Honoree Carmen R. Velasquez Carmen R. Velasquez New York State Supreme Court Justice, District 11 "It has not been easy for me but I am grateful for the opportunity to attend school and get an education, and the opportu...
Honoree Ralph de la Vega Ralph de la Vega Former Vice Chairman AT&T Mr. de la Vega is the former Vice Chairman of AT&T Inc. and CEO of Business Solutions & International on Feb. 1, 2016. In that capacity, he h...
Honoree Anthony Hopkins Anthony Hopkins Actor Anthony Hopkins is an Oscar-winning actor known for roles in many films, including The Lion in Winter, Silence of the Lambs and The Remains of the Day. Born on December ...
Honoree Douglas Leone Douglas Leone Venture capitalist and Global Managing Partner Sequoia Capital Douