’s known for pushing for better pay and support for his drivers, something where his former employer, Amazon, doesn’t have a great reputation. But it’s his nonprofit work that makes him part of the Worthy 100. Risher co-founded nonprofit Worldreader with Colin McElwee in 2009 after they visited an orphanage in Ecuador where children had limited access to books. Via Worldreader, David has helped millions of kids around the world get access to digital libraries.

He also co-founded an initiative with his wife, Jennifer, called #HalfMyDAF (yeah, I scratched my head at first, too). It’s aimed at getting people to move money out of donor-advised funds and put it to use in cash-strapped nonprofits. This year, they gave $2.25 million in matching grants to help fund projects that focused on education, gender equity, and reproductive health.

Johanna Salazar

CO-FOUNDER, FOODSTREAM NETWORK

EQUITY

When the pandemic shuttered her career in creative agencies in New York, Johanna Salazar didn’t simply pivot—she built the infrastructure that underpins food justice. In 2021, she co-founded FoodStream Network to connect nonprofits, farms, retailers, and schools through a single real-time platform for rescuing surplus food, educating communities, and responding to crises—and by 2025, the network supports an impressive 850+ organizations.

Thanks to her work, unused food is now being routed, tracked, and delivered— rather than discarded—in U.S. cities. FoodStream Learn offers nutrition and foodsystem curricula across all five NYC boroughs; FoodStream Delivery is phasing in as a logistics layer that will enable faster movement of donated food from donor to door.

Salazar also mentors youth-entrepreneurs in the boroughs and speaks at climate-justice and tech-access summits—placing food equity at the nexus of tech, creativity, and community.

Why Johanna Salazar belongs on the Worthy 100 in 2025: because she didn’t just raise awareness about hunger—she engineered systems that fix the distribution problem.

Dan Reynolds

SINGER, SONGWRITER & MUSICIAN INFLUENCE

As lead singer of Imagine Dragons, Dan Reynolds has become a key figure in the battle for LGBTQ+ rights, especially within the Mormon faith, which he fights mainly through the LoveLoud Foundation, which he founded in 2017. He is also closely tied to the Tyler Robinson Foundation (TRF), which helps families enduring the pain of pediatric cancer.

Reynolds is also known for hosting concerts and festivals to raise funds for suicide prevention and mental health support. And he’s been very open about his own health problems–he suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, a form of spinal arthritis–to help others feel less alone.

In 2025, Dan went political and made headlines by wrapping himself in a Palestinian flag during a concert in Milan, using the moment to spotlight human rights and spark conversation.

And, he also goes shirtless on stage, but not for the reasons you might think. According to Reynolds, going topless is his way of fighting back against toxic masculinity and helping his fans regain confidence with their own self-image. Oh, and yeah, he also has better abs than me.

Mariano Rivera

FOUNDER OF MARIANO RIVERA FOUNDATION PHILANTHROPY

Mariano Rivera is the all-time Major League Baseball saves leader and a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Since retiring from the New York Yankees in 2013, he has focused on expanding educational and workforce opportunities for underserved youth through the Mariano Rivera Foundation, established in 2014.

The Foundation’s mission is to provide STEM education, mentorship, vocational training, and college-preparedness programs for students in need. Its headquarters are in New Rochelle, New York. Rivera and his team have developed partnerships with schools, community organizations, and industry leaders to create pathways to careers in technology, design, and manufacturing.

In 2022, the Foundation announced plans to build a vocational training and learning center in New Rochelle in partnership with Premium Color Graphics. The facility will house training programs focused on printing, packaging, and design—giving students access to industry-standard equipment and instruction.

Rivera remains active in the Foundation’s outreach efforts, participating in events that promote education, perseverance, and professional development. Through this work, the former athlete has transitioned from closing baseball games to opening doors for the next generation.

Ham Serunjogi

CO-FOUNDER & CEO OF CHIPPER CASH ENTERPRISE

Ham Serunjogi is the CEO of Chipper Cash, a fintech company he co-founded in 2018. It’s a cross-border payment platform that allows users to send and receive money, pay bills, buy crypto and stocks, and get virtual cards, primarily serving users in Africa and the U.S. It’s grown dramatically since its launch, now reaching millions across seven African countries, plus the UK and U.S.

However, Serunjogi’s impact reaches beyond fintech. He’s been a voice for the African diaspora, since 2023 when he became an inaugural member of t US Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement, appointed by President Biden. In that capacity he has worked tirelessly to strengthen cultural, social, political, and economic ties between the United States and Africa.

In 2025, Serunjogi and Chipper Cash expanded the Chipper Cash Visa card program to over 100 million Africans, which has been invaluable to those seeking financial inclusion.

Darius Slayton

ATHLETE PHILANTHROPY

I’ve been a Giants fan since 8th grade, so the name Darius Slayton isn’t new to me. He’s one of my favorite players, particularly during an awesome 106-yard game against the Rams back in 2023.

But his sports stats aren’t what put him among the Worthy 100; that’s due to his consistent work on behalf of others; It’s also why the NFL Players Association awarded him the 2025 Alan Page Community Award.

In December 2024, he held his third holiday event partnering with the NYPD-led youth football programs in the Bronx, Far Rockaway, and Harlem. He donated $50,000 to support 24 New York families with holiday gifts and essentials. He also works with other police-community initiatives, which has seen him donate over $150,000 in funding while also mentoring 150 boys across 20 schools.

Some of that is via his Left-Hand Right-Hand Foundation, which hosts free football camps in Atlanta and provides financial aid to families in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, New Jersey, and Texas. Oh, and he’s yet another Worthier with better abs than me.

Michael Tubbs

AMERICAN POLITICIAN POLICY

Michael Tubbs, who served as the mayor of Stockton, California from 2017 to 2021, is still neck-deep in politics working as Special Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom for economic mobility and running for California Lieutenant Governor on a platform that addresses rising housing costs, creating guaranteed income programs, and responding to community needs.

As the founder of End Poverty for California (EPIC), Tubbs wants to empower people who’ve lived with poverty to raise awareness and promote helping other disadvantaged folks via data-backed methods. That role had him speak at the 2025 AntiPoverty Summit in Irvine, where he promoted guaranteed income as a new way for communities to fight poverty.

He exemplified responding to community needs after the Eaton Fire disaster in Altadena. Tubbs teamed up with Compton mayor, Aja Brown, to raise more than $1 million for the Dena Care Collective, which gave financial aid to 500 displaced families. They also developed a recovery framework to assist local organizations in coordinating even more support. Political by trade, Worthy by action.

Hunter Schafer

ACTRESS EQUITY

Hunter Schafer is having a moment and shaping what comes next. After captivating audiences as Jules in HBO’s Euphoria, she has continued her rise with standout turns in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and the new psychological thriller Cuckoo. Equal parts artist and icon, Schafer has become one of Hollywood’s most closely watched talents, known for her fearless approach to storytelling and style.

Long before the spotlight, she was already breaking barriers. As a teenager, she was the youngest plaintiff in the ACLU’s lawsuit against North Carolina’s “bathroom bill,” taking on discrimination head-on. Today she is still doing that, using her visibility to push for authenticity and representation in an industry that is still catching up. She uses her platform not through labels, but through authenticity—by living and creating with honesty and intention. When her U.S. passport was incorrectly marked with the wrong gender, she used the experience to spotlight the everyday challenges faced by transgender people and to advocate for dignity and accuracy in identity recognition.

Schafer’s work on screen and off reminds audiences that art and identity are not separate forces. In a world that often reduces identity to a label, Hunter Schafer insists on more: compelling stories, daring art, and a truth that resonates far beyond a gender marker.

Tavares Strachan

ARTIST CLIMATE

As an artist, Tavares Strachan is famous for wild, immersive art that shines new light on forgotten stories, particularly around Black history and civil rights issues.

Earlier this past year, his exhibition, Invisibility: Powers and Perils, which ran in So Cal’s PST ART event, spotlighted the conditions Black Americans face and the histories that have driven those cultural narratives.

He also opened an unusual new exhibit in Columbus, Ohio, called Bar Room, a speakeasy that viewers experience interactively. But perhaps his most notable achievement in 2025 was opening, The Day Tomorrow Began, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This 20-work exhibit, which will run through March 2026, shines a stark light on Black truths that might be inconvenient to the rest of American culture.

Strachan also supports causes in his native Bahamas. He founded the Bahamas Aerospace and Sea Exploration Center (B.A.S.E.C.), a community project that includes an artist residency, exhibition spaces, and after-school programs in Nassau. All in: he’s been using art as a motivating force for change, which more than qualifies him for the Worthy 100.

Leon Thomas

MUSICIAN & ACTOR INFLUENCE

In 2025, musician and actor Leon Thomas began his humanitarian efforts by serving as the Artist Ambassador for the Recording Academy’s Music Advocacy Day. There, he helped advocate for the rights of music creators and protecting artists from being exploited, particularly by artificial intelligence.

He also participated in the event’s grassroots movement, which connected musicians and creators with congressional representatives.

He spoke out on protecting the National Endowment for the Arts, which is, of course, under threat.

June saw him raising funds for children afflicted with rare diseases by promoting the Lift for Life campaign. He urged folks to make donations to Cree Thomas, another Lift for Life participant, and he promoted the fundraising platform used by the campaign on social media.

He filled out the rest of the year by speaking publicly on the importance of community and dropping his critically acclaimed album MUTT, which earned him the BET Award for Best New Artist.

Mickalene Thomas

ARTIST CULTURE

Painter Mickalene Thomas has always kept the art world on its toes with amazingly bold works that celebrate Black women. They also raise awareness and spark conversation around issues like diversity, queer identity, and self-expression.

Last year she opened an international exhibition called All About Love, that challenged traditional art history by centering on Black female identity and sexuality. She served as an advisor for GLAAD’s Communities of Color and Media initiative, which had her mentoring Black LGBTQ+ visual artists via monthly sessions that guided them on artistic practice, project development, and even navigating the art world.

In May, she unveiled a huge mosaic at the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hospital in Brooklyn. She called it Freesia on My Mind: The Beauty of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and she did it in partnership with RxART, a nonprofit that brings museum-quality art into healthcare settings. The work is trying to create a contemplative space where patients, their families and even hospital staff can find some peace and mental healing. Worthy goals for anyone.

Juanes

MUSICIAN INFLUENCE

Juanes Esteban Aristizábal Vásquez, who mercifully goes only by Juanes, has a long history of humanitarian work. Last year, he continued on that path through his Mi Sangre Foundation, which supports victims of landmines and promotes peace in Colombia.

He uses his music and performances as a stage to further amplify his causes. A prime example being his 2024 return to the Hollywood Bowl during his summer tour. The songs he performed there further the goals of his Foundation, raising awareness about violence and inequality, both in his home country and around the world.

He spent the rest of the year teaming up with artists and human rights groups to promote even more causes, including forced displacement and youth mental health. And he’s been very vocal about protecting cultural heritage, using his platform to spotlight indigenous voices and traditional music.

Toni Townes-Whitley

CEO OF SCIENCE APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL EQUITY

Reading about Toni Townes-Whitley’s career is like reading an epic novel. It starts out as a Peace Corps teacher in Gabon, West Africa, then moves to stay-at-home mom, followed by steady corporate ladder climbing across the Washington, D.C. public school system, Arthur Andersen, Unisys, CGI Federal, Microsoft, and then in 2023, CEO of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). That’s a lot of varied ground.

This breadth of experience has made her a leader who places value on much more than just profit. As one of only two Black women heading up a Fortune 500 company, she’s involved SAIC in humanitarian causes, including Building Homes for Heroes, a nonprofit that provides mortgage-free homes to military families, and Feeding America, through which SAIC has helped feed more than 28 million people.

Townes-Whitney is also involved with youth programs, especially scouting. She was awarded the 2025 Technology Good Scout Award for her support of Scouting America. And, she funded youth camps in the Washington, D.C., area giving more than 6,100 young people a variety of technology experiences to help prepare them for future tech careers.

Peter Tunney

ARTIST CULTURE

Peter Tunney has done something deceptively simple—and deeply rare in the art world: he turned a billboard into a call-to-action. With huge text-driven canvases emblazoned with phrases like “DON’T PANIC,” “THE TIME IS ALWAYS NOW,” and “GRATITUDE,” Tunney has transformed New York and Miami—via street installations, Wynwood-Walls exhibitions, and giant public murals—into powerful sites of collective reflection rather than mere commerce.

But beneath the pop-text gloss lies a serious infrastructure of change: since 2010, Tunney has operated studios in Tribeca and Miami’s Wynwood, and through his gallery and his curatorial branch (Goldman Global Arts) has elevated 30 + street & mural artists from 16 countries, embedding community access into the heart of high-end art. More importantly, in 2018, he wrapped an outreach van for cancer screening in underserved Miami neighborhoods—telling a community “Game Changer” in giant letters and leveraging art as public-health infrastructure.

In 2025, with global debates on representation in art, equity of cultural capital, and the role of public space in social justice, Tunney’s model stands out. He isn’t just selling art—he’s building “art for action.” He occupies the nexus of commerce (collector shows and luxury markets) + access (billboards, neighborhood murals) and advocacy (health, justice, urban renewal).

Jalsa Urubshurow

FOUNDER & CEO OF NOMADIC EXPEDITIONS IMPACT

If you want to visit Mongolia, Bhutan, India, Tibet, Nepal or anywhere nearby, Jalsa Urubshurow’s your man. He founded Nomadic Expeditions back in 1992 and it’s become the premiere travel service to any of these remote places. But he’s also made the company a force for good in and around Mongolia, assisting its people in helping conserve its beautiful but ever-shrinking natural landscapes.

His Three Camel Lodge is pretty much the model for sustainable tourism, running on solar power and supporting local conservation efforts in the Gobi Desert. He’s used that experience to mentor young Mongolian entrepreneurs, aiding in the build of ecofriendly businesses that also honor their heritage. In 2025, Jalsa expanded his work with the Nomadic Foundation, funding education programs and cultural preservation projects.

Last year, he also focused on Nomadic Expeditions’ ongoing conservation partnership with the Peregrine Fund and the Wildlife Science and Conservation Center of Mongolia, both of which work to protect the golden eagles Mongolia is famous for. So, he’s created a successful business that’s also helping people and the environment–exactly the kind of trailblazer that Worthy 100 represents.

Ben Van de Bunt

PRINCIPAL, PARAMOUNT EQUITY & RENEWABLE VENTURES ENTERPRISE

Ben Van de Bunt, a resilient individual, has quietly become one of the sharpest translators of risk into purpose. After a long tenure as CEO & President of the direct-marketing powerhouse Guthy-Renker, he turned his attention to clean energy, housing, and social entrepreneurship—often where the odds are highest and the margins lowest. In venture after venture—whether solar firm development, residential housing for adults with developmental disabilities, or startup capital for underserved founders—Van de Bunt has insisted on one yardstick: “doing good while doing well.”

Today, Van de Bunt serves as principal in a constellation of companies (Paramount Equity, LoanPal, Inspire Energy, Nestidd, Omni Energy, and Rosewood Homes) and sits on philanthropic and academic boards—he also teaches social entrepreneurship at USC Marshall School of Business with his wife.

Why does he belong on the Worthy 100 in 2025? Because at a moment where capital has rarely seemed more idled or misallocated, Van de Bunt is proving that profitability and purpose aren’t opposites—they can be co-invested.

Troy Vincent

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS AT THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE INFLUENCE

Troy Vincent made his initial mark as an NFL cornerback, playing 16 seasons for several different teams. Today, he’s the NFL’s Executive Vice President of Football Operations, a post he assumed in 2014. In that role, he has made an immense impact advocating against domestic violence and promoting diversity and inclusion in the NFL. He also continues to support community initiatives in his hometown of Trenton, New Jersey.

He and his wife, Tommi Vincent, who chairs the National Domestic Violence Hotline, established the Vincent Commission in 2023 and partnered with Niagara University to study and address gender-based violence.

Back in Trenton, the Vincents founded the Love Thy Neighbor Foundation, which helps battle the food access challenges in the area. He’s also led the NFL’s outreach to Black Americans through historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the league’s social justice platform, which focuses on education, economic development, and community-police relations.

Ben Weprin

FOUNDER OF AJ CAPITAL PARTNERS

CAPITAL

Kathy Warden

PRESIDENT & CEO OF NORTHROP GRUMMAN

ENTERPRISE

Kathy Warden, president and CEO of Northrop Grumman, isn’t just heading up one of the country’s leading defense firms, she’s also helping people through her work at several different humanitarian organizations addressing issues like women’s success in the workplace and mentoring support for future business talent.

Within Northrop, she’s provided employees with opportunities to learn new skills to help them not only with their careers but just their lives in general, something she thinks of as a corporate responsibility because it helps create a never-ending stream of motivated, skilled workers.

She’s involved with Catalyst, a nonprofit that promotes female success in the workplace. Her efforts here garnered her the title of “Changemaker” by CNBC. She also supports the students of James Madison University by donating to scholarship matching programs that have funded scholarships for over 125 students.

Ben Weprin founded AJ Capital Partners in 2008. The “AJ” stands for Adventurous Journeys, a mission Weprin and his firm have more than lived up to since then. AJ has made a name for itself not just because it’s holding $5.9 billion in assets, but also because of why and what it’s doing with them.

One of Weprin and AJ’s most well-known projects is Graduate Hotels–a collection of hotels located in famous college towns, each designed to take the best memories of your college years and turn them into an unforgettable travel experience.

Though Graduate Hotels was sold to Hilton earlier this year, Weprin used it not only to create lasting memories but to help the underprivileged, too. In 2019, Weprin allied with the LeBron James Family Foundation to create the I Promise Housing project.

Through Graduate Hotels, Weprin spent $850,000 to purchase a 98-year-old Nashville building and then recruited staff and contractors to donate materials and labor to finish the renovation. Today, the building has 22 apartments that provide free temporary housing to families in crisis. That’s just one example of how AJ and its founder are redefining worth beyond wealth, and we expect there’ll be plenty more in the future.

K. Lisa Yang

PHILANTHROPIST

CAPITAL

K. Lisa Yang retired from investment banking at First Boston and Lehman Brothers back in 2001, but that hasn’t slowed her down at all. Her energy and a good deal of her money has been going to help students at top universities. She’s on the board of trustees at Cornell, but she’s donated an eye-opening $74.5 million to a list of schools, including Cornell, Harvard, and MIT.

In 2024, she gave another $35 million to help wildlife health efforts at Cornell. They’re addressing issues like endangered big cats in Asia and managing clashes between wildlife and livestock in Africa. Last year, she dropped another $30 million on Harvard to establish the Brain-Body Center, which is focused on curing cognitive and physical disabilities. Then there’s the $28 million she spent on an engineering research center at MIT, which was the last part of a $200 million project she started with her ex-husband, Hock E. Tan, back in 2017. That’s just the tip of Yang’s philanthropic iceberg. Her other efforts include funding research into autism and bionics using cutting-edge treatments like gene therapy. Definitely Worthy 100 material.

Ma Yansong

FOUNDER OF MAD ARCHITECTS CLIMATE

Ma Yansong isn’t just one of the world’s most talented architects, he’s also turning that discipline into socially progressive art.

His firm, MAD Architects, unveiled some jaw-dropping projects this year, like the Fenix Museum of Migration in Rotterdam, which presents human migration as a universal phenomenon through features like its “Tornado” staircase, which serves as a metaphor for migration’s twisting paths and journeys.

He served as the curator of the China Pavilion at the 2025 Biennale in Venice, where he helped usher in a new generation of Chinese architects using an inclusive theme, “Co-exist.”

He also used the event to showcase his Chinese Paper Umbrella installation, which created a large public space that demonstrated how ancient knowledge and sustainable materials can adapt to a modern, urban environment.

That’s just one example in a longer list of 2025 accomplishments that includes installations in the waterfront Shenzhen Bay Culture Park, the large and public Jiaxing Station Park, the Anji Culture and Art Center dedicated to community well-being, and the Cloud 9 Sports Center in Shijiazhuang, China.

Tatyana Zlotsky

CEO OF A PLACE FOR MOM ENTERPRISE

In 2025, Tatyana Zlotsky, CEO of A Place for Mom, continued her quest to improve senior care nationwide. She focused on providing resources, personalized guidance, and digital tools all designed to make it easier for you to find quality care for aging loved ones.

That expert guidance has helped more than 50 million family caregivers better navigate senior care decisions. Her work doesn’t only help seniors, it’s also aimed at easing caregiver fatigue and providing those folks crucial support as well.

During the past year, she launched the #BecauseWeCare campaign designed to form a community for caregivers so they don’t feel so isolated. She spoke on the “Caregiver Tech Support” panel at the HLTH 2025 Conference in October, advocating for new technology solutions and highlighting the often-overlooked toll caregiving takes.

And she’s already using those new technologies to better match families with the right senior living communities and enabling new communication options like text messaging.

Zendaya

ACTRESS & SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCATE CULTURE

Her full name is Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman, which is a bit of a syllable gauntlet, so it’s no surprise she shortened her professional name to simply, Zendaya. Fashion model, actress, and of course Spiderman’s girlfriend, you’d think her plate would be full, but you’d be wrong.

Last year saw Zendaya remain vocal about diversity and representation in Hollywood, where she pushed for more inclusive casting and better awareness from studio leadership. She’s still backing causes like UNICEF and the American Heart Association, and she’s been vocal about mental health, especially for young people navigating social media. She used her fashion clout to team up with Swiss brand On and launch Zone Dreamers, a wild, cinematic campaign that’s all about confidence, movement, and community.

Zendaya also used her social media presence to help raise funds for victims in Gaza. The link she shared on her Instagram Stories page helped raise more than $30 million for the Palestinian Children Relief Fund (PCRF). She even made giving a part of her romantic relationship when she attended an event in London hosted by The Brothers Trust, a nonprofit co-founded by boyfriend, Tom Holland.

Leadership and Longevity: Sensei’s Playbook for High Performers

CEO Alexandra Walterspiel believes the future of leadership depends on balance— where data, movement, and mindfulness drive lasting performance.

BY JOSH KAMPEL

In an era where boardroom decisions are made at breakneck speed and the demands of leadership seem unrelenting, Alexandra Walterspiel believes that longevity isn’t just about focusing on living longer—it’s also about leading better. As the CEO of Sensei, a company that operates wellness resorts and wellbeing programs, Walterspiel has had the opportunity to speak with many executives about this.

“We’re living in a time where performance and wellbeing are finally seen as connected,” says Walterspiel. “The pandemic accelerated that awareness, but what’s keeping it front and center is evidence. Healthspan directly affects decision-making, creativity, and resilience.”

The health of a company, Walterspiel explains, is directly connected to the health of its employees. “An organization is only as healthy as its people— especially its leaders, who are role models for behavior.” Those who focus on their own wellbeing through consistent movement, mindful eating, and good rest experience noticeable improvements in clarity and stamina. “Better sleep leads to sharper decisions. Structured movement builds stress tolerance. Balanced nourishment sustains energy throughout long, demanding cycles,” Walterspiel expressed.

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Lāna’i, Hawaii

Sensei believes that this shift is not just a cultural fad— it’s a strategic need. Wellness practices are proving to improve performance. Leaders who integrate wellbeing into their and their team’s daily routines are, in turn, investing in a critical component of success: their energy and overall endurance.

Despite awareness, burnout has become an epidemic in the C-suite. The reasons, Walterspiel says, are more complex than just generic overworking. “Leadership has become highly performative, driven by the pervasiveness of media in shaping our perceptions of leaders,” she explains. “A leader’s actions can be turned into a media response by their followers in seconds—and our nervous systems can struggle to adapt to such a high-frequency feedback loop.”

In an effort to combat this, more executives are now seeing the benefit of turning inward. Sensei Guides have found many C-suite leaders have perfected external performance but neglected internal recovery. The new leadership toolkit includes mindfulness and metacognitive practices, such as learning to observe your thoughts and create a pause before responding. They find that pause is where composure and clarity live.

Quick fixes, they add, don’t work. It’s about intentional thoughts and processes. True sustainable energy comes from rhythm, not rescue. Lasting performance depends on small, repeatable habits like movement, mindful breaks, and consistent sleep. It starts with seeing wellness as essential, not optional.

At the heart of Sensei’s approach are three founding pillars: Move, Nourish, Rest. “It speaks to the way leaders think,” says Walterspiel. “It’s structured yet flexible, scientific yet deeply human. Movement sharpens focus. Nourishment fuels endurance. Rest restores perspective. Each pillar supports the next, creating a continuous feedback loop that helps leaders operate at their highest level physically, mentally, and emotionally.”

Unlike traditional corporate wellness programs that take a one-size-fits-all approach, Sensei offers a proactive, personalized path to wellbeing. “We blend data, behavioral science, and one-on-one coaching to help people understand what works for their unique biology and lifestyle,” Walterspiel explains. “We don’t hand out rules, we guide awareness, educate, and make implementable recommendations. That is what creates lasting change.”For Walterspiel, leadership begins with embodiment. “Movement is the foundation of my routine,” she says. Her day is filled with small acts of motion—walking meetings, taking the stairs, standing between calls, all to improve both energy and clarity. These principles are even present in team settings. “At Sensei, we’ve made wellness breaks part of our culture. During long meeting days, we pause for breathing exercises, stretching, or a short walk outside. Those small resets bring everyone back more focused and present.”

But this wasn’t always Walterspiel’s approach. Earlier in 2025, there was one moment that truly changed how she tackles the workplace. “My ski accident was a wake-up call. It made me realize that I couldn’t just rely on my natural fitness anymore. I created time and space for my recovery and I added strength and conditioning training to my routine. Not only am I now better prepared for physical challenges, but I started thinking differently about leadership as well,” she explained. “We can’t advocate for wellbeing without embodying it. That experience deepened my empathy for others, rebuilding strength and balance. Recovery isn’t a retreat from leadership—it’s part of it.”

When it comes to recovery and training, one of the most critical aspects is understanding how your body handles your activity levels from your HRV status, to “strain score” (a term coined by Whoop referring to how much recovery your system needs), it boils down to a strong foundation of data and consistent collection of it.

While wearable technology is a common tool used by executives to measure various factors that contribute to well-being, they need to be willing to change their behavior in response to the insights they gather. “Executives naturally gravitate toward data because it helps quantify progress,” says Walterspiel. “Tools like Oura and Whoop are giving leaders real-time visibility into how their bodies respond to stress and recovery.”

“These insights will eventually connect to AI coaching systems that can guide behavior in real time.”

Those real-time, proactive adjustments can allow leaders to make the most of their time, but most importantly, manage their energy more efficiently. “Technology is already helping us monitor our wellbeing, but it’s becoming increasingly refined; able to anticipate fatigue, prompt mindfulness sessions, and even suggest schedule adjustments based on focus levels,” described Walterspiel.

Sensei’s role in the future of C-Suite leadership is to help make the vision a reality. “We’re bridging science and human connection,” Walterspiel notes. “Our team excels at helping our guests translate data into insight that supports real behavior change. Technology should serve the person, not the other way around.”

When asked what advice she’d offer to Worth readers, Walterspiel said, “The same qualities that build great companies build meaningful lives: purpose, consistency, and care for others. Legacy isn’t defined by outcomes alone— it’s about how you show up every day for your work, your teams, your family, and yourself. Wellbeing is part of that responsibility.”

For Walterspiel, the connection between leadership and longevity is simple: “If you approach your own wellbeing with the same intentionality you bring to your business, not only does your personal health improve—so does the health of your organization.”

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HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

From wellness essentials and stylish accessories to gourmet treats and techsavvy finds, Worth’s 2025 Holiday Gift Guide features thoughtful, distinctive gifts for everyone on your list.

BY CAROLINE BIENFANG

Leather Duffle Bag

a.k.a. The WaterBag

SADDLEBACK LEATHER

$849.00

For the traveler who values craftsmanship and character, the Saddleback Leather Duffle Bag is built to last a lifetime and tell a story along the way. Made from a single piece of full-grain leather and reinforced for strength, it’s designed to weather every adventure. Founder Dave Munson first sketched the design while teaching in Mexico, aiming to create a bag ‘so durable his grandkids would fight over it’. Today, each piece carries that same spirit of adventure and handmade integrity that defines the brand.

Mason Pearson Brush

$275

A beauty icon since 1885, the Mason Pearson hairbrush combines hand-crafted design with a unique rubbercushion pad that gently massages the scalp and leaves hair smooth, shiny, and healthy. Built to last, each brush is made using the same time-honored techniques perfected over a century ago.

Eco-Drive RadioControl at8265

CITIZEN

$580

Set it once, then forget it. Solar-powered, radiocontrolled timekeeping across regions, world time, perpetual calendar—the AT8265 is a traveler’s tool that never needs a battery. The blue dial and applied markers keep it dressy enough for dinner.

Historic Newspapers

STARTING AT $50

For the person who truly has everything, give a one-of-a-kind piece of history that is worth more than money can buy, with an Original Newspaper from Historic Newspapers, a genuine edition from the date of your choice. The newspaper is complete with a certificate of authenticity and an elegant gift box for preservation. This heartfelt, truly one-of-akind gift is perfect for all the sentimental ones in your life.

Grit Beaver Hat

KEMO SABE

$895.00

For the style enthusiasts, the Kemo Sabe Grit Beaver Hat, crafted from a premium beaver fur felt blend in a rich Admiral Blue, will surely be a favorite. Handcrafted in Texas, it’s built to weather the elements while keeping a sleek, timeless style.

Forged

Integral

Chef Knife

GEOFF FEDER KNIVES

$799

Forged, not fabricated. This integral chef’s knife begins as a single 1-inch round bar of 1080 carbon steel, hand-shaped in Geoff Feder’s upstate New York studio. The blade, bolster, and tang are all one continuous piece—no welds, no shortcuts. Each stroke of the hammer happens in seconds while the metal is still glowing, the form coaxed out of heat and instinct. The result is a tool that feels alive in the hand: balanced and purposeful,

Skier Mountain GlassWare Collection

WEST ELM

$19.50 - $120

Perfect for the skier or anyone who appreciates the small details and a touch of whimsy, the Skier Mountain Glassware Collection from West Elm adds playful charm to every sip. Each glass features a miniature mountain peak inside the glass, making your favorite beverage feel seasonal and festive. Ideal for holiday entertaining or as a standout gift, these glasses help create a cohesive and stylish table setting while delighting winter sports fans and design lovers alike.

JURA Z10

JURA

$4,299

For the coffee connoisseur, the JURA Z10 takes brewing to the next level with the ability to craft both hot and cold brew specialties, plus a new syrup attachment that infuses milk foam with your favorite flavor. With smart grinding technology and effortless self-cleaning, it delivers barista-quality drinks at the touch of a button.

Savor and Celebrate Gift Box

HARRY & DAVID

$149.99

A toast to good taste, the Savor and Celebrate Gift Box is the perfect way to mark any special occasion. Thoughtfully curated by Harry & David, this elegant collection features premium wine paired with an assortment of sweet and savory delights, from gourmet cheeses and artisan crackers to indulgent confections. Whether sent as a thank-you, a festive gesture, or a treat for yourself.

$632.99 - $897.49

Give a taste of luxury with Glenfiddich Grande Couronne 26-Year-Old, a single malt scotch finished in rare French Cognac casks, offering velvety notes of café crème, brown sugar, and spice for a rich, long-lasting finish.

Tag Heuer Connected

Calibre E4

Porsche Edition

TAG HEUER

$1,650

A luxury smartwatch that behaves like a real watch. The E4 Porsche Edition pairs TAG’s casework with a sharp AMOLED, smooth scrolling, and car-aware complications if you’re driving a Taycan. It’s the rare connected piece that respects classic proportions—and doesn’t look tragic with a suit.

Wonder Oven Pro

OUR PLACE

(KENJI LÓPEZ-ALT COLLABORATION)

$325

This is the countertop workhorse for people who actually cook. An 8-in-1 airfry/toaster/steam-assist oven, it heats fast, holds temp, and uses a touch of steam to deliver crisp exteriors without drying out the middle. It’s small enough for apartments, capable enough to replace a second oven, and tuned for weeknight reality.

Leather-Trim Zip-up Jacket

BILLY REID

$995 (EST.)

Devialet Phantom I 108 db Wireless Speaker

DEVIALET

$3,399

A piece of decor that also happens to rattle your bones. Phantom I packs absurd power and ultra-low distortion into a sealed orb that looks at home in a gallery. You get real dynamics at low volume, app control that doesn’t fight you, and bass you feel before you hear. It’s the rare piece of audio gear that satisfies engineers and aesthetes alike.

Smartgoggles

Billy Reid has a gift for turning American classics into modern statements. This leather-trim jacket is built from premium wool with just enough edge to feel current. It’s the rare piece that works in New York and Nashville alike— uncomplicated, overbuilt, and built to last.

THERABODY

$219.99

The second-generation SmartGoggles turn downtime into a full relaxation experience. With a fully blackout design and a soothing combination of gentle heat, vibration, and massage, they help melt away tension, relieve headaches, and make it easier to drift off into restful sleep. Perfect for anyone who could use a little self-care after a long day, they bring spa-level comfort right to your home, office, or even on the go.

Blade Gift Card

BLADE PRICES WILL VARY

Give the gift of sky-high experiences with a BLADE gift card, perfect for friends or family who love to travel in style. Redeemable for helicopter flights, commuter passes, and extra luggage perks, it allows recipients to skip the hassle of traffic and take to the skies for a truly memorable journey. Whether for a special occasion or just because, it’s a gift that’s as thrilling as it is practical.

Mania Portable Smart Speaker

DEVIALET

$899

Devialet’s portable does what most portables don’t: real 360° imaging and low-end control in a compact form. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Alexa— the modern stack is here, but the story is sound that scales from kitchen to patio without turning to mush.

NOMAD Grill & Smoker

NOMAD

$695

A mini barbecue that’s not a toy. The Nomad folds into a bombproof briefcase, then opens to a serious charcoal grill/smoker with real surface area and tight temperature control. Cast-aluminum construction keeps heat in and weight down. Tailgate, rooftop, or beach—this is portable cooking with pro-level results.

Hublot Big Bang Unico Titanium

HUBLOT

$11,993

Skeletonized, modern, and unapologetically Hublot. The Unico in titanium keeps weight down while showing off the in-house chronograph movement. If you’re gifting for someone who treats a watch like a conversation starter, this is the one that will start a few.

Move Home Gym

TEMPO

$69/MO

Whether you’re gifting to a gym rat or an older timer simply looking to increase mobility, the full-body workout experience with the Tempo Core Home Gym offers a full-body workout experience. With adjustable weights and smart training features, it makes it a standout choice for any home.

Brides De Gala En Fleurs Silk Scarf

HERMÈS

$620

Few gifts telegraph taste like a Hermès scarf. The Brides de Gala en Fleurs is the French house’s signature design reimagined in full bloom—hand-rolled silk, rich color, and enough history to fill a museum. It’s wearable art, instantly recognizable and eternally collectible.

Corniced Notecard Set

PAPIER

$38.00 (FOR 10)

For the writer or note-sender in your life, or one that appreciates the art of handwritten notes,  the “Into the Woods” Stationery Set adds a gorgeous, refined touch with softly cut-out corners and a timeless design that makes every message feel a little more special. Choose from one of Papier’s many designs for the perfect gift that keeps on giving.

First Care Trial Kit

SULWHASOO

$60.00

Korean skincare has been all the rage lately. Give the gift of glowing skin with Sulwhasoo’s 4-Step Skincare Ritual Set, featuring cleansing oil and foam, a travel-size serum, and indulgent cream powered by ginseng to nourish, strengthen, and rejuvenate the skin.

Infrared Sauna Blanket

HIGHERDOSE

$699.00

Turn any space into a personal wellness retreat with this full-spectrum sauna blanket, which heats up to 175°F to help detox, ease stress, improve circulation, and lift your mood. Lightweight and portable, it comes with a handy carrying case so you can take your mini spa wherever you go. Ideal for winding down after a long day, it also pairs perfectly with meditation or gentle stretching for a complete at-home self-care experience.

Makeup Edit

ILIA

$88

Limited edition sets such as The Sunset Makeup Edit showcase innovative formulas with Skin Shift Technology, offering a weightless, seamless glow while highlighting sustainable, thoughtful design.

Poem Table Lamp

FERM LIVING

$303.20

Baroque lines, modern materials. Poem stretches a translucent “skin” over an aluminum frame to create soft, even light with a floral silhouette. It patinas over time, which is a nice way of saying it will age with the room rather than fight it.

Runwell Sub-Second SHINOLA

$650

An American classic with modern tolerances: sapphire crystal, clean sub-second dial, and Shinola’s well-finished casework. It’s the watch you grab on a Saturday morning and forget to take off Sunday night.

Shell Cordovan Loafers

CARMINA SHOEMAKER

$900 (EST.)

There are shoes, and then there are shoes that tell a story. Carmina’s shell cordovan loafers—hand-welted in Mallorca—belong to the latter. The leather takes months to prepare and years to perfect. Over time, it molds to its owner and gains a mirror-like finish that no machine could fake.

Eden PickleBall Set

JONATHAN ADLER

$175.00

Gisele TENCEL

Modal Long PJ Set

EBERJEY

$158.00

The ultimate gift of cozy sophistication with The Original PJ Set by eberjey. This best seller is crafted from butterysoft TENCEL Modal fibers with a hint of stretch, featuring a button-front top with contrast piping and relaxed straight-leg pants for dreamy comfort.

For the chic athlete on your list, the Eden Pickleball Set brings style and fun to every game. Featuring two serpent-printed paddles with comfortable leatherwrapped handles, matching canvas covers, and two balls, it’s perfect for casual matches, weekend tournaments, or backyard play. Whether they’re a seasoned player or just picking up the game, this set turns every match into a statement of style and sporty flair.

No. 643

Large Carry

All

BILLYKIRK

$675

Billykirk’s No. 643 isn’t luggage—it’s an heirloom. Full-grain leather, brass hardware, and a silhouette that wouldn’t look out of place in a 1940s travel poster. Handcrafted in the U.S., this bag is less about fashion and more about mileage. It’ll look even better after the next hundred thousand.

Empress 1908 Indigo Gin

$39.99 (750ML)

Empress Indigo Gin is both a rocksolid gin and a party trick in a bottle. Distilled in small batches with traditional botanicals—juniper, grapefruit peel, cinnamon, coriander, and the signature Empress blend of black teas—it’s a classic London Dry at heart: crisp, balanced, and quietly complex. Its brilliant hue comes from butterfly pea blossoms, not dye, which means the color will gently fade over time. So, you’ll want to add a note telling your recipient to finish it within the year; that won’t be difficult, because mixing cocktails with this bottle feels like a science experiment. Depending on the mixer, like tonic or citrus, it will transform from inky blue to rose or lavender, a trick that doesn’t lose its charm

Butcher Box

CUSTOM CLASSIC BOX

$169.00 (PER BOX)

For the ones that are always on the go, or constantly looking to switch up dinner rotations, give the gift of sustainably sourced ingredients with a Butcher Box subscription. Customize your box for any pallet with Butcher Box’s wide variety of high-quality cuts of meat and seafood. The most popular being the Classic Box, perfect for individuals or small families, this option includes up to 30 meals or 9–14 pounds of your favorite selections.

Monthly Surprise Book Subscription

THE BOOK DROP

$26.99

Delight the bookworms in your life with the Adult Readers Monthly Subscription from The Book Drop. Each month, they’ll receive a carefully selected surprise paperback, wrapped in colorful tissue, along with the full Book Drop catalog and the Indie Next List, featuring inspired picks from independent booksellers nationwide. Most months also include a personal letter from the author, making each delivery a truly thoughtful and unexpected literary treat.

The Caddie

PINNED

$450.00

The Caddie is the first portable GPS golf tablet designed to elevate every round. It features touch-screen maps for over 45,000 courses worldwide, live front, back, and center distances, detailed performance analytics, and automatic handicap adjustments. It makes every game more precise, strategic, and fun.

Peak Perf

America’s Finest Ski Resorts

From Aspen’s five-star heritage to Big Sky’s boundless terrain, Worth’s guide to the slopes where luxury meets adrenaline.

BY CAROLINE BIENFANG

Skiing in the U.S. is as much about adventure as it is about luxury. For some, the quality of après is more critical than the grooming schedule. For others, double-black diamond terrain and ski-on-ski-off ability take precedence. These destinations offer more than just legendary runs: they feature five-star hotels, ski-in/ski-out convenience, awardwinning dining, and impeccable service. Whatever your skiing capabilities, Worth has you covered, highlighting the mountains, the best accommodations, and the restaurants that complete the ultimate ski experience.

OUT EAST

Stowe, Vermont

Mountain Overview: Stowe, anchored by Mount Mansfield at 4,395 feet, offers 485 skiable acres, 116 trails, and 12 lifts. Its diverse terrain welcomes beginners and challenges experts, making it Vermont’s premier East Coast ski destination.

Where to Stay: The Lodge at Spruce Peak is Stowe’s only valid ski-in/ski-out resort, offering 312 rooms, suites, and residences with alpine elegance and homey comfort. Guests can enjoy a full-service spa, dining, and access to Spruce Peak’s ice rink and performing arts center.

Where to Eat: In historic Stowe village, Harrison’s serves American-fusion cuisine perfect for refueling after a day on the slopes. Cozy by the fire and enjoy signature dishes like Pistachio-Crusted Venison, paired with wines from their curated list.

Sugarbush, Vermont

Mountain Overview: Sugarbush blends New England charm with challenging terrain across two mountains—Lincoln Peak and Mt. Ellen—and six peaks. With 111 trails, 16 lifts, 28 wooded areas, and four terrain parks, the resort offers options for all levels amid Vermont’s scenic landscapes and a welcoming, quintessential mountain village atmosphere.

Where to Stay: Clay Brook Hotel & Residences offers slope-side comfort with spacious suites, a heated outdoor pool, and direct access to Lincoln Peak. Guests can enjoy the Health and Recreation Center, multiple dining options, and après drinks at The Wünderbar, all blending New England charm with modern luxury.

Where to Eat: At the base of Lincoln Peak, Rumble’s Bistro & Bar serves fresh, locally inspired American cuisine with Vermont-sourced ingredients. Enjoy a range of dishes from salads to steaks while taking in mountain views and a lively après-ski atmosphere.

Sugarloaf, Maine

Mountain Overview: Sugarloaf is Maine’s tallest winter resort and the largest skiable area east of the Rockies, with a summit of 4,237 feet and 2,820 feet of vertical. Spread across 1,360 acres and 176 runs, including 38 glades and abovetreeline skiing, the mountain offers terrain for all levels. With 15 lifts, snowmaking, and an average of 197 inches of snow, Sugarloaf delivers an authentic Maine alpine experience.

Where to Stay: In the heart of Sugarloaf Village, Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel combines rustic charm with modern comfort just steps from the lifts. The three-bedroom penthouse suite adds a private sauna, hot tub, full kitchen, and sweeping slope views.

Where to Eat: Unwind at 45 North, where Maine’s local flavors take center stage. Sip a craft cocktail or local brew in the cozy pub, then enjoy dishes made with fresh, regional ingredients like the Chili Lime Salmon with chimichurri, grilled corn-avocado salsa, and sweet potato quinoa.

OUT WEST

Vail, Colorado

Mountain Overview: Vail Mountain Resort is every skier’s dream. As Colorado’s largest resort, it spans 5,317 acres with a peak elevation of 11,570 feet. The front side is great for beginners and intermediates, but the real magic lies in the Back Bowls. With 287 trails, fan favorites like China Bowl and Blue Sky Basin, and a few secret runs only locals whisper about, just be ready for a catwalk or two that will make your calves burn tomorrow.

Where to Stay: In the heart of Vail Village, the Four Seasons Resort and Residences offers luxury with a Rocky Mountain touch. Guests can enjoy a heated outdoor pool, full-service spa, and ski-in/ski-out access at The Chalet, complete with a private lounge and panoramic views, all backed by the signature Four Seasons service.

Where to Eat: For a meal your guests will rave about, head to Pepe’s Restaurant and Bar in Vail Village. Start with the escargot “Bourguignonne” or Fig and Prosciutto Tartine, then dig into the Jäger Schnitzel or steal a bite of the Beef Stroganoff. This family-owned Austrian spot blends charm and elegance for the winter season. Be sure to reserve The Antlers Room for a cozy, elevated dining experience.

Aspen, Colorado

Mountain Overview: No list is complete without Aspen, one of the most iconic ski resorts in Western skiing. Combining world-class luxury with terrain that challenges even the most seasoned skiers, Aspen averages 300 inches of snowfall each year and offers 5,700 acres of skiable terrain, 366 trails, and 41 lifts. With its distinctive blend of culture and adventure, Aspen continues to set the standard for mountain destinations.

Where to Stay: Since 1889, Hotel Jerome, Auberge Collection, has stood as Aspen’s crown jewel, where frontier history meets modern sophistication. Located in the heart of downtown, this landmark blends mountain spirit with contemporary luxury, offering spacious rooms with mountain views, refined Western décor, and access to Aspen favorites like the storied J-Bar, Prospect restaurant, and the intimate Auberge Spa.

Where to Eat: In the heart of downtown Aspen, Bosq offers an authentic taste of the mountains. Chef-owned and rooted in seasonality, the restaurant partners with local farmers and foragers in the wilderness to create dishes that reflect the land and moment. Each meal captures Aspen’s natural beauty, refined and unforgettable.

Telluride, Colorado

Mountain Overview: Situated within the San Juan Mountains, Telluride Ski Resort offers 2,000+ acres of skiable terrain, with a 4.6-mile-long run and a lift-served vertical drop of 3,790 feet. With an average of 280 inches of snow annually, the mountain balances thrilling runs for experts and groomers for intermediates. Known for its boutique charm, breathtaking views, and sense of discovery, Telluride feels both expansive and intimate.

Where to Stay: At the base of Telluride Mountain, Lumière by Dunton offers luxury and privacy with ski-in/ski-out access. This boutique-style retreat features spacious residences and thoughtful touches, including personalized ski valet service, for an exclusive yet welcoming stay.

Where to Eat: Just steps from the Gondola, 221 South Oak offers an intimate dining experience in a restored historic home. Enjoy expertly paired dishes and wines while browsing local art, currently featuring works by Marshall Noice.

OUT WEST

Deer Valley, Utah

Mountain Overview: Deer Valley is Park City’s premier luxury ski destination, offering 2,026 acres of skier-only terrain and 49 meticulously groomed trails. With limited ticketing and exceptional service, it delivers a polished, world-class experience for discerning skiers.

Where to Stay: At the heart of Deer Valley, the Five-Star Stein Eriksen Lodge blends timeless elegance with ski-in/ski-out access. Named for Olympic medalist Stein Eriksen, the lodge offers luxury and convenience from opening day to season’s end.

Where to Eat: At The Alpine Globe at Stein Eriksen Lodge, six crystal-clear domes offer cozy, private dining for up to eight guests. Enjoy gourmet meals from Troll Hallen and Glitretind while taking in sweeping mountain views in a climate-controlled, starlit setting.

Big Sky, Montana

Mountain Overview: Spanning 5,850 acres, Big Sky Resort offers 4,350 vertical feet on Lone Peak, with terrain for all levels from gentle cruisers to expert lines. It’s 40 chairlifts, 13 surface lifts, two gondolas, and the Lone Peak Tram that provide easy access to bowls, glades, and fresh powder. With an average of 400 inches of snow annually and multiple modern base areas, Big Sky delivers endless space and adventure.

Where to stay: The Summit Hotel combines warm Montana hospitality with classic mountain style. Enjoy slopeside comfort, a heated indoor-outdoor hot tub, and the hotel’s wellness retreat, or take the Lone Peak Tram to Kircliff for breathtaking views across three states.

Where to Eat: This winter, M by The Alinea Group brings chef Grant Achatz’s European flair to Big Sky, turning locally sourced ingredients into dishes that capture both the season and the slopes. It’s a dining experience that makes après as memorable as a run down Lone Peak.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Mountain Overview: Jackson Hole Mountain Resort offers 2,500 acres of in-bound terrain with 131 runs, nearly half for experts, plus over 3,000 acres of backcountry access. The iconic Aerial Tram climbs 4,139 vertical feet in nine minutes, delivering breathtaking views, while an average of 458 inches of snow ensures plenty of powder for all levels.

Where to Stay: At the base of Jackson Hole, Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa blends luxury and comfort with penthouse suites, Alpine Studios, stone fireplaces, and plush bedding. Guests enjoy ski-in access, heated gear storage, and SpaTerre amenities, including steam rooms and rooftop hot tubs with stunning views of Lone Peak.

Where to Eat: Spur Restaurant & Bar offers hearty mountain cuisine and lively après vibes. Enjoy scratch-made, locally inspired dishes alongside signature cocktails and local brews in a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Palisades Tahoe, California

Mountain Overview: Formerly Squaw Valley and host of the 1960 Winter Olympics, Palisades Tahoe spans 6,000 acres with 3,600 skiable acres. The mountain offers versatile runs for all levels, stunning Sierra Nevada views, and over 400 inches of annual snowfall, blending its proud Olympic legacy with worldclass skiing.

Where to Stay: Everline Resort & Spa offers a winter escape with ski-in/ski-out access, a fullservice spa, and cozy alpine comfort, all set against the stunning Sierra Nevada slopes. Once known as the Resort at Squaw Creek, this award-winning retreat honors its storied past— from the historic railways that once connected the region to the legacy of the 1960 Winter Olympics—while embracing a timeless spirit of renewal.

Where to Eat: Six Peaks Grille at Everline Resort offers refined mountain fare with premium steaks, fresh seafood, and locally inspired dishes. Floor-to-ceiling windows and an open fireplace make dining here a cozy, elegant winter experience.

HIDDEN GEMS

If you’re the kind of traveler who craves more than room service and slope-side cocktails, someone who’d rather swap “tourist” for “temporary local,” this is your cheat sheet. Sure, a stay at one of the country’s premier ski resorts delivers luxury and worldclass terrain. Still, for some adrenaline junkies, the real thrill comes from knowing what most visitors don’t: where to find the secret stashes, the renegade runs, and the mountains that don’t make glossy brochures. These hidden gems are mountains worth the pit stop, perfect for sneaking away for some extra adventure while on your luxury resort vacation. Think of these as the back-pocket recommendations, the rugged, raw, and gloriously unpolished slopes where expert skiers go to test their grit. These aren’t just trails; they’re whispered legends, the kind of insider intel that separates the casual vacationer from the true snow devotee.

Mad River Glen, Vermont

Just a short drive from Sugarbush, Mad River Glen truly lives up to its legendary slogan: “Ski it if you can.” Sorry, snowboarders, this one’s skier only. As one of the last co-op-owned mountains in the country, it’s run by the very people who have cherished its bumps, stumps, and sticks for decades. The terrain is notoriously challenging, with steep glades, moguls, and some of the best off-trail skiing in the East, often with a bit of dirt mixed in for good measure. It’s also home to the first-ever single-chair lift, an iconic piece of ski history that still carries riders to the summit today. But what makes Mad River unforgettable is its soul. Paradise, a double black diamond so gnarly it makes even veteran skiers second-guess their line, is the crown jewel of Mad River’s challenge. Free from glitz and glam, it’s a throwback mountain where locals and visitors mingle like old friends, the lifties greet you with a smile, and après often means live music and a locally brewed cold beer in the base lodge. Step back into a 1970s ski scene, where everyone from toddlers in diapers to die-hard veterans carve the slopes with a grin. The place where real skiing happens, at Mad River, you don’t just ski—you become part of the family.

Arapahoe Basin, Colorado

They call it The Legend for a reason. Since 1946, Arapahoe Basin has been the heart of Colorado ski culture, scrappy, soulful, and stubbornly authentic. Built by 10th Mountain Division vets with borrowed gear and big dreams, A-Basin has never chased glamour or gimmicks. You show up, click in, and ski, no fluff, just 1,400 acres of high-alpine terrain and some of the steepest inbound runs around. With 73% expert terrain, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. From powder days in Pallavicini to beers at the 6th Alley Bar, the vibe is pure camaraderie and Colorado charm —a throwback to when skiing was all about friends, fun, and a fearless love of the mountain. The lifts may be new, but the spirit hasn’t changed, and that’s why A-Basin is still The Legend.

Grand Targhee, Wyoming

Perched on the western slope of the Tetons, Grand Targhee is the kind of mountain you almost don’t want to tell people about. Hidden in Wyoming’s Caribou-Targhee National Forest, it’s a powder hound’s paradise where over 500 inches of snow fall each year, and somehow the lift lines never seem to get the memo. The vibe is pure western charm, friendly, unpretentious, and all about the shred. With 2,600 acres of terrain spanning mellow cruisers to steep, thigh-burning drops, Targhee delivers the goods for every kind of skier or rider. Grand Targhee might not flaunt the flash of bigger resorts, but for those who crave space, solitude, and knee-deep powder, it’s the real deal.

Crested Butte, Colorado

Set high in Colorado’s Elk Mountains, Crested Butte is a skier’s mountain through and through, the kind of place that welcomes the modest and rewards the gritty. Known as the birthplace of inbound extreme skiing, it’s home to 561 acres of expert terrain that have earned it a cult following among those who like their slopes steep and their stories even steeper. The crown jewel is Rambo, the steepest lift-served tree run in North America, dropping at an eye-watering 55 degrees. But don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all adrenaline; with 1,500 acres of skiable terrain and 165 trails that range from cruisers to double black challenges, there’s a line for every kind of skier. Towering peaks, laid-back locals, and a town that feels like a time capsule of true mountain soul, Crested Butte doesn’t just offer worldclass skiing; it provides a glimpse of what skiing used to be before the gloss.

Live Ever Wilder

THE LIFESTYLE YOU LOVE IN COLORADO’S MOST STORIED MOUNTAIN TOWN.

Announcing The Beckwith, a ski-in, ski-out, all-seasons resort just steps to Crested Butte Mountain — a basecamp for hiking, biking, skiing, incredible food, art, music, and more. And now, a wonderful place to call home. Anticipated to be complete in the 2026/2027 ski season, Beckwith Residences will offer approximately 49 one, two, three, and four bedroom slopeside, luxury villas. Owners will enjoy all the amenities and ultra-convenient services of The Beckwith including ski valet, adventure concierge, spa, and restaurants, as well as the opportunity to join the new mountain & social community, Club Beck.

Reserve your spot in what’s shaping up to be one of the most compelling slopeside opportunities in the Rockies.

LIVING WELL

In this edition of Living Well, the mind-body connection takes center stage. We explore the gut-brain boom and why 2026 may be the year everyone obsesses over microbiome and mood (86). And as psychedelics move further into the mainstream, we examine how their rise is reshaping modern wellness (88).

The Gut-Brain Boom

From TikTok to clinical trials, the microbiome has gone mainstream, but how much of the gut-brain hype holds up to science?

BY ALEXIS NIKOLIA BUNCICH

From anxiety management to healthy digestion to increased energy, gut health is cited by some influencers and nutrition experts as a key factor in overall health. If you take care of your gut health, the rest will follow.

It’s tempting to assign responsibility for our overall well-being to one factor: if only our gut health were to get under control, then our acne and anxiety would disappear. But by overinvesting in trendy experiences and influencerbacked supplements, you may be ignoring the most straightforward and most impactful advice: simply eat well.

THE STATE OF THE STOMACH

Your gastrointestinal tract (GI) is filled with trillions of microorganisms, as is your large intestine. Microbiomes differ widely between people and can be influenced by diet, lifestyle, and other factors. They also influence our health right back: from our appetites to weight to mood.

Diet has a significant influence on the gut microbiome, with diets high in animal fat and protein but low in fiber linked to increased production

of cancer-causing compounds and inflammation, and diets high in fiber and low in red meat linked to antiinflammatory effects and improved immune function.

Dr. Marion Nestle, Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Emerita, at New York University, explained to Worth that “the diet that is best for overall health is also best for gut health, and is so simple that Michael Pollan can summarize it in seven

words: ‘Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.’”

She continued, “Food in this context means unprocessed or minimally processed.”

Prebiotics and probiotics have also been spotlighted in the zeitgeist for their impact on gut health, with both used in treatments for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel diseases. Still, the BBC reports that more research is needed before we can determine which strains and dosages are effective. Unlike prescription drugs, supplements are not subject to FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval before hitting shelves, which can complicate the regulation of supplement-based prebiotics and probiotics. But prebiotics and probiotics can also be found in your diet.

BREAKING DOWN ‘BIOTICS’

There are a few key terms to know when talking about gut health. Three commonly-confused but distinct terms are: probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics. Each plays a different role in your digestive cycle.

Probiotics: live microorganisms that are thought to restore your gut’s natural bacterial balance. Examples of foods containing probiotics: yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh

Prebiotics: ingredients of food that your intestines can’t fully digest but might be used as nutrition by microorganisms such as probiotics. Examples of prebiotics: garlic, onions, soybeans, bananas

Postbiotics: the waste left behind after your body digests probiotics and prebiotics. Examples of healthy postbiotics: vitamin B, vitamin K, amino acids

The combination of these three components is what leads to a healthy digestive process. They form a cycle that nourishes and supports the gut microbiome, the collection of microorganisms and genetic material that live in your digestive system. The gut microbiome is unique to each person—research has shown that even identical twins have distinct microbiomes. One study, conducted by nutrition science startup Zoe, found that twins share just 34% of the same gut microbes.

SHOULD YOU TRUST YOUR TRENDY “GUT FEELING”?

According to Google Trends, “gut health” has seen steady upward growth as a search query, with popularity first rising in late 2023. Some of the terms listed as related searches include queries about Emma and Rheal, two gut-health-targeted supplement brands.

TikTok yields similar results. Mentions of apple cider vinegar, lemon, turmeric, aloe vera, sauerkraut, raw

vegetables, fiber, smoothies, green powder, vitamin powder, kombucha, protein, castor oil packs, lymphatic drainage massages, workouts, saunas, sleep times, and cooked vegetables are all included. There are descriptions of apps that can decode your gut health symptoms and supplements that will debloat your stomach.

In one video series, a popular nutrition creator described her experience at a five-day anti-inflammatory wellness retreat in Spain. Her schedule began at 6 a.m., and included the following: red light therapy; creatine powder, matcha, and almond milk; breakfast of vegetable frittata, avocado, and beet ginger juice; 10k hike; ph cellular hydration electrolytes, cold plunge swims; digest and debloat bitters; hot yoga; dandelion tea; raw almond butter cups; magnesium and GI fix supplements; and probiotics. She emphasized that the retreat focused not only on “detoxing” from external stress but also from internal stress to improve your health. The travel site BookRetreats.com boasts over 2,000 detox retreats, hosted everywhere from Bali to Glastonbury. The sheer number of experiences makes it easy to doomscroll through searches like “gut health” or “wellness retreat”. However, the aesthetics of these experiences may primarily serve to attract customers rather than create lasting health effects. After all, it’s unsustainable for most people to commit to expensive wellness retreats—and much easier to build lasting healthy habits and consistent diets.

YOUNGER GENERATIONS SPEND ON WELLNESS

Despite simple wellness advice from experts, the wellness market will continue to grow. According to McKinsey, the global wellness market is worth $2 trillion—and it is becoming increasingly important to consumers. The same McKinsey report estimates that the wellness space is growing at 4-5% each year and remains resilient despite macroeconomic volatility.

Younger generations, especially, seem to value wellness, with almost 30% of Gen Z and millennials reporting they prioritize it “a lot more” than they did the previous year. In comparison, just 23% of older generations claimed the same. But younger generations also report higher levels of burnout and worse overall health than older groups. Yes, they’re exposed to attractive wellness short-form content that aims to sell them something, but they may also have more room to genuinely improve their overall health.

DIGESTING THE SCIENTIFIC TRUTH

One recent study by MIT researchers found that the amino acid cysteine can help repair and regenerate the small intestine, leading to better digestive health. Cysteine occurs naturally in protein-rich foods like meat, dairy, legumes, and nuts. While the body can also produce cysteine, when it comes from your diet, cysteine is explicitly concentrated in your intestine. Another large-scale microbiome research project, The Microsetta Initiative, is drawing comparisons to decoding the Rosetta Stone.

“The gut microbiome is unique to each person— research has shown that even identical twins share just 34% of the same gut microbiomes.”

As Dr. Nestle noted, “Microbiome research is still in its infancy, and not easy to study.” She explained that the microbiome contains “trillions of bacteria of a great many species in competition.”

Despite the enigma of the gut microbiome, based on what’s known, we can say this for sure: rather than paying for fancy fads and detox retreats, it might be more impactful for your health to eat more plants.

The Psychedelic Reset: Beyond the Hype

From Texas to Cambridge, the politics of psychedelics are shifting fast. As regulators, researchers, and even conservatives embrace therapeutic potential, mental health care is on the brink of a paradigm shift.

BY DAN COSTA AND EVA CROUSE

In a world saturated with antidepressants and marginal gains, Doug Drysdale is betting on a radical reset. As CEO of Cybin, a clinicalstage psychedelic therapeutics company, Drysdale is leading one of the boldest pharmaceutical experiments in mental health: using modified psychedelic compounds not just to ease symptoms, but to potentially cure depression.

WHY IT WORKS

Researchers at the University of Cambridge describe psychedelics as tools that can help the brain loosen rigid thought patterns linked to depression and anxiety. Dr. Ayla Selamoğlu, one of the first

scholars to study psychedelics at Cambridge University beginning in 2018, compared neural pathways to “well-used roads”: The more frequently we travel the same mental routes, the more deeply ingrained they become. Psychedelics, she

explained, can help people “relinquish control and relearn” by relaxing those pathways and encouraging the formation of new neural connections.

Selamoğlu and her colleagues suggest that this process can dissolve the “feedback loops of negative thought patterns, selfdoubt, and spirals of despair,” offering patients greater clarity and the potential for profound psychological healing.

MODIFIED MAGIC MUSHROOMS

“What we’re working on is a real paradigm shift in treating mental health,” Drysdale told Costa at the Milken Global Conference in Los Angeles. “We’ve been treating the symptoms of depression for the last 40 or 50 years. Now, for the first time, we think we have something that can actually change the course of disease.”

That “something” is CYB003, a lab-modified version of psilocybin—the active compound in magic mushrooms—engineered for clinical precision. CYB003 is designed to preserve the therapeutic potential of psilocybin while removing the unpredictability that’s kept it out of mainstream medicine. That’s not just about enhancing efficacy—it’s also about making them more clinically viable, with predictable onset, dosage, and duration. It’s a long way from Woodstock. Still, the road to regulatory approval is not without obstacles.

FEDERAL REGULATION LOOSENS ITS GRIP

CYB003 has earned Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD)—a status reserved for therapies showing substantial early improvement over existing treatments.

At the time of writing, dosing is underway in PARADIGM—Cybin’s Phase 3 clinical program, which includes two pivotal studies. The most recent, called EMBRACE, received approval from the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in mid-2025. This randomized, double-blind trial will enroll 330 participants with moderate-to-severe MDD who haven’t adequately responded to traditional antidepressants but remain on stable doses.

“The more frequently we travel the same mental routes, the more deeply ingrained they become. Psychedelics, she explained, can help people “relinquish control and relearn” by relaxing those pathways and encouraging the formation of new neural connections... This process can dissolve the “feedback loops of negative thought patterns, self-doubt, and spirals of despair.”

Together, PARADIGM’s two trials will recruit roughly 550 patients worldwide, one of the most advanced late-stage clinical programs for psychedelic medicine to date.

Ironically, it’s the conservative right—and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement—that are now leading calls to loosen federal regulations around therapeutic psychedelic research; the left has, generally, grown more wary. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has publicly backed psychedelic-assisted therapy, calling it a “promising frontier” for mental health and for treating PTSD.

We’re seeing some breakthroughs. In June 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation allocating $50 million to fund clinical research on psychedelic ibogaine as a potential treatment for certain mental health conditions.

If the data continues its trajectory, this funding breakthrough could mark the beginning of a new era in mental health treatment.

THE RESET

Unlike traditional SSRIs, which patients must take daily for years, CYB003 is administered just twice, three weeks apart. “After just the second dose, 75% of patients were in remission from their depression,” Drysdale said. “Basically, their scores no longer met the criteria for depression. Which is remarkable.”

The treatment’s roots in psychedelics are, unsurprisingly, the most controversial part of Cybin’s approach. But Drysdale insists that the focus should be on science, not stigma. “This shift in care requires a shift in thinking. Let’s not be close-minded,” he said. “Most things haven’t really worked in the past. So let’s be open to trying something new.” For millions suffering from treatment-resistant depression, this isn’t just a medical breakthrough. It’s a lifeline.

The Benefits of Minor Equity Investments

Minority equity investments offer RIA owners a strategic path for growth and liquidity without giving up majority control. But choosing the right capital partner requires careful consideration of your firm’s goals, size, and long-term vision.

Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) owners that pursue an injection of capital from an outside source are likely weighing two options – a minority equity investment and a debt investment. Each strategy entails different considerations and potential consequences. Understanding the benefits and risks is essential.

Weighing minority equity investments against debt capital

A minority equity investment requires the sale of non-controlling equity interest in exchange for growth capital, liquidity, and potential strategic expertise. Because minority equity investment gives an outside investor less than a 50% stake, owners retain control while gaining capital, support, and technology to accelerate growth.

Debt financing lets RIA firms raise capital without giving up ownership. This typically involves borrowing funds from a lender, such as a bank, private credit provider, or specialized financial institution, with an obligation to repay the principal plus interest over time. Unlike equity investments, debt does not dilute ownership or introduce external influence over business decisions.

Justin Starnes, Director, MarshBerry

When weighing these two options against each other, first consider availability. Minority equity investments are less readily available and usually reserved for firms with higher annual revenue (in the range of $10 million). Conversely, debt financing is more broadly accessible from a wider variety of sources.

Next, consider the amount of capital needed. While debt capital can be a good option, it typically reaches capacity at 3-5x leverage, meaning the total debt is 3-5x its free cash flow (FCF). And a firm needs to be able to support that leverage from a cash flow perspective.

The third consideration is consequences. Debt financing avoids ownership dilution and outside influence, while minority shareholders, typically owning 20% to 49%, gain some influence without taking full control.

Considerations for minority equity investments

Before taking on any new investments, firm owners should first assess whether the opportunity fits their business goals. These questions can help guide next steps:

• What’s the level of financial or strategic support offered by the investor? In addition to financial backing, some investors offer non-capital resources like industry expertise, strategic support, and valuable contacts.

• What’s the size of your firm? Minority equity investors typically target firms with $10 million or more in revenue, viewing scale as the base for leveraging capital to drive growth and performance.

• How much control are you willing to cede? While minority equity investors are usually less disruptive and let firms operate as usual, their involvement will still bring some change, making it essential to thoroughly evaluate terms to avoid an unfavorable arrangement.

• Will the investment offer the necessary liquidity? Minority equity investments can fund growth, acquisitions, or infrastructure, and offer liquidity options or founding advisors that debt financing may not.

Amid rising competition and economic shifts, RIAs face key choices on financing growth. Debt and minority equity investments both offer capital and sometimes strategic support without giving up control, making it essential to have an experienced advisor guide them through the process, as there are several critical terms that can negatively impact their firm if not properly negotiated.

Justin Starnes brings more than two decades of experience in wealth and asset management, M&A advisory, and strategic consulting to his role as Director for MarshBerry. His deep understanding of financial markets allows Justin to provide valuable guidance to clients on business planning, strategic relationship management, organic growth best practices, and other valuation enhancement strategies.

Founded in 1981, MarshBerry is a global leader in financial advisory and consulting services serving the insurance brokerage and wealth management industries to help clients grow and advance their business strategies. With locations across North America and Europe, MarshBerry market sector expertise includes property and casualty agents & brokers, employee benefit firms and specialty distributors, partners in insurtech, capital markets, and insurance carriers, as well as registered investment advisors, retirement planning and life insurance firms. Clients choose MarshBerry as their trusted advisor for every stage of ownership to help them build, enhance and sustain value through Financial Advisory solutions (Investment Banking; Merger & Acquisition Advisory, Debt & Capital Raising, Business Consulting), Growth Advisory solutions (Organic Growth, Aggregation, Leadership, Sales & Talent Solutions) and Market Intelligence and Performance Benchmarking.

PARTNER CONTENT

FORECAST

Bob Diamond and Larry Kantor’s latest macro-enconomic atlas report explores how AI investment is driving the U.S. economy amid slowing jobs and rising trade tensions (92). A wave of reshoring is reshaping global trade and industrial strategy (96). And Cresset co-founder Eric Becker explains why building a $70 billion family office is about purpose and legacy (98).

America’s AI Surge Is Propping Up the Economy—For Now

AI investment has single-handedly fueled U.S. expansion amid slowing jobs and trade friction, but the parallels to past innovation bubbles are hard to ignore.

LARRY KANTOR AND BOB DIAMOND

The U.S. economy has thus far proven resilient, even amid a dramatic weakening of the labor market. Higher tariffs and reduced immigration reduce output and raise prices, but the enormous scale of investment in artificial intelligence has more than offset these effects. Spending on this new technology is estimated to have contributed a full percentage point to U.S. GDP growth in the first half of this year, accounting for more than half of the 1.6% reported. The current excess demand for computer capacity has incentivized hyperscalers–firms such as Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Oracle that provide largescale infrastructure and services to users of AI–to ramp up capital investment by hundreds of billions of dollars.

U.S.

Meanwhile, the effects of higher tariffs have been delayed, first by a surge in imports before the tariffs went into effect that forestalled price increases, and then by a 4-month pause in reciprocal tariffs. The current average tariff rate is estimated at around 15%, well above the 2 ½% that existed before the inauguration but significantly below the 25%+ announced on Liberation Day. The delayed impact of tariffs has prevented inflation from rising significantly so far this year: it remains around 3%, one percentage point above the Fed’s 2% target. Most inflation forecasts, however, show a significant increase due to higher tariffs for the rest of this year and into next. Reduced immigration has

Effective Tariff Rate Since January 1, 2025

Source: The Budget Lab

stalled U.S. labor force growth, a restraint on economic growth. While GDP is usually viewed as the sum of spending components (C+I+G), it can also be measured on the supply side as labor force growth multiplied by productivity (growth in output per hour worked). The investment in AI will generate productivity growth, offsetting the lack of labor force growth.

It is already clear that job growth has slowed dramatically, even though the government shutdown prevented the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from releasing the September employment report on October 3. The BLS report for August already showed significantly slower employment growth: the annual revision showed much smaller job increases over the past year through March, while the 3-month average gain through August was only 29,000, down from 100,000 3 months earlier. Labor market data for September was released by ADP, a private company whose employment survey is less comprehensive than the BLS’s. It showed a decline of 32,000 jobs, and the August figure was revised from +54,000 to -3,000. While firms are not hiring many people, they don’t appear to be firing them either, at least not yet. Jobless claims–which are still being released every week by individual states - remain low, and other surveys continue to show small layoff rates.

Despite the significant weakening in the labor market, the economy is holding up. Estimates for Q3 GDP growth center close to 3%, almost double the pace of the first half of the year, reflecting the accelerating pace of AI investment.

While the explosion in AI spending has thus far outweighed the adverse effects on U.S. economic growth from higher tariffs and reduced immigration, it’s far from clear how long this can continue. It is essential to recognize that AI investment must grow at the same pace, or faster, to continue providing the boost to GDP growth it has delivered so far this year. If AI spending remains at its current level–which is already very high–it would not add to GDP growth at all.

The projections of the hyperscalers suggest that their AI spending growth will slow, suggesting that the maximum boost to GDP may already be behind us. Any reduction in AI spending would have serious consequences for the U.S. economy, as the adverse effects of reduced immigration and higher tariffs are just beginning to show. That said, spending by the energy industry is likely to accelerate, making up for at least some of any slowdown by the hyperscalers. Significantly more computational power will be required to unlock the productivity benefits of the massive AI investment already underway. The damage from government shutdowns is only temporary. Shutdowns reduce economic activity but generally don’t last long, and the economy rebounds right after they’re over, so financial markets tend to ignore them. Federal workers who’ve been furloughed–the CBO estimates around 750,000 -are on unpaid leave and barred from working. Essential workers are required to work without pay, but all federal government workers get back pay when the shutdown ends. Estimates of

the negative effect on GDP are about half a percentage point per month. The current shutdown could cause more permanent damage if President Trump follows through on his threat to fire instead of furlough many government employees. Still, so far, that number is not large enough to have a material effect.

FEDERAL RESERVE POLICY AND INDEPENDENCE

The Fed’s dual mandate from Congress is to promote “maximum employment and price stability”. Since the recent weakness in employment has been much more pronounced than the rise in inflation, the Fed responded by cutting rates by a quarter point at its September 17 meeting, its first rate cut this year. The Fed also released the policy rate forecasts of its Federal Open Market Committee members at that meeting, revealing an unusual divergence in opinion for the remaining two meetings this year. Seven projected no more rate cuts, two favored one more cut, and nine favored two more. Stephen Miran–recently appointed to fill a vacant seat by President Trump–projected a 150-bps reduction before year-end, which is unrealistic. Markets are pricing in almost certain quarter-point rate cuts at the last two FOMC meetings

“The surge in optimism drives significant investment as businesses and investors don’t want to be left behind, pushing stock prices of many companies well beyond sustainable valuations.”

of the year, on October 29 and December 10. Judging by recent comments from Fed officials, further rate reductions this year seem likely. But market expectations for significant further monetary easing next year seem overly aggressive, unless a recession becomes likely. The current target federal funds rate range of 4-4 ¼% is only mildly restrictive, and we are not far from a neutral rate. If AI-related spending continues to support solid economic growth and inflation rises due to higher tariffs and tepid labor force growth, the Fed could well stand pat.

The overt attack on Fed independence has lately attracted more attention than its plans for interest rate changes. No previous President has publicly attacked the Fed Chair and its policies anywhere near the extent the current Administration has. An independent central bank– immune to shortterm pressures to stimulate the economy–is critical to economic stability. There is overwhelming empirical evidence that central banks controlled by politicians lead to very poor economic outcomes, particularly high and volatile inflation.

The President has tried to influence Fed policy not only through verbal attacks but also by seeking to put loyal people on the Board. His appointment of Stephen Miran–the Chair of his Council of Economic Advisors–to fill a temporary vacancy on the Board makes him the first person to take a seat on the Fed Board while retaining a position at the White House (he’s on a temporary leave of absence). Miran was the only FOMC member to vote against the Fed’s decision to cut rates by 25 basis points, favoring a larger reduction. The President also attempted to remove Governor Lisa Cook from the Board, but the Supreme Court delayed a decision until it hears legal arguments in January.

Control of the Fed by the executive branch would not be easy to attain. Fed Chairs, its staff, and virtually all appointed Governors and regional Reserve Bank Presidents cherish its independence. The FOMC typically reaches overwhelming consensus to convey confidence in its decisions and maintain its credibility. This was reflected in the FOMC’s latest policy vote, which was 11-1 in favor of a quarter-point cut, despite the disparity in rate views. Presidents do have considerable power, but putting the Fed under the control of the executive branch would be very dangerous for the U.S. economy, would be strongly resisted by Fed officials, and would perhaps be resisted by the judicial and legislative branches as well.

MARKETS ARE LIKELY TO PERFORM WELL OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS

The S&P has managed a solid double-digit gain this year, despite the sharp selloff in the spring following the Liberation Day announcement of much higher and more widely

imposed tariffs than had been expected. Since this year’s stellar performance comes on top of gains of well over 20% in both 2023 and 2024, concerns about a bubble do not seem unreasonable.

Emerging technologies generate significant hype as they move from inception to widespread adoption, driven by expectations of transformative effects. The surge in optimism drives significant investment as businesses and investors don’t want to be left behind, pushing stock prices of many companies well beyond sustainable valuations. We have seen it all before, as far back as the U.K.’s railway mania in the 1860s and more recently the internet boom in the late 1990s. When it becomes apparent that many companies’ stock prices reflect unrealistically optimistic profit expectations, sentiment can shift sharply negative, triggering a severe correction.

It would not be surprising to see the stock market continue to rally over the next few months, given

Hyperscalers Earn Their Name

the current strength in corporate profits, the increase in energy production needed to implement AI technology, and the Fed’s recent rate cuts. The risks of a bubble, however, are growing. Current stock prices, in aggregate, look very expensive by valuation metrics such as P/E ratios. The share of the S&P composed of IT and communication companies has surged to 40-45%, equal to levels seen at the peak of the internet bubble.

While bubbles are painful in the short term, they can be beneficial in the long term. The bubble period creates excess capacity, which eventually lowers prices for new equipment and infrastructure, allowing more firms to adopt the latest technology. The internet bubble is a good example: it was very painful when it burst, but the increased availability of the infrastructure that was built enabled the U.S. to become a leader in the technology industry. The U.K. eventually built what was the world’s most extensive rail network in the late 19th century.

A New Course for Conscious Luxury

With its groundbreaking design and refined hospitality, PONANT EXPLORATIONS’ Le Commandant Charcot sails into the Baltic Sea—proving that exploration and elegance can share the same horizon.

WORTH STAFF

It’s no secret that luxury and travel are evolving. And with it, we also see how guests’ priorities have shifted towards sustainability and a heightened desire for exploration. At that new intersection stands PONANT EXPLORATIONS and its vessel, Le Commandant Charcot.

Named after the pioneering 20th-century French polar scientist Jean-Baptiste Charcot, the Le Commandant Charcot represents this new era of travel, designed to minimize impact while maximizing the luxury experience and understanding. For example, guests can expect to enjoy the only Alain Ducasse restaurant at sea, a nearly one-to-one crew-to-guest ratio, and a hybrid electric and liquefied natural gas propulsion system that allows the ship to venture farther with a lighter footprint.

Best known for its world-famous expeditions to Antarctica and the Arctic, Ponant carries that same spirit of adventure to the Baltic Sea. These voyages chart a course through Northern Europe’s most storied waters—connecting cultural capitals like Stockholm and Helsinki. Per the PONANT EXPLORATIONS style, these voyages blend discovery with refinement, allowing guests to experience the region’s rich history and pristine landscapes from one of the world’s most innovative and luxurious vessels.

PONANT EXPLORATIONS’ Baltic cruises aboard Le Commandant Charcot range from eight to ten nights, each highlighting a distinct aspect of the North.

Over ten nights, the From the North Sea to the Baltic voyage offers a journey through striking contrasts. Guests sail from the dramatic fjords and cobblestoned harbors of Bergen to the grand cathedrals and refined elegance of Helsinki, tracing a route that bridges Scandinavia’s rugged coastlines with its distinct architectural beauty. It’s a voyage designed as a sweeping brush stroke—an artful exploration of landscapes, cultures, and light that reveals the whole character of Northern Europe in one unforgettable passage.

For those who want to experience both the seasonal beauty and serenity that winter brings, I’d invite you to look at the Baltic Bliss & Winter Wonders itinerary.

Sailing round-trip from Helsinki over the course of nine nights, this voyage captures the magic of the region’s winter season. Guests can enjoy guided explorations of old towns steeped in history and snow, watch ice fields glimmer, and unwind in Le Commandant Charcot’s spa.

But if you’re looking for a trip that balances culture and adventure, Gautier Capuçon’s Baltic Symphony at Sea is a voyage with the unique artistic dimension of music. For nine nights, guests will sail through the Baltic as world-renowned classical musicians perform intimate concerts aboard, transforming the ship into a floating concert hall. Each stop—from the design-forward neighborhoods of Stockholm to the tranquil islands of Finland—is mirrored in the music, transforming your trip into a whole sensory experience.

What makes these Baltic sailings so distinctly PONANT EXPLORATIONS is how thoughtfully they are designed for the modern traveler. Rather than racing through ports or chasing checklists, each voyage has been made to encourage languid exploration. Yes, you will witness some incredible scenery, but you will also be invigorated to understand the storied culture and environment that surrounds you. It’s modern travel—you’re not just seeing the world, you’re encouraged to understand it. That philosophy is what makes PONANT EXPLORATIONS and Le Commandant Charcot leaders in the travel industry.

PARTNER CONTENT

Are American Companies Coming Home?

Rising costs abroad, broken supply chains, and automation at home are driving a wave of investment back into U.S. manufacturing.

BY MAX ISAACMAN

Numerous reports suggest that U.S. companies are deciding home is where the heart—and profit—is. Whether driven by efficiency, cost, or geopolitics, a growing number of firms are bringing manufacturing back to the United States. Reshoring and near-shoring are reshaping global trade, replacing the old model of producing goods abroad for U.S. consumers.

THE RETURN OF AMERICAN MANUFACTURING

Reshoring isn’t new, but it’s accelerating. About three years ago, U.S. firms began returning production stateside. A 2023 U.S. Department of the Treasury report highlighted a “striking surge” in construction spending by U.S. manufacturers— doubling since late 2021. Government stimulus was a significant catalyst. During the pandemic, massive federal investments in infrastructure, jobs, and technology created a foundation for growth.

Even before the CHIPS and Science Act was passed in 2022, manufacturing investment was already on the rise. The law committed over $52 billion to domestic semiconductor and science-related projects, with tax incentives to match. Economists widely agree that these policies helped the U.S. avoid a recession during the pandemic while addressing supply chain vulnerabilities—especially the dependence on Asian suppliers.

The Treasury cited Deutsche Bank Research, which found that 18 new chipmaking facilities began construction between 2021 and 2023. The Semiconductor In-

dustry Association added that more than 50 projects were announced as a direct result of the CHIPS Act.

Interestingly, the U.S. stood out globally. Japan’s manufacturing rebounded but remains below pre-pandemic levels. Germany’s factory spending was flat, and both the U.K. and Australia saw little growth. America was the lone major economy showing clear expansion in manufacturing construction.

THE DECLINE OF GLOBALIZATION

The unraveling of globalization began long before COVID-19, but the pandemic exposed its weakest links. Outsourcing once offered massive cost advantages, primarily through low-wage labor in Asia. Those days are fading.

Labor costs across Asia have risen steadily. A report from HROne notes that tech and AI jobs in China are growing 10–15% annually in pay. “China is transitioning from a low-cost labor hub to a high-value talent powerhouse,” the report says. Cities like Suzhou and Hangzhou are in-

vesting heavily in infrastructure and worker retention—spending that’s driving local inflation, just as it has in advanced economies. Meanwhile, a growing skills gap in both the U.S. and China is pushing wages up for top technical talent. The bottom line: global labor arbitrage no longer delivers the same savings.

SUPPLY CHAIN CHAOS

Rising wages aren’t the only problem. Global trade has also become more chaotic.

According to Global Logistics, a Portland-based freight technology firm, supply chains are under historic strain. Tradlinx reports that by mid-2025, 96% of major container ports faced “operational disruptions,” with vessel delays up 300% from normal levels. Major hubs like Rotterdam, Cape Town, and Singapore are the worst affected— conditions not seen since the COVID crisis.

Today, just 58.7% of ships arrive on time, compared to 80–90% pre-2020. Demurrage fees—penalties for late returns of shipping containers—range from $75 to $300 per day, blowing up budgets as ships sit idle for 10 days or more at congested ports.

UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) blames part of this instability on shifting U.S. trade policies. “As the world’s largest importer, even modest changes reshape supply chains and alter global trade flows,” its report notes. Tariffs and other policy shifts have injected record levels of uncertainty.

When tariff changes loom, companies “front-load” orders to avoid higher costs. Air shipments to the U.S. rose 10% in Q1 2025, then imports plummeted in Q2 once tariffs took effect. The pattern underscores how uncertainty alone can distort global trade.

TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP: A NEW LENS

Factory shutdowns, shipping delays, and raw material shortages have forced companies to reconsider their global strategies. The MEP National Network argues that reshoring decisions increasingly hinge on total cost of ownership (TCO)—the sum of all visible and hidden costs in a supply chain.

TCO includes acquisition, transport, storage, financing, environmental impacts, and even the risks of disruption. By accounting for these factors, U.S. manufacturers can identify opportunities to improve value and resilience.

Technology plays a central role. Automation, robotics, AI, and advanced analytics are reducing the need for large labor forces while boosting productivity and precision. These innovations make reshoring financially viable, even in industries that once relied on cheap overseas labor.

THE PROMISE—AND CHALLENGE— OF RESHORING

Bringing manufacturing closer to home reduces supply chain risk and adds resilience. Reshoring also lowers transportation costs and helps avoid the rising costs associated with congested ports.

Still, for small and midsize manufacturers (SMMs), the process isn’t easy. Few are experts in logistics or supply chain engineering, and reconfiguring operations takes time, capital, and planning.

COVID-19 exposed the vulnerabilities of globalized production, highlighting how fragile offshore dependencies can be. When a single link fails—whether due to a shipping delay or a factory shutdown—costs escalate quickly.

In 2025, uncertainty remains the norm. Trade tensions and geopolitical shifts are creating a stop-and-go environment for business leaders and investors alike. Yet amid the turbulence, the logic of reshoring has grown only stronger.

FOUR FUTURES FOR GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS

The World Economic Forum and Kearney, a consulting firm, have outlined four potential trajectories for global trade and supply chains:

1. Reformed Outlook: The best-case scenario, where nations cooperate, institutions rebuild trust, and trade rules are stable. Collaboration extends beyond economics into health and environmental policy.

2. Fragmented Outlook: Countries pursue self-interest but maintain flexible trading relationships. No permanent alliances, just pragmatic deals.

3. Volatility Outlook: Instability dominates. Inflation spikes, currencies fluctuate, and capital shifts unpredictably. Supply chains become difficult to plan or rely upon.

4. Degraded Outlook: The world turns inward. Nationalization, tariffs, and labor shortages lead to deglobalization, trade barriers, and supply scarcity.

The world is somewhere between the Fragmented and Volatility scenarios today. How governments and companies adapt will determine whether we move toward reform or degradation.

THE INVESTOR’S DILEMMA

For investors, reshoring is both an opportunity and a risk. Markets are near all-time highs, tariffs could swing outcomes in either direction, and valuation discipline matters more than ever.

Small-cap stocks—long lagging their large-cap peers—are starting to outperform. The iShares Russell 2000 Growth ETF (IWO) may present value, trading at a Price/Earnings-to-Growth (PEG) ratio of 0.66, which suggests it’s undervalued. Technology and healthcare, which together comprise about 45% of IWO’s portfolio, are well-positioned to thrive even in a slower economy.

International equities also warrant attention. The Vanguard Total International Stock ETF (VXUS)—spanning both developed and emerging markets across all capitalizations—carries a PEG ratio of 0.37, signaling attractive valuation potential.

Reshoring isn’t just about bringing jobs home—it’s about redefining industrial strategy. Automation, AI, and domestic investment are creating a new economic base built on resilience rather than reach.

Globalization may not be dead, but its golden age is over. The next era belongs to nations—and companies—that can build, innovate, and adapt close to home.

How Eric Becker Is Redefining Wealth Management

Cresset co-founder Eric Becker explains why building a $70 billion family office isn’t about chasing returns—it’s about purpose, legacy, and creating wealth strategies that last for generations.

BY DAN COSTA

There’s a particular kind of founder who’s not chasing the next exit or plotting a quick IPO. They’re thinking in decades, not quarters —about grandchildren they haven’t met yet and companies that will still matter long after they’re gone. Eric Becker is one of them. As cofounder and co-chairman of Cresset, a $ 70 billion multi-family office built around a “100-year vision,” Becker has spent the better part of his career reimagining what wealth, leadership, and legacy truly mean.

In our conversation, Becker reflects on how to build enterprises that endure, the lessons he’s learned from decades of investing, and why, in the end, the real measure of wealth isn’t what you accumulate — it’s what you pass on.

Cresset is often framed as a “100year multi-family office.” What does a century-long vision mean in today’s financial landscape, and how does it shape the way you think about risk and opportunity?

When Avy Stein and I started Cresset in 2017, we told our first ten employees, “We’re on a 100-year journey together.” From day one, our focus has been culture, protecting the integrity of our decisions so that Cresset endures for generations. That’s what The Long Game is all about.

A century-long vision shapes everything, from how we assess risk to how we invest in innovation and

pursue opportunity. Too much of today’s financial landscape runs on a quarterly clock. We orient instead around decades and generations. That perspective has been a powerful tool in building an organization that now manages over $70 billion in assets in under eight years.

Risk, to us, isn’t just volatility on a screen—it’s whether the families we serve can preserve and grow their capital in ways that sustain opportunity for generations. A 100year lens demands structures, governance, and investment strategies resilient across cycles, not just reactive to the trend of the moment.

We describe Centurion Culture as leaders who step up, set the tone,

and serve from the front. That’s how enduring organizations thrive: by creating a legacy that outlasts any one person, quarter, or market cycle.

You and Avy were among Cresset’s first clients. How did that experience influence the firm’s ethos, and how do you maintain that client-founder perspective as Cresset scales?

I retired from the company I founded, Sterling Partners, after the trajectory of my life had been altered by a family tragedy, the death of our daughter, Cara, from complications of leukemia. In that moment, my priority was my family. At the time, I realized I still had two sons and a beautiful wife, and I wanted our sons to see that even after the worst of the worst, you can rebuild a life of meaning and purpose. So, I set out on a new course.

Part of that journey involved reassessing the family office that had managed my wealth for 25 years. To be frank, I was disappointed: the culture didn’t reflect my values, it wasn’t adequately resourced, and the relationships weren’t as deep or lasting as I had hoped. It wasn’t designed with my family’s long-term future in mind.

Avy realized that we shared the same frustrations, and we committed to founding Cresset as clients first, because we could not find the kind of integrated, values-based guidance we wanted for our own families. That experience instilled a deep empathy for the client’s perspective, which remains a defining aspect of our ethos today. We don’t think in terms of transactions; we think in terms of trust. At every decision point, we ask: Would I want this for my family? That mindset grounds us as stewards, not just advisors, and has allowed us to scale with integrity, measuring success by impact, not just assets under management.

Cresset’s offering spans fractional CFO services, curated learning opportunities, and even support for personal challenges. What common thread connects these services,?

We want to be the first call our clients make whenever something meaningful or important happens in their lives. Whether it’s the joy of a new grandchild, the challenge of a medical diagnosis, or the complexity of selling a business. We’ve built Cresset so that our relationships extend well beyond managing wealth.

The common thread is trust in the relationships we’ve built. Because our clients know we understand them and their families, they can lean on us with confidence.

Sometimes that means helping organize a high-quality family meeting or curating enriching summer experiences for their children. Other times, it means being there in a crisis, moving quickly and quietly to remove burdens and give families back their most valuable resource: time.

Wealth is not simply a set of numbers. It is entangled with family dynamics, legacy, opportunities, and challenges.

Looking across your ventures— Sterling Partners, Caretta, Vennpoint, LifeCard—what threads of mission or methodology connect them, and how do you decide when to evolve versus start something entirely new?

I didn’t set out to launch something new after Sterling Partners. The tragic loss of our daughter put me deeply into the client’s seat, and my focus shifted to my family and how our wealth would be managed for future generations. I realized I needed to treat that responsibility like a business.

But across every venture, the mission has been the same: solving meaningful problems with leaders I respect and values we share. As an entrepreneur, I learned how to build

companies from the ground up. At Sterling, we focused on providing growth capital to help companies grow. After I retired, at Caretta we backed founder-led companies with purpose. With Vennpoint, it was about building communities and finding real estate in the path of progress. And LifeCard, our first venture, was really about bringing innovation to the healthcare space and giving patients control of their medical records.

When I spend time on ventures like these, rather than with my family or the community, my filter is always simple: Does this matter, and am I the right person to help?

If the answer is yes, I lean in. If the answer shifts, it’s time to reimagine my role or plan for succession.

Worth often talks about “Worth Beyond Wealth.” What does that phrase mean to you personally, and how does it influence the way you lead and invest?

At Cresset, we say: wealth optimized, life elevated. To me, life is so much more than money. That belief led me to write an ethical will for my children, not about financial assets, but about the values and lessons that have shaped me, in the hope of guiding them.

After experiencing entrepreneurial success, failure, and personal tragedy, I’ve come to this conclusion: what truly endures in life are your relationships, your reputation, and your standards. Material wealth can be lost, taxed, or mismanaged. But values live on.

When I invest, I look for integrity. When I lead, I seek purpose. And when I sit with clients, I ask about meaning, not just money. Ultimately, our legacy will not be defined solely by returns—it will be shaped by the relationships we foster, the trust we maintain, and the standards we uphold. That, to me, is worth beyond wealth.

The Evolving Toolkit for Taxable Investors

BY ERIC C. PRITZ, CFP ® SENIOR PARTNER

For years, investors with low cost basis and concentrated wealth faced limited choices. The traditional playbook was simple—buy municipal bonds for tax-free income, occasionally harvest losses, and hope markets cooperated. Over time, new strategies such as exchange funds and Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) funds emerged, offering fresh ways to defer taxes and diversify.

But the landscape has changed dramatically. Today, investors have access to a more sophisticated toolkit designed to manage risk, broaden diversification, and improve after-tax outcomes.

Why the Shift?

Modern wealth management is being shaped by two main factors:

1. Tax Sensitivity: Large capital gains from stock sales, real estate, or business exits can lead to significant tax liabilities that may affect long-term wealth.

2. Portfolio Concentration Risk: Holding too much of one stock—often tied to career success or early investing—can expose a portfolio to unnecessary volatility.

Fortunately, innovation and technology have helped develop approaches that address both challenges.

Long/Short Direct Indexing

Markets generally rise over time, which is great for wealth creation but not always for tax efficiency. Rebalancing or trimming appreciated positions often leads to realized gains and taxable events.

Long/short direct indexing allows investors to hold individual securities within an index—using both long and short positions—to create ongoing tax management opportunities. By combining long positions in select stocks with short positions in others, investors can:

• Systematically harvest losses to offset taxable gains.

• Gradually diversify away from concentrated positions without triggering large tax bills.

• Maintain market exposure while managing after-tax results.

In short, this approach transforms taxloss harvesting from a manual, year-end exercise into a dynamic, ongoing process.

Tax-Aware Hedge Funds

Hedge fund design has also evolved. Historically, they often generated large taxable distributions, but newer strategies focus on tax awareness and managing when and how gains are realized. These funds can diversify portfolios while seeking to defer gains and allocate losses, income, and deductions in ways that may benefit taxable investors. The objective is to balance diversification with tax efficiency.

The Bottom Line

The new era of investing offers high-net-worth families greater flexibility. For those with concentrated positions, unrealized gains, or facing high tax exposure, strategies like long/short direct indexing and tax-aware hedge funds can help improve portfolio efficiency—not by chasing returns, but by aiming to keep more of what markets provide.

As the investing landscape evolves, working with a trusted financial professional can help determine how strategies like these fit within a broader wealth plan.

seia.com

epritz@seia.com

Eric C. Pritz, CFP®, is a Senior Partner with SEIA, providing financial advice and wealth management services to high-net-worth individuals, organizations, and companies since 2004, drawing on over 20 years of experience in the financial industry. Eric is an executive member of The LA25, an entrepreneurial group of wired South Bay professionals, and serves as treasurer on the board of The LA25 Foundation, a charitable organization which supports children through education and the arts. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and earned the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification in 2007. Eric is also a licensed independent insurance broker with Signature Comprehensive Insurance Services, LLC (SCIS) and a licensed insurance agent (CA Insurance License #0E55966).

$28.1 Billion in assets managed by SEIA and its affiliates as of 9/30/2025

The reported Assets Under Management (AUM) represents the combined total of Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC (SEIA) and its affiliated entities as of 9/30/2025. AUM includes portfolios continuously supervised or managed by SEIA and its affiliates. The AUM encompasses assets like stocks, bonds, ETFs, mutual funds, and cash, among others. All investments in securities carry risks, including the potential loss of principal. There is no guarantee that any investment will be profitable or suitable for an investor’s financial situation or risk tolerance. Asset allocation and diversification do not guarantee better performance or eliminate the risk of investment losses. Alternative investments may not suit all investors. They often engage in speculative investment practices that increase investment risk, are highly illiquid, lack periodic prices or valuation, and may not be subject to traditional investment regulatory requirements. They often have complex tax structures, significant lock-up periods with no liquidity or significant penalties for early liquidity, and significant management fees in addition to advisor fees. SEIA is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or tax services. Investors are encouraged to seek guidance from qualified professionals. For more details on the professional designations listed above, including description, minimum requirements, and ongoing education requirements, please contact (310) 712-2323 or visit seia.com/disclosures. SEIA is an SEC-registered investment adviser; however, such registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training and no inference to the contrary should be made. Securities offered through Signature Estate Securities, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through SEIA, 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1600, Los Angeles, CA 90067, (310) 712-2323.

PARTNER CONTENT

ABOUT ERIC PRITZ

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Worth’s Leading Advisors of 2025

In an era of dynamic shifts in financial landscapes and the increasing intricacy of personal wealth management, Worth magazine understands the necessity for guidance that anticipates the needs of the affluent. The Leading Advisors program, which has been recognizing top-tier wealth management firms since its establishment in 2002, relaunched in 2024 with a fresh, data-driven focus. This reinvigoration is more than just a renewal of commitment; it’s a direct response to the evolving demands of our readers searching for reliable and insightful financial stewardship.

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The program aims to address today’s turbulent financial environment by providing a curated list of advisors who are leaders in their field and pioneers in adapting to market changes and the evolving needs of affluent clients. Working with our partners at ISS Market Intelligence, Worth’s editorial staff evaluated more than 41,000 RIAs and financial advisors in the United States and identified the top 350 firms.

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The core value of the Leading Advisor program lies in its rigorous selection process and the credibility it bestows upon listed advisors. Each firm featured has successfully cleared stringent benchmarks:

n Assets Under Management (AUM) of Over $500 Million: Demonstrates substantial experience and trust in handling significant wealth.

n Predominantly High-Net-Worth Clients: Shows specialized expertise in managing the complex financial situations typical of wealthier clients.

n Substantial Planning Clientele: Indicates a focus on comprehensive financial planning rather than simple asset management.

n Independence from Broker-Dealers: Ensures advice is unbiased and purely client-centric.

These criteria spotlight firms that manage wealth and craft tailored strategies considering the broader financial picture. Thus, they enhance our readers’ ability to make informed choices about who manages their wealth.

Editorial Integrity and Independence

At Worth, our commitment extends far beyond the mere presentation of data. The Leading Advisor program is constructed on a bedrock of editorial integrity and independence, devoid of any influence from the firms we evaluate. This independence is pivotal in upholding our readers’ trust and ensures that our listings genuinely reflect merit and excellence in wealth management.

Our methodology is transparent and comprehensive, ensuring that the advisors we feature are among the industry’s best. We believe in the importance of not just

Abacus Planning Group, Inc. Columbia, SC

Aberdeen Wealth Management, LLC Lake Bluff, IL

Abound Wealth Management, LLC Franklin, TN

Accredited Investors Wealth Management Minneapolis, MN

Acropolis Investment Management, LLC Chesterfield, MO

Adero Partners, LLC Walnut Creek, CA

Aegis Wealth Bethesda, MD

Aequitas Investment Advisors, LLC Hingham, MA

Alesco Advisors, LLC Pittsford, NY

Align Impact, LLC Santa Monica, CA

Allium Financial Advisors, LLC Lake Oswego, OR

AlphaCore Capital, LLC La Jolla, CA

Altfest Personal Wealth Management New York, NY

growth but growth by design. This means that our featured firms are actively enhancing their capabilities and offerings to serve their clients better, not merely growing their assets under management by riding market trends.

A Renewed Commitment to Excellence

The of the Leading Advisor program affirms Worth’s dedication to excellence in financial journalism and our commitment to serving as a vital resource for the high-networth community. Worth is more than a magazine; it’s a platform where the best in the business converge to discuss, innovate, and shape the future of wealth management.

We will update The Leading Advisor list annually as new company data is released.

To learn more about the list or license the Leading Advisor logo email Josh.Kampel@Worth.com.

Andersen McLean, VA

Apex Financial Advisors, Inc Morrisville, PA

Arbor Wealth Advisors, LLC Troy, MI

Argos Capital Partners, LLC Saint Louis, MO

Armstrong, Fleming & Moore, Inc. Washington, DC

Aspen Capital Management, LLC Boise, ID

Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. San Francisco, CA

Atwood & Palmer, Inc. Kansas City, MO

Austin Asset Austin, TX

Autumn Lane Advisors, LLC Houston, TX

Aviance Capital Partners, LLC Naples, FL

Avidian Wealth Solutions, LLC Houston, TX

Avion Wealth Spring, TX

Avitas Wealth Management, LLC Los Angeles, CA

Bahl & Gaynor Inc. Cincinnati, OH

Bailard, Inc. San Mateo, CA

Baker Street Advisors, LLC San Francisco, CA

BakerAvenue San Francisco, CA

Balentine Atlanta, GA

Ballentine Partners Waltham, MA

Baron Wealth Management, LLC Troy, MI

Bartlett & Co. Wealth Management, LLC Cincinnati, OH

Bason Asset Management Denver, CO

BBR Partners, LLC New York, NY

Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC Newport Beach, CA

Beaird Harris Dallas, TX

Bedel Financial Consulting Inc. Indianapolis, IN

Bell Investment Advisors Inc. Oakland, CA

Biltmore Family Office, LLC Charlotte, NC

BIP Wealth, LLC Atlanta, GA

Black Coral Financial Advisors, LLC Budd Lake, NJ

Black Diamond Financial, LLC Towson, MD

Blankinship & Foster, LLC Solana Beach, CA

BlueSky Wealth Advisors, LLC New Bern, NC

Blume Capital Management, Inc. Berkeley, CA

Bordeaux Wealth Advisors Menlo Park, CA

Boston Research and Management, Inc. Manchester, MA

Bradley Foster & Sargent Inc Hartford, CT

Foster & Inc CT

Brandywine Oak Private Wealth, LLC Kennett Square, PA

Breeds Hill Capital, LLC Charlestown, MA

Briaud Financial Advisors College Station, TX

Bridgewater Advisors Inc. New York, NY

Brighton Jones, LLC Seattle, WA

Broadview Financial Management, LLC Menomonee Falls, WI

BSW Wealth Partners Boulder, CO

Burt Wealth Advisors Rockville, MD

Burton Enright Welch Walnut Creek, CA

Cabot Wealth Management Salem, MA

Cahaba Wealth Management, Inc. Atlanta, GA

Callan Capital, LLC La Jolla, CA

Canal Capital Management, LLC Richmond, VA

Cap Strat Villa Park, IL

Capital Counsel, LLC New York, NY

Capstone Financial Advisors Inc. Downers Grove, IL

Cardiff Park Advisors San Marcos, CA

Carret Asset Management New York, NY

Cerity Partners, LLC New York, NY

Chatham Capital Group Inc. Savannah, GA

Chatham Wealth Management Chatham, NJ

Check Capital Management Inc. Costa Mesa, CA

Chequers Financial Management, LLC San Francisco, CA

Chesley, Taft & Associates, LLC Chicago, IL

Chevy Chase Trust Company Bethesda, MD

Choreo, LLC Rockford, IL

Churchill Management Group Los Angeles, CA

Circle Advisers Inc. New York, NY

Circle Wealth Management, LLC Summit, NJ

Clariti Wealth Advisors Wilmington, DE

Clayton Financial Group, LLC Saint Louis, MO

Clifford Swan Investment Counselors Pasadena, CA

Clune & Associates Chicago, IL

CMH Wealth Management, LLC Portsmouth, NH

Coastal Bridge Advisors Westport, CT

Colony Family Offices, LLC Charlotte, NC

Concentric Wealth Management, LLC Lafayette, CA

Connecticut Wealth Management, LLC Farmington, CT

Conservest Capital Advisors Inc. Wynnewood, PA

Consilium Wealth Management Danville, CA

Constellation Wealth Advisors Cincinnati, OH

Coons Advisors Columbus, OH

Covenant Partners, LLC Nashville, TN

Creative Capital Management Investments, LLC San Diego, CA

Creative Planning Leawood, KS

Crescent Grove Advisors

Lake Forest, IL

Cresset Asset Management, LLC Chicago, IL

Crestwood Advisors Boston, MA

D’Orazio & Associates, Inc. Falls Church, VA

Dash Investments Woodland Hills, CA

Deerfield Indianapolis, IN

Delegate Advisors, LLC Chapel Hill, NC

Destination Wealth Management Walnut Creek, CA

Diversified Management Inc. Milwaukee, WI

Douglas C. Lane & Associates New York, NY

Duncan & Haley, Ltd. Seattle, WA

Eagle Ridge Investment Management, LLC Stamford, CT

Edelman Financial Engines Santa Clara, CA

Edge Capital Group, LLC Atlantan, GA

Elevation Point Wealth Partners, LLC Denver, CO

Empirical Wealth Management Seattle, WA

Evensky & Katz/Foldes Wealth Management Miami, FL

Evergreen Capital Management, LLC Bellevue, WA

Exchange Capital Management Inc. Ann Arbor, MI

F L Putnam Investment Management Co. Lynnfield, MA

FBB Capital Partners Bethesda, MD

Fort Point Capital Partners, LLC San Francisco, CA

Foster & Motley Inc. Cincinnati, OH

Fountainhead Advisors Warren, NJ

Ferguson Wellman Capital Management, Inc. Portland, OR

Wellman Inc. OR

Fi3 Financial Advisors, LLC Indianapolis, IN

Fiduciary Financial Group, LLC San Rafael, CA

Fiduciary Wealth Partners, LLC Newton Lower Falls, MA

Frank, Rimerman Advisors, LLC Palo Alto, CA

Franklin, Parlapiano, Turner & Welch, LLC Houston, TX

Freestone Capital Management, LLC Seattle, WA

FRG Family Wealth Advisors Bellevue, WA

Fulcrum Capital, LLC Seattle, WA

Fielder Capital Group LLC Nashville, TN

Fielder LLC TN

Fierston Financial Group Inc. West Hartford, CT

Financial Advisory Corporation Grand Rapids, MI

Financial Alternatives, Inc. La Jolla, CA

Financial Partners Group, LLC Gallatin, TN

Financial Solutions Advisory Group Chicago, IL

Financial Symmetry Inc. Raleigh, NC

Financial Synergies Houston, TX

Firestone Capital Management Inc. Miami, FL

Full Sail Capital, LLC Oklahoma City, OK

G2 Capital Management, LLC Columbus, OH

Galecki Financial Management Inc. Fort Wayne, IN

Garde Capital, Inc. Seattle, WA

Geller Advisors, LLC New York, NY

Geometric Wealth Advisors, LLC Washington, DC

Gerber, LLC Columbus, OH

GHP Investment Advisors Inc. Denver, CO

Gibson Capital, LLC Wexford, PA

Gilman Hill Asset Management, LLC

New Canaan, CT

Glassman Wealth Services, LLC Vienna, VA

Godsey & Gibb Wealth Management Richmond, VA

Goelzer Investment Management Carmel, IN

Goodman Financial Corporation Houston, TX

Grand Wealth Management, LLC Grand Rapids, MI

Graves Light Lenhart Harrisonburg, VA

Great Point Wealth Advisors, LLC Boston, MA

Greenwich Wealth Management, LLC Greenwich, CT

Gresham Partners, LLC Chicago, IL

Gryphon Advisors, LLC Evanston, IL

GSG Advisors, LLC Mount Laurel, NJ

Guyasuta Investment Advisors Inc. Pittsburgh, PA

Hall Capital Partners, LLC San Francisco, CA

Hamilton Point Investment Advisors, LLC Chapel Hill, NC

HeadInvest Portland, ME

Heartwood Wealth Advisors, LLC Richmond, VA

Henry H. Armstrong Associates, Inc. Pittsburgh, PA

Heritage Financial Services Westwood, MA

Heritage Investors Management Corp Bethesda, MD

Heritage Wealth Advisors Richmond, VA

HighTower Advisors, LLC Chicago, IL

Hollow Brook Wealth Management LLC. Katonah, NY

Hopwood Financial Services, Inc. Reston, VA

Howard Financial Services, Ltd. Dallas, TX

HTG Investment Advisors Inc. New Canaan, CT

Independent Family Office, LLC Albany, NY

Innovia Wealth, LLC Grand Rapids, MI

Integris Wealth Management, LLC Monterey, CA

Ironwood Investment Counsel, LLC Scottsdale, AZ

Isthmus Partners, LLC Madison, WI

ISTO Advisors, LLC Troy, MI

IWP Wealth Management, LLC Denver, CO

Jackson, Grant Investment Advisers, Inc. Stamford, CT

Janiczek Wealth Management Denver, CO

Jentner Wealth Management Akron, OH

JFG Wealth Management, LLC Denver, CO

JMG Financial Group Ltd Downers Grove, IL

Joel Isaacson & Co., LLC New York, NY

Johnson Financial Group, LLC Denver, CO

Johnson Investment Counsel, Inc. Cincinnati, OH

Johnson Wealth Inc. Milwaukee, WI

Jordan Park Group, LLC San Francisco, CA

JVL Wealth Strategies Wyoming, MI

Kendall Capital Management Rockville, MD

Klingenstein Fields Advisors New York, NY

Klingman and Associates, LLC New York, NY

Koss-Olinger Consulting, LLC. Gainesville, FL

Kutscher Benner Barsness & Stevens, Inc. Seattle, WA

Lafayette Investments, Inc. Ashton, MD

Laird Norton Weatherby Seattle, WA

Lake Street Advisors Portsmouth, NH

Legacy Advisors, LLC Plymouth Meeting, PA

Lido Los Angeles, CA

Lifecycle Financial Planners Inc. Bloomfield Hills, MI

Lindbrook Capital, LLC Calabasas, CA

Live Oak Private Wealth, LLC Wilmington, NC LNW San Francisco, CA

Lodestar Private Asset Management, LLC Alamo, CA

Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge Fiduciary Advisors, LLP Boston, MA

Lountzis Asset Management, LLC Reading, PA

LVM Capital Management Ltd Portage, MI

Lyell Wealth Management LP Menlo Park, CA

Main Street Research, LLC Lakeville, CT

Marietta Wealth Management, LLC Marietta, GA

Maslow Wealth Advisors Austin, TX

Materetsky Financial Group Boynton Beach, FL

McRae Capital Management Inc. Morristown, NJ

Meridian Wealth Advisors, LLC Austin, TX

Meritage Portfolio Management, Inc. Overland Park, KS

Mill Creek Capital Advisors, LLC Conshohocken, PA

MIO Partners, Inc. New York, NY

Moneta Group Investment Advisors, LLC Saint Louis, MO

Monograph Wealth Advisors, LLC Manhattan Beach, CA

Montag Atlanta, GA

Monument Group Wealth Advisors, LLC Concord, MA

Morling Financial Advisors, LLC Fremont, CA

Morton Wealth Agoura Hills, CA

Moss Adams Wealth Advisors, LLC Seattle, WA

Mozaic, LLC Beverly Hills, CA

myCIO Wealth Partners, LLC Philadelphia, PA

NavPoint Financial, Inc. Prior Lake, MN

Neumann Capital Management San Mateo, CA

New England Private Wealth Advisors, LLC Wellesley Hills, MA

Northeast Financial Westport, CT

Novare Capital Management Charlotte, NC

NPF Investment Advisors Grand Rapids, MI

O’Brien Wealth Partners, LLC Waltham, MA

O’Rourke & Company, Incorporated Boston, MA

Oakmont Corporation Los Angeles, CA

Obermeyer Wealth Partners Aspen, CO

Oliver Luxxe Assets, LLC

Gladstone, NJ

Operose Advisors, LLC Milwaukee, WI

Opus Capital Management Cincinnati, OH

Osborne Partners San Francisco, CA

Oxford Financial Group, Ltd Carmel, IN

Palisade Asset Management, LLC Minneapolis, MN

Paragon Capital Management Denver, CO

Parkside Advisors, LLC Berkeley, CA

Pathstone Englewood, NJ

Pathway Financial Advisors, LLC South Burlington, VT

Patton Wealth Advisors Dallas, TX

PDS Planning Inc Dublin, OH

Peak Asset Management, LLC Louisville, CO

Pegasus Partners Mequon, WI

Pennington Partners & Co., LLC Bethesda, MD

Perennial New York, NY

Personal CFO Solutions, LLC Chester, NJ

Perspective Wealth Partners, LLC Boise, ID

Peterson Wealth Advisors, LLC Orem, UT

Pinney & Scofield, Inc. Cambridge, MA

Plancorp, LLC Saint Louis, MO

PrairieView Partners, LLC Saint Paul, MN

Prio Wealth LP Boston, MA

Private Advisor Group, LLC Morristown, NJ

Proffitt & Goodson Inc. Knoxville, TN

Promus Capital, LLC Chicago, IL

Prowell Financial Management, LLC Exton, PA

Punch & Associates Investment Management, Inc. Minneapolis, MN

QuadCap Wealth Management, LLC Frisco, TX

Rappaport Reiches Capital Management Skokie, IL

Regent Peak Wealth Advisors, LLC Atlanta, GA

Resonant Capital Advisors, LLC Madison, WI

Reynders, McVeigh Capital Management, LLC Boston, MA

Riverbridge Minneapolis, MN

Riverview Capital Advisers, LLC Boston, MA

Riverwater Partners, LLC Milwaukee, WI

Roble, Belko and Company, Inc. Sewickley, PA

Rock Point Advisors, LLC Burlington, VT

Roffman Miller Associates Inc. Philadelphia, PA

Rossmore Private Capital, LLC Glastonbury, CT

Roundview Capital, LLC Princeton, NJ

RPG Investment Advisory, LLC Pleasanton, CA

RTD Financial Advisors Inc. Philadelphia, PA

RZH Advisors, LLC Stamford, CT

Sage Financial Group Inc. Conshohocken, PA

Sage Mountain Advisors, LLC Atlanta, GA

Salomon and Ludwin Henrico, VA

Sanctuary Advisors, LLC Indianapolis, IN

Sand Hill Global Advisors, LLC Palo Alto, CA

Sargent Investment Group Bethesda, MD

Satovsky Asset Management, LLC New York, NY

SBK Financial, Inc. Richmond, VA

Schaper Benz & Wise Investment Counsel Inc. Neenah, WI

Scharf Investments, LLC Los Gatos, CA

Schechter Investment Advisors, LLC Birmingham, MI

SCS Capital Management, LLC Boston, MA

SEIA Los Angeles,CA

Sensible Financial Planning and Management, LLC Waltham, MA

Sequent Asset Management, LLC Houston, TX

Seven Post Investment Office LP San Francisco, CA

Seven Springs Wealth Group Brentwood, TN

Shade Tree Advisors, LLC Saratoga Springs, NY

Sigma Investment Counselors Northville, MI

SignatureFD, LLC Atlanta, GA

Silicon Valley Capital Partners, L.P. San Jose, CA

Silvercrest Asset Management Group, LLC New York, NY

SilverOak Wealth Management, LLC Minneapolis, MN

Simon Quick Advisors, LLC Morristown, NJ

Single Point Partners Boston, MA

Sivia Capital Partners, LLC Mill Valley, CA

SlateStone Wealth, LLC Jupiter, FL

Smith & Howard Wealth Management, LLC Atlanta, GA

Smith Salley Wealth Management Greensboro, NC

Soltis Investment Advisors, LLC Saint George, UT

Southeast Asset Advisors, LLC Thomasville, GA

SPC Financial Inc. Rockville, MD

St. Clair Advisors, LLC Cleveland, OH

Stack Financial Management Inc. Whitefish, MT

Stage Harbor Financial Westwood, MA

Stansberry Asset Management, LLC Roanoke, TX

Stepp & Rothwell Inc. Overland Park, KS

Sterling Investment Advisors Ltd. Berwyn, PA

Strata Wealth Advisors, LLC Dallas, TX

Strategic Financial Services Utica, NY

Strategic Wealth Partners, Ltd. Independence, OH

Summit Financial Strategies Inc. Columbus, OH

Summit Rock Advisors, LP New York, NY

LEADING ADVISORS

Summitry, LLC San Mateo, CA

Syverson Strege West Des Moines, IA

Tanglewood Total Wealth Management, Inc. Houston, TX

Tarbox Family Office, Inc. Newport Beach, CA

Team Hewins, LLC Redwood City, CA

The Advocate Group, LLC Hopkins, MN

The Arkansas Financial Group, Inc. Little Rock, AR

The Burney Company Reston, VA

The Caprock Group, LLC Boise, ID

The Clarius Group, LLC Seattle, WA

The Colony Group, LLC Boston, MA

The Fairman Group, LLC Wayne, PA

The Family Firm, Inc. Bethesda, MD

The Fiduciary Group Savannah, GA

Disclaimer

The Harbor Group, Inc. Bedford, NH

The Investment Counsel Company Las Vegas, NV

The Mather Group, LLC Chicago, IL

The Portfolio Strategy Group, LLC White Plains, NY

The Wealth Collaborative, Inc Thousand Oaks, CA

Three Bell Capital, LLC Dallas, TX

Tiedemann Advisors, LLC New York, NY

Tiller Private Wealth, Inc. Bethlehem, PA

Tobias Financial Advisors Fort Lauderdale, FL

Tolleson Private Wealth Management Dallas, TX

Tortoise Investment Management, LLC West Harrison, NY

Tower Bridge Advisors Conshohocken, PA

Trebuchet Consulting, LLC Pittsburgh, PA

True North Advisors, LLC Dallas, TX

Twin Focus Capital Partners, LLC Boston, MA

Valeo Financial Advisors, LLC Carmel, IN

Venturi Private Wealth Austin, TX

Veratis Advisors, Inc. Cary, NC

Veris Wealth Partners, LLC San Francisco, CA

Verity Investment Partners Beaufort, SC

Verum Partners LLC Charlotte, NC

Vestia Personal Wealth Advisors Fort Wayne, IN

Vivaldi Capital Management LP Chicago, IL

Wade Financial Advisory, Inc. Campbell, CA

Waldron Private Wealth Bridgeville, PA

Wallington Asset Management Indianapolis, IN

Warner Financial, Inc. Bethesda, MD

Warwick Partners Bryan, TX

Waters, Parkerson & Co., LLC New Orleans, LA

Waterway Wealth Management, LLC Spring, TX

Watts Gwilliam & Company, LLC Gilbert, AZ

Waypoint Wealth Counsel, LLC Atlanta, GA

Waypoint Wealth Partners Mill Valley, CA

Wealth Architects, LLC Mountain View, CA

Wealth Care LLC Merritt Island, FL

Wealthspire Advisors Melville, NY

WealthStar Advisors, LLC Plano, TX

Wealthstream Advisors, Inc. New York, NY

Weatherly Asset Management Del Mar, CA

Welch & Forbes LLC Boston, MA

Wellspring Financial Advisors, LLC Cleveland, OH

WESCAP Group Glendale, CA

Wescott Financial Advisory Group, LLC Philadelphia, PA

West Coast Financial, LLC Santa Barbara, CA

West Financial Advisors, LLC Des Moines, IA

West Financial Services, Inc. McLean, VA

Westmount Partners, LLC Los Angeles, CA

Wharton Business Group, LLC Malvern, PA

Williams Jones Wealth Management, LLC New York, NY

Windsor Advisory Group, LLC Columbus, OH

Wingate Wealth Advisors, Inc. Lexington, MA

WMS Partners, LLC Towson, MD

Woodmont Investment Counsel, LLC Nashville, TN

Woodward Financial Advisors, Inc. Chapel Hill, NC

Young Richard C & Co Ltd Newport, RI

Zhang Financial Portage, MI

Zuckerman Investment Group Chicago, IL

ZWJ Investment Counsel Inc Atlanta, GA

Worth magazine is a publisher and does not recommend or endorse investment, legal, insurance, or tax advisors. The listing of any firm in the 2025 Worth Leading Advisors Program is conducted by our editorial team (at times in partnership with certain research organizations) and does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement by Worth magazine of any such firm and is not based upon Worth magazine’s experience with, or prior dealings with, any advisor. The information presented for each firm and/or advisor, including but not limited to any related profile, statistical data, presentation, report, commentary, recommendation, or strategy, has been provided by such advisor and/or third party data sources without independent verification by Worth magazine. Any such information is the sole responsibility of the advisor and/or third party data sources. Worth magazine makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of such information, assumes no liability for any inaccuracies or omissions therein, and disclaims responsibility for the suitability of any particular investment recommendation or strategy for any person. Nothing contained in Worth magazine constitutes or should be construed as any form of investment, legal, insurance, or tax advice or as a recommendation to buy, sell, hold, or trade any securities, financial instruments, or assets. Readers are advised to consult their legal, financial, insurance, and tax advisors prior to making any investment or pursuing any investment strategy. Past, model, or hypothetical performance is not indicative of future results.

TECHONOMY

In this edition of Techonomy, we chart the leading edge of climate innovation. The new Climate Tech Atlas maps the technologies and policies with the greatest potential to bend the carbon curve (108). We examine why some “good” farming practices may actually worsen emissions (110). And we spotlight Alicia White, whose grassroots leadership in Queens shows how community action can drive real climate progress (112).

Mapping the Climate Innovations to Build, Fund, and Scale Now

The new Climate Tech Atlas charts the technologies and policies with the most significant potential to bend the carbon curve—and offers a blueprint for investors, policymakers, and entrepreneurs shaping the net-zero economy.

BY DAN COSTA

At Techonomy Impact, one of Worth’s annual conferences, we gathered three of the sharpest minds in climate innovation to answer a deceptively simple question: how do we direct talent, capital, and policy toward the solutions that matter most? The resulting conversation—between Ryan Panchadsaram, co-author of Speed & Scale; Sonia Aggarwal, CEO of Energy Innovation; and Mark Patel, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company—offered a rare glimpse into both the complex realities and the exhilarating possibilities of the net-zero future.

The organizing principle for our discussion was the new Climate Tech Atlas, a collaborative tool designed to map the entire landscape of decarbonization technologies— from “innovation imperatives” we must scale today to “moonshots” that could redefine the future. And, as Panchadsaram put it, it’s designed to be more than a static report. “What it is is a map of all of the innovations that we need to radically decarbonize,” he explained. “It’s a head start for anybody in the room—investors, philanthropists, researchers—to identify not only where they want to spend their time and their capital, but also areas where they may want to avoid investment, because there’s already over-investment in that space.”

The Atlas divides the climate challenge into two broad categories.

“The first are innovation imperatives,” Panchadsaram said. “These are the critical needs to get to net zero. The kind of exciting things on the map, too, are the moonshots. These are the high-risk, high-reward technologies that, if we unlock, really change the calculus of decarbonization.”

The distinction matters because each category demands a different kind of investment mindset. Geothermal energy and clean “peakers”—technologies that supply power during demand spikes—fall squarely in the imperative bucket. Fusion and next-generation solar cells, on the other hand, are moonshots: gamechanging but uncertain. “If many of the entrepreneurs and founders that are starting fusion companies succeed, it changes the calculus of everything,” Panchadsaram said.

A POLICY ROADMAP—NOT A TECHNOLOGY BET

Governments, Aggarwal argued, are often overwhelmed by a flood of new ideas and lobbying efforts. A map like the Atlas can help them focus on what matters. “One thing that can be difficult if you’re a policymaker is how to sort through all of these different ideas and technologies,” she said. “It all comes down to the impact that we can have by making innovations that we can bring to scale in a reasonable amount of time and at a

reasonable cost.”

And crucially, she added, governments shouldn’t try to pick winners. “They’re not in the business of choosing a technology,” Aggarwal said. “What they want to do is support innovation areas that have a material opportunity to make a big impact in the near term.”

Patel echoed that sentiment from the business perspective. “What’s been amazing about this exercise… is that it has caused us to go back and really challenge ourselves,” he said. “Not just what’s the absolute impact and the relative impact, but what do we think is the nature of the innovation that’s going to get us there?”

PROBLEM-FIRST, NOT TECHNOLOGY-FIRST

One of the most critical insights from building the Atlas was a shift in mindset. “We started with a really large list of technologies— about 2,000 strong—and that was the wrong way to approach it,” Panchadsaram admitted. “The surprising piece… is how do you frame these as problems that need to be solved?”

This problem-first framing unlocks creativity and collaboration. It’s not about saying, “I have a technology, what can it do?” but rather, “I have a problem—how many ways can we solve it?” That shift, Patel added, is critical for

companies and investors deciding where to commit their resources.

“If you’re going to choose to commit yourself to advancing a technology, then you want to choose based on knowing that technology has sufficient headroom to make a material difference,” he said.

Some of the most significant breakthroughs in the Atlas process came from unexpected corners. Panchadsaram was astonished to discover work on “alternative energy transmitters”—systems that use materials such as steel or aluminum to transport energy. “This whole idea that you could ship an aluminum product across the sea and oxidize it to produce heat and hydrogen was just mind-blowing,” he said. “We don’t need transmission lines, possibly, but actually moving a commodity that we move already today.”

Aggarwal highlighted industrial manufacturing as a particularly urgent frontier. “We haven’t figured out the best pathway to zero-emissions versions of all of those materials,” she said. “The industrial sector is this persistent, difficult source of pollution and climate emissions that really needs some new thinking.”

Patel pointed to nature-based solutions as another underexplored opportunity. “We have barely begun to understand the mechanics that nature has given us, let alone apply them,” he said. “Especially because we’re embracing AI in everything—if we really have an ambition for AI, it should be that it will help us to start to really understand nature.”

SCALING WHAT WORKS

The Atlas, now freely available online, is designed to be an iterative

and collaborative tool. “If you see anything missing—an imperative or a moonshot—there’s a link for people to submit ideas,” Panchadsaram said. “This project would not have been possible without things like solar, wind, and batteries that were invested in and researched over two decades ago and have now reached scale. That’s what gives us confidence that we can follow the same playbook.”

The challenge—and the opportunity—is to turn that confidence into action. The climate crisis demands urgency, but it also requires imagination. As this conversation showed, solving the planetary puzzle isn’t about betting on a single technology or policy. It’s about building an ecosystem—one where bold moonshots, practical imperatives, and unlikely partnerships converge to make the future possible.

Why “Good” Farming Might Be Bad for the Planet

Organic, grass-fed, and regenerative agriculture sound virtuous—but they often use more land and cause more emissions.

BY DAN COSTA

Agriculture may seem like humanity’s most wholesome endeavor— sun, soil, and sustenance—but beneath its pastoral image lies one of the planet’s most urgent climate challenges. “Agriculture is really our biggest environmental problem,” said journalist and author Michael Grunwald, speaking at a recent Climate Week panel hosted by Amy Todd Middleton. “It uses 70% of our fresh water, it’s the biggest source of water pollution, and it’s the leading cause of deforestation. We are literally eating the Earth.”

Grunwald’s recent book, We Are Eating the Earth, argues that our global food system—responsible for roughly a third of all greenhouse-gas emissions—is both indispensable and destructive. Far from being a niche sustainability issue, agriculture has become the central environmental battleground of the 21st century.

His co-panelist, Britt Groosman, Vice President of Climate and Nature at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), agreed on the scale of the problem but emphasized a crucial moral dimension. “It’s almost morally repugnant,” she said. “Seventy percent of the world’s water is used to grow food—and we throw half of it out.”

Together, Grunwald and Groosman explored what it means to re-engineer agriculture for a climate-smart future—one that can feed a growing population without consuming the planet that feeds us.

THE LAND PROBLEM NO ONE TALKS ABOUT

When most people think of farms, they imagine something virtuous and natural—a symbiosis between people and the Earth. But Grunwald argues that this nostalgic image obscures the true scale of the crisis. Only 1% of the planet’s land area is covered by cities and

suburbs, he said, while farms and pastures occupy 40%. “Our natural planet is becoming an agricultural planet,” he warned. “We’re losing a soccer field of tropical forest every six seconds to agriculture.”

Deforestation is not just a biodiversity issue—it’s a climate doublewhammy. When trees are cleared for farmland, stored carbon is released into the atmosphere, while the Earth’s capacity to absorb future emissions is also diminished. “It’s like trying to clean your house while smashing the vacuum cleaner to bits in the living room,” Grunwald quipped.

Groosman echoed the urgency of stopping deforestation and peatland conversion, particularly in tropical regions. “We need to continue being more productive on the land we’ve already converted,” she said. “And we need to ensure the food we produce is not wasted. We can grow more food on the same amount of land—and waste less of what we already grow.”

WHEN “GOOD” FARMING IS BAD FOR THE PLANET

For both speakers, the public’s biggest misconception is that small-scale, organic, or grass-fed farming is automatically better for the environment. “If you’re just looking at climate impacts, your grass-fed beef is actually worse than other beef,” Groosman said. “Organic food often has a higher climate footprint because it uses more land. There are other reasons to support it—animal welfare, reduced pesticide use—but not climate.”

Grunwald took the argument further. “People have read too much Michael Pollan,” he said with a grin. “They think the tragedy was when small, bucolic farms became industrial monocultures. But the real environmental tragedy was when nature became those small farms in the first place—that’s when we lost biodiversity and carbon.”

Industrial farming, for all its sins, is brutally efficient. “Factories are good at making stuff,” Grunwald noted. “And agriculture’s big job over the next 30 years is to produce more food than it has produced in the last 12,000. If ‘regenerative’ methods make less food per acre, they’ll need more acres—and that eats more of the Earth.”

The uncomfortable truth, he said, is that agriculture’s environmental damage stems less from chemistry than from geometry. The more land it occupies, the less nature remains.

DOING MORE WITH LESS

Both panelists agree that technology—not austerity—offers the most straightforward path forward. “The short answer to what needs to happen,” Grunwald said, “is that we need to eat food that uses less land and make food that uses less land.”

On the demand side, two simple levers stand out: eat less beef and waste less food. Beef alone uses ten times as much land and produces ten times the emissions as chicken or pork. “We use a land mass the size of China to grow garbage,” he said. “That’s dumb.”

On the supply side, Grunwald sees a wave of innovation just beginning to crest. “I’ve reported on dozens of

promising solutions,” he said, citing gene-edited microbes that can capture nitrogen from the air, alternative fertilizers that reduce runoff, and even AI-assisted efforts to reinvent photosynthesis. At the University of Illinois, researchers are engineering crops that could boost yields by 50% over the next two decades. “Photosynthesis has done a pretty good job maintaining life on Earth for three billion years,” he said. “But it turns out to be really inefficient.”

He’s equally bullish on the future of meat alternatives. “People say fake meat was a fad that failed, but think about it—it was a technological miracle to make meat out of plants that tasted 90% as good and cost only 40% more. The next step is to make it taste just as good and cost less. The cow is a mature technology. This stuff will get better.”

Groosman pointed to another often-overlooked frontier: livestock efficiency. “If you look at a cow in the Netherlands or California, it produces milk six to ten times more efficiently than a cow in India,” she said. “If we help the Global South improve productivity—through better feed, vaccines, and breeding—we can dramatically cut emissions and land use without adding more animals.”

She also emphasized the need for massive R&D investment in climateresilient crops. “We’re already seeing droughts from California to Spain,” she said. “Yet soy and corn are having record yields this year because of decades of investment in genetic diversity. We need that same kind of R&D for other crops—or we’ll see catastrophic losses.”

THE BRAZILIAN LESSON

Grunwald illustrated how technology and pragmatism can coexist in unlikely places. During his reporting in Brazil, he found ranchers who were improving productivity tenfold through techniques like rotational grazing, cover cropping, and no-till farming. “They hadn’t read Michael Pollan,” he said dryly. “They weren’t environmentalists—they were just getting kick-ass yields.”

By intensifying production on already-degraded land, these ranchers were protecting the rainforest by default. “If you care about emissions, you have to care about cattle—because that’s where the emissions are,” Grunwald said. “Helping ranchers in Brazil go from one cow per ten acres to one per acre is one of the biggest levers we have for the climate.”

Groosman agreed that boosting yields can generate what she calls “triple wins”—for farmers, for income, and for the planet. “Higher yields, higher incomes, and lower emissions,” she said. “That’s the kind of alignment we need.”

CHANGING DIETS—OR CHANGING SYSTEMS?

Despite their shared conviction that meat production must shrink, neither advocate believes lecturing consumers will solve the problem. Groosman, a vegetarian, admits that changing human behavior is “incredibly hard.”

“Pythagoras was advocating vegetarianism 2,500 years ago,” she said. “We’re in 2025, and we’re still not there. People are actually eating more protein. So our focus is to make sure that when you walk into a supermarket, whatever’s available has the lowest environmental footprint possible.”

Grunwald was even blunter. “You find the level of hypocrisy you’re comfortable with,” he said. “I have solar panels and an electric car, but I fly too much. I cut out beef and lamb, but I still eat chicken and pork because

they’re delicious. The world ate 450 million tons of meat last year. The people who say the answer is simple—‘just stop’—that’s not a solution. Perfect isn’t on the menu, but better is better than worse.”

For all their realism, both panelists ended on a hopeful note. “When I started writing about climate 20 years ago, there were no alternatives to fossil fuels,” Grunwald said. “There was no solar, no wind, no electric cars. Now we’re in the middle of a clean-energy revolution. The fact that we’ve made so little progress on food just means we haven’t started yet—but we will.”

Groosman sees a similar turning point. “Agriculture used to be the forgotten frontier of climate policy—too hard, too complicated,” she said. “Now it’s at the center of the conversation. There are so many events on food here at Climate Week. With everyone’s heads together, we can find solutions that are triple wins for farmers and consumers alike.”

As the conversation closed, Middleton captured the mood in the room. “With both of you working on this issue,” she said, “I’m feeling optimistic, too.”

The optimism is warranted. The challenges are vast, but so is human ingenuity. Just as energy transformed in two decades, the next revolution— quietly sprouting in labs, test fields, and startup kitchens—may redefine what it means to feed the world. If agriculture once ate the Earth, perhaps technology can finally teach it to share.

Alicia White on Turning Local Frustration Into Collective Climate Action

From transforming a vacant lot in Queens to shaping a $4.2 billion environmental bond, Alicia White shows how grassroots action and youth mentorship can drive real climate solutions from the front lines.

BY EVA CROUSE

Alicia White, award-winning entrepreneur, environmental activist, and founder of Project Petals and Blue Sky, has dedicated her career to turning frustration into tangible community impact. White’s journey began in Jamaica, Queens, where a vacant lot in her neighborhood was being used as a dumping ground. “I would pass it every day, and I just got frustrated. And I decided that I wanted to do something about it. Not knowing that fast forward 10 years later that would turn into an organization,” she said. Her determination led to the creation of Gwen Eiffel Park, one of the largest environmental conservation projects in Queens. Recognizing the value of that experience, White founded the Project Pedals Builders Program, designed to equip young people from underresourced and BIPOC communities

in New York City with the skills, mentorship, and access needed to make a difference in their own neighborhoods. “We’ll take people in the profession of green jobs, architects, engineers, urban planners, designers, environmental scientists, and connect them with young people from frontline communities… to teach them what these professions do in hopes that they come back in the future and they actually are the people in these professions and help make an impact in their communities as well,” White explained.

Her approach emphasizes shared purpose and accessible resources. “It really has to do with working toward a common goal. So in my case, the common goal was improving our environment and really fighting for climate advocacy. Brilliance is equally distributed. Resources are not,” said White. “And so I really provided people with the resources that they needed to make an impact. And when people start to see change and start to see you as a leader making change, it prompts them to want to take action as well.”

White has also confronted the challenges posed by federal policy rollbacks and reduced environmental funding. “The changes and funding and the roll back of the EPA and protections… is impacting frontline and under-resourced communities the most because they’re bearing the brunt of climate change… we have to go back to our grassroots fundraising so that we can continue to provide the services and the resources that we’re providing for the communities that we work in,” she said.

Her leadership during the Environmental Bond Act campaign exemplified her focus on equity.

“My objective in that campaign was really to push for legislation but also funding for the underresourced communities that I work in… one of the main things I did in the coalition was to make sure that we added provisions and funding

“People feel powerless. But that’s often when the most change happens, when we take our anger and channel it into collective action.”

for communities of color and underresourced communities so we could change things like infrastructure… a lot of this is due to climate change and a lot of it’s due to a lack of funding to change infrastructure.”

White highlights infrastructure as a core concern, especially in New York City’s vulnerable neighborhoods. “The problem is resources. The problem is funding. And the problem is access… we have a lot of pipes that haven’t been changed in decades,” she said. “That creates flooding…a lot of people lost their lives due to poor infrastructure and climate change. So, one thing that we can address immediately is the poor infrastructure, and I think it’s something that often goes kind of overlooked because there isn’t a concrete person to point the finger at.”

Despite these headwinds, White remains optimistic and emphasizes action over despair. “One thing that we can hold on to now is hope. But we also need to work toward collective action… we have to use our frustrations to prompt change… joining grassroots organizations, writing to politicians, and using our specific talents… definitely thinking about what we can do individually as well as thinking about what we can do as a collective.”

She encourages others to channel frustration into momentum: “The main barrier I’ve seen is people feeling frustrated. People feel powerless. But that’s often when the most change happens… when we take our anger and channel it into collective action.”

From her first steps in Queens to her influence on citywide policy, Alicia White demonstrates that meaningful environmental change is possible when leadership, resources, and community converge.

To watch our whole conversation at Techonomy Impact, visit worth. com/watch

The Inventors of the Wristwatch Turn 250—and Are Dialing It Up

Over two centuries ago, Abraham-Louis Breguet invented the wristwatch, and today, his namesake brand continues to make an impact on the collector community and the industry.

BY CAIT BAZEMORE

Abraham-Louis Breguet founded his namesake brand in 1775, and 250 years later, he remains one of the most critical figures in horology. His contributions have earned him titles such as the “Leonardo da Vinci of Watchmaking” and the “Father of Modern Horology.” Breguet is responsible for inventions still vital in the field today—the wristwatch (1810), tourbillon (1801), anti-shock system (1790), and automatic movement (1780)—all of which exist thanks to the genius of Breguet.

The prosperity of the Breguet brand has long outlived its founder, upheld by successive generations of family leadership. Today, Emmanuel Breguet, who represents the seventh generation, serves as Vice President and Head of Patrimony, Gregory Kissling as the new CEO, and Marc Hayek as the President of Breguet and Chairman of the Swatch Group, which acquired Breguet in 1999.

“For me, the legacy of Breguet isn’t just about Abraham-Louis Breguet, his son, or anyone in our family, including me,” explains Breguet. “It’s not about the Swatch Group, which has owned Breguet for over 25 years—Breguet’s legacy is about a long chain of people who have made up the brand for 250 years. This brand has seen revolutions, wars, so many things, and here we are uninterrupted for two and a half centuries—it’s extraordinary.”

To commemorate this legacy, Breguet has rolled out a year-long 250th anniversary celebration, including the debut of five new releases so far, and the festivities aren’t over. These timepieces reflect a vast breadth of watchmaking, from the mechanics of in-house calibers designed from scratch to elaborate complications and an array of materials and métiers d’art techniques.

These timepieces have been years in the making in anticipation of the brand’s 250th birthday, and they’re an extension of the brand’s legacy—past, present, and future.

THE CLASSIQUE SOUSCRIPTION

The celebration kicked off with a model whose origins date back to pocket watches created by AbrahamLouis Breguet in the 18th century. Their design was notable for oversized cases, enamel dials, and a distinct single central hand to indicate the time.

“Breguet has rolled out a year-long 250th anniversary celebration, including the debut of five new releases so far.”

With his Souscription pocket watches, Breguet also introduced a novel concept for the era with one of the first-ever watch advertisements. The ad offered the opportunity to pre-order the model with a 25% deposit, and these deposits provided Breguet with the investment needed to enter mass production, rather than the one-by-one bespoke construction common for the era. This was a revolutionary business model at the time.

“Our history, all the work of Abraham-Louis Breguet, is always a source of inspiration, but it’s just that—inspiration, not a copy,” Breguet says. “To me, a copy is not interesting—we often have collectors who see a piece in our archives and ask if we can replicate it, and the answer is always no,” he continues. “We have a strong design language that’s timeless, but we must continue to innovate.”

The 250th Anniversary Classique Souscription reimagines this design as a wristwatch and introduces a new proprietary alloy, Breguet gold, combining gold, silver, copper, and palladium.

THE TRADITION 7035 SECONDE RÉTROGRADE

Breguet gold and enamel continue to take center stage in the next anniversary release: the Tradition 7035 Seconde Rétrograde. In line with the Tradition collection, the model’s focal point is the movement, thanks to its open-dial architecture. Here, the standard hours and minutes are displayed in the small subdial at 12 o’clock, rendered in blue grand feu enamel over a guilloché Quai de l’Horloge motif as a nod to Breguet’s historic workshop on the Île de la Cité in Paris. For this anniversary piece, the Maison’s mechanical and artistic prowess is epitomized through the automatic Caliber 505SR and the palette of gold and blue, which marks the next evolution of the brand’s signature color codes.

THE BREGUET TYPE XX CHRONOGRAPH 2075

Breguet couldn’t mark an anniversary year without the icon of its catalog: the Type XX. The design draws inspiration from two key sources: Louis Breguet, an aircraft manufacturer and great-grandson of the founder, and the aviator duo Dieudonné Costes and Maurice Bellonte, who were the first to fly from Paris to New York in 1930 in a Breguet plane.

“The Type XX Chronograph 2075 is an example of good chemistry between the past and present,” describes Breguet. “The collection started as a tool for pilots, but we no longer need watches for this. We still create a design in the spirit of aviation,” he explains, “but we elevate it into the realm of high watchmaking with finishes, specifically on the movement.”

The 250th anniversary edition of the historic pilot’s watch is enhanced with Breguet gold and the addition of a manually wound caliber for the first time. The new movement is visible through the exhibition caseback and hand-engraved with a depiction of the 1930 flight path and the Breguet 19 aircraft mid-flight.

THE CLASSIQUE TOURBILLON SIDÉRAL 7255

Breguet’s tourbillon patent has remained one of the brand’s most significant achievements since it was filed on June 26, 1801, a day celebrated annually as Tourbillon Day. “In 224 years, we’ve crossed four centuries— the last quarter of the 18th, all of the 19th and 20th, and the first quarter of the 21st,” Breguet observes. “This reveals something about the genius of Abraham-Louis Breguet—it’s very rare to have a founder who continues to have such an influence after several centuries.”

For this commemorative model, the Maison ups the ante with its first-ever flying tourbillon powered by the new Caliber 187M1. Unlike the traditional tourbillon, the flying tourbillon’s cage is supported only

by its lower bridge, without an upper bar. It’s held solely from below and elevated above everything as the showpiece of the dial. Housed in Breguet gold, the flying tourbillon is set within a blue enamel dial, featuring small copper particles that mimic the look of aventurine quartz.

THE MARINE HORA MUNDI 5555

The last among the anniversary releases so far presents the brand’s unique travel-time system alongside a combination of modern artistic craft techniques that mimic NASA’s “Black Marble,” the space agency’s nighttime satellite imagery of Earth. From a technical perspective, Breguet’s approach to the time zone display works by setting the home time and date using the crown at 3 o’clock. The second city using the push-button crown at 8 o’clock, with a small indicator at 4 o’clock indicating whether it’s day or night. The dial also highlights two métiers d’art techniques: a guilloche disc decorated with a gradation from sky blue to navy blue overlaid with a second disc hand-painted with

phosphorescent enamel, applied with a patented process.

THE NEXT 250 YEARS OF BREGUET

As Emmanuel Breguet so eloquently stated, Breguet’s legacy isn’t just about one entity—it’s bigger than this. I’d go on to say that it’s not just about the history of a brand but watchmaking as a whole. Yes, timekeeping traces back to sundials in ancient Egypt. Clockmaking and the first portable watches predate Breguet’s founding by hundreds of years. However, modern watchmaking as we know it took shape in the late 1700s when AbrahamLouis Breguet established his namesake brand.

“There can be an emphasis that we create watches for the collectors, and of course, we consider this,” shares Breguet. “There are collectors who have followed the brand through many generations of their families, and that’s very special to us,” he continues. “But for me, it’s how we’ve served and continue to serve the industry that’s just as important. Propelling the art of watchmaking forward, that’s the legacy of Breguet.”

Smoke, Sound, and Style: A Kansas City Revival

Once known for swing and slow-cooked ribs, KC is now a destination for design lovers, art pilgrims, and travelers seeking soul over spectacle.

BY KIRSTEN CLUTHE

America’s heartland holds its own surprises. Straddling the line between Midwest warmth and big-city sophistication, Kansas City is an easy hub for travelers moving between coasts—an unassuming crossroads you might think to pass through. But stay awhile and you’ll find a city with rhythm and depth: the birthplace of swing, where Count Basie and Charlie Parker cut their teeth, and where craftsmanship— in music, art, and food—remains a civic art form. Kansas City is part of a broader renaissance redefining what it means to travel well in America: slowing down to rediscover place, finding luxury in substance, and inspiration in the unexpected.

STAY: THE TRUITT

Set in a meticulously restored 1916 Georgian Revival mansion, The Truitt feels more like staying in an artist’s home than a hotel—and that’s perhaps the most luxurious kind of stay. With just six rooms, it’s intimate but never precious—an urban refuge lined with vintage rugs, local art, and soft natural light. The library is stocked with design books and records; the courtyard is perfect for morning coffee or an evening glass of wine. Steps from the NelsonAtkins Museum of Art, it’s ideal for travelers who like their luxury served with local texture.

SEE: THE NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM OF ART

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art defies regional expectations. You might come for the architecture—a neoclassical original joined by an award-winning glass pavilion—but you’ll stay for the way the art and landscape breathe together. Inside, galleries stretch from ancient Chinese ceramics to contemporary photography, each space curated

with the kind of precision usually reserved for museums in Paris or New York.

Step outside, and the museum’s 22-acre sculpture park unfolds like a poem in limestone and green. Broad steps descend from the portico through terraces edged with Japanese yew and rows of ginkgo trees. Below, a central mall framed by deep allées of Redmond lindens shades straight limestone paths. Vine-covered steel pavilions mark the entrances to pine and hardwood groves—remnants of the original 1930s landscape by Hare & Hare. Along meandering brick walks, Henry Moore bronzes rest in the woods, where art and nature blur into one quiet conversation. Admission is free —a gesture as generous as the space itself.

And of course, the monumental shuttlecocks—Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s whimsical icons—scatter across the lawn, playful and enormous all at once. It’s this tension between gravity and delight that defines Kansas City itself: serious about art, but never self-serious.

EXPLORE: COUNTRY CLUB PLAZA

A few minutes south, Country Club Plaza offers a surprising dose of Old World charm. Designed in the 1920s by developer J.C. Nichols, the Plaza was modeled after Seville, Spain— complete with tiled fountains, ornate ironwork, and a clock tower that chimes on the hour. It’s where you’ll find luxury shopping, local boutiques, wine bars, and cafés worth stopping into. With proximity to Brush Creek, you can take a leisurely walk, run, or bike ride along the waterway.

EAT & DRINK

Kansas City’s culinary scene is grounded in a barbecue legacy built by Black pitmasters who sustained the cattle ranchers and Mexican immigrants who worked its once-booming stockyards. That foundation still holds—but the story has evolved.

Today, you’ll find chefs reimagining Midwestern food through a global lens, shaping a dining landscape as varied as the people who built it. Barbecue and butchery remain the city’s soul, but now they share space with handpulled noodles, vegan counters, and tasting rooms that would feel at home in Brooklyn or Paris.

To understand Kansas City’s creative pulse, start at The Monarch, a cocktail lounge that treats mixology like theater. Each cocktail is narrative-driven—a sensory story in glass. The Monarch Butterfly (mezcal, amaro, and black honey) is smoky and bittersweet, while the room itself—a swirl of brass, marble, and velvet—feels both cinematic and grounded. It’s the kind of place where you might overhear an art professor dissecting a new exhibit at one table while a tattooed musician chats with the bartender about last night’s set.

At Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque, one of the institutions that anchors Kansas City’s culinary mythology,

nothing is rushed. Founded in the 1930s, it’s the kind of place that has nothing to prove. The sauce is tangy, the ribs are primal, and the counter service is brisk but affectionate. Legend has it that presidents, blues musicians, and truck drivers have all stood shoulder to shoulder in line. Order the burnt ends—a Kansas City invention—crisp-edged, tender, and unapologetically messy, served on wax paper with a slice of white bread. You’ll leave smelling like smoke, and that’s half the point.

For a more contemporary take, The Town Company channels Kansas City’s creative spirit with elegant ease. Helmed by James Beard–nominated chefs Johnny and Helen Jo Leach, the restaurant’s open hearth glows with white oak as dishes emerge—modern, soulful

interpretations of regional ingredients. The menu rotates seasonally, shaped by local farmers and purveyors, but always feels rooted in place. Sit at the chef’s counter if you can, and save room for dessert to enjoy Helen Jo’s brilliant pastry work. Upstairs in the Hotel Kansas City, the Nighthawk bar extends the experience, with live music, drag performances, and cocktails that match the city’s playful sophistication.

If you prefer your dining a little more unbuttoned, head to The Campground, a rustic-chic hideaway where moody walls and a copper bar set the tone. Think summer camp reimagined by a designer with a sense of humor and a well-stocked bar. The martini, served with a side of potato chips, is a local legend. With its gardenlit patio and vegetable-forward plates,

The Campground embodies the city’s shift toward creativity without pretension.

Kansas City’s food scene, much like the city itself, has range. White collars are still risky—barbecue sauce is a constant hazard, but whether you’re at a high-end tasting counter or a family-run carnicería, every restaurant works hard to make you feel at home.

THE TAKEAWAY

Kansas City prizes craft over flash, flavor over fuss. From the art-lined lawns of the Nelson-Atkins to the smoky counter at Arthur Bryant’s, it reminds travelers that luxury can be found in authenticity—and that some of America’s richest culture still lives in the middle of the map.

The Original Ethical Winemaker: Inside Nicolas Joly’s Living Vineyard

In the Loire’s misty hills, one man’s devotion to the rhythms of nature turned a vineyard into a living, breathing ecosystem.

BY JONATHAN RUSSO AND DEBORAH GRAYSON

Opera lovers have La Scala in Milan. Skiers have Wyoming’s Jackson Hole, surfers have the Banzai Pipeline in Hawaii. For Biodynamic oenophiles, the ultimate wine pilgrimage is to La Coulee de Serrant in France’s Loire Valley. There, since 1984, Nicolas Joly has held court as one of the world’s most influential Biodynamic wine makers. His farming philosophy changed everything we believed about wine.

Joly’s philosophy has gone global. From Stellenbosch to Mendoza to Napa Valley, winemakers inspired by his Biodynamic principles are producing standout bottles of their own.

Highly charismatic and with a barely contained excitement, Nicolas greets us with a far more youthful intensity than his 80 years belie, “We were right. They were wrong,” are his first words. He’s referring to our shared conviction that the earth must be honored, not manipulated.

Perched on the edge of a comfortably worn armchair in his family’s lived-in château—purchased by his surgeon father in the 1960s to

bring them closer to the rhythms of the countryside—Nicolas animatedly held court for an audience of two.

He didn’t mention it, but we learned later that the day before our meeting, he had been awarded the prestigious lifetime achievement award from Decanter Magazine for a combination of his pioneering Biodynamic farming, elevating his vineyard to global prominence, and consistently making award-winning wine.

Nicolas didn’t start from scratch. His father upheld the vigneron’s task of making quality wine, a responsibility given to the owner of the chateau when King Louis XI, around 1450, named it one of his seven court wines, an honor that was continued by Louis XIV. These Louis were a bit late in granting elite status to this 300+ year-old vineyard planted by Cistercian monks in 1130. Initially, Nicolas didn’t plan to be a vigeron. After graduating from Columbia with an MBA (He said, “I didn’t know what to do, so I got a business degree”), followed by work in Quebec, bumming around Latin America, and finally two years in London with JP Morgan, which involved analyzing petrochemical fertilizer companies including the

one making Round-up, Nicolas realized the work he was doing was detrimental to everything his family had taught him to respect in the natural world. So, he returned to his childhood home.

Somewhere along this journey he became aware of polymath genius Rudoph Steiner, whose theory and application of Biodynamics was the antithesis of all chemical intervention. By happenstance, Francois Bouchet, a Biodynamic vigneron, farmed nearby in Saumur. He became Nicolas’ inspiration, although Nicolas confessed, “The first seven years were awkward. Agri-chemical farming is easy. Learning from nature is much more complicated. But is your goal the taste of the grapes or the technology?”

A brief Steiner intro. Early in the 20th century, Steiner believed soil was part of a life force whose components included planets, atmospheric molecules, and the microbic make-up of soil. To heal the earth was to make it teem with life. He prescribed procedures that considered the position of the planets, the orientation of crops, natural fertilizers derived from animals raised near the crops, and mixtures of “teas” placed in cow horns. Joly explained, “Steiner understood each vineyard extends up to the universe.”

The ultimate goal of following Steiner is to produce fantastic wine, which Joly has accomplished for decades. Production at La Coulee is very small. Along with his son and daughter (both of whom he has a legacy arrangement with), and a tiny staff, 11 hectares (27 acres) are farmed, producing only three cuvees: Coulee de Serrant, Clos de la Bergerie, and Les Vieux Clos. Altogether, they produce only 20,000 bottles.

Far from its glamorous debut in a private Paris tasting salon—where the winning wine was guaranteed to sell out—Coulée is now offered only by allocation. Nicolas reserves

a small quantity for visitors to the château, which welcomes guests year-round.

All three cuvees share the white grape, Chenin Blanc, which dominates the Loire. In an incredible feat of both political machination and viniculture, Joly has created his own tiny appellation (AOC), i.e., he must conform to his own standards, which in turn are overseen by the larger wine regulatory bodies of both the Loire and France. Nicolas laughed heartily, “An inspector from the state came to make sure the grapes we picked were the ones used in the wine press. Absurd, no?”

His grapes are carefully handharvested by a coterie of paid volunteers. Most are retired neighbors who come for the great harvest atmosphere and a farm-totable meal.

Based on the orientation and altitude of the vines, there are usually three harvests, but in 2025, Nicolas somberly reflected, “For the first time in 45 years, we had just one early harvest. The planet is changing.”

He believes, as many winemakers now do, that “if you have to act in the cellar, it means you missed something in the field.” His devotion to farming runs deep. After testing cow, horse, pig, and chicken manure, Nicolas found that cow manure—specifically from a heritage breed he helped rescue from extinction—produces the best results. Combined with his biodynamic teas, it provides all the fertilizer he needs. Even his horses play a role, hauling grapes to the cellar to avoid the fumes of tractors. Another way in which Coulee de Serrant diverges from conventional winemaking is that only the yeasts found on the grapes and the cellar air are allowed to start the fermentation. Nicolas is horrified by the institutionalized acceptance of over 350 varieties of manufactured yeasts routinely used to manipulate wine’s taste. “This is unacceptable if you care about your grape and its terroir.”

Oak barrel-aging takes six to eight months. When the wine is put into bottles for additional aging, it is neither fined (a process using egg albumin) nor filtered because “My wine must be alive, to have the spirit of our vineyard, to be true to the terroir, and contain the energy the cosmos put into it.”

Even Bordeaux’s top estates— Châteaux Margaux, Petrus, and Haut-Brion—now follow Biodynamic principles, as do Napa icons like Opus One. Importers such as Jenny & François and Skurnik focus solely on ethically made wines, and sommeliers from Taos to Tribeca are pouring the same. As Jancis Robinson puts it, Biodynamic grapes simply make better wine.

While the ethical movement is increasing, it’s still tiny. Only 5% globally, 80% of which is from the E.U., are organic, Biodynamic, or natural. Joly observed, “It is difficult to mass-produce wine for a global market. It takes time and integrity to make it the right way.”

Unfortunately, Demeter, the largest Biodynamic certifying organization, is having issues. One problem is that each country has its own guidelines, so wine certified in France will differ from that certified in Germany, while America has the strictest policies. Plus, the rules change in non-sensical ways. For example, a “tea”- making machine that previously spun clockwise must now spin counterclockwise, requiring new, expensive equipment to comply. The result is that Joly and many others continue to practice Biodynamics but eschew Demeter certification.

After hours spent together in his chateau and touring his sloping vineyards delineated by medieval walls overlooking the Loire, we met Nicolas’s friends—the heritage cows, horse, and donkey. We will always remember his parting words: “From birth to death, we have freedom. We can do what we want with our lives.”

He’s an extraordinary example of this credo.

EVENTS

WE RECOMMEND THESE EVENTS TO BRIDGE THE WINTER AND SPRING SEASONS.

DECEMBER

Art Basel

DECEMBER 5-7, 2025 , MIAMI BEACH, FL

Hide from the cold this December by flying to Art Basel in Miami Beach, FL. This year, the most significant change comes to the large-scale section known as “Meridians.” For the first time, it won’t be separated off or hidden behind walls; instead, these artistic giants will take center stage.

Consumer Electronic Show (CES)

JANUARY 7-10, 2025, LAS VEGAS, NV

CES, the premier global tech event, showcases cutting-edge consumer technology. Top innovators, dynamic exhibits, and networking opportunities will offer insight into tomorrow’s technology trends.

World Economic Forum Annual Meeting

JANUARY 20-24, 2025, DAVOS, SWITZERLAND

Join global leaders to collaborate on sustainable development, climate action, and social equity. Address complex global challenges through cross-sector innovation and policy discussions.

Super Bowl LX

FEBRUARY 8, 2026, SANTA CLARA, CA

Super Bowl LX will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Headlining the Apple Music SuperBowl Halftime show will be artist Bad Bunny—one of this year’s Worthy 100 Honorees.

iConnections

- Global Alts Miami 2026

FEBRUARY 23-26, 2026, MIAMI, FL

Global Alts Miami is the world’s largest capital introduction event, bringing together fund managers and institutional investors for high-level networking, thought leadership, and one-onone meetings in Miami Beach.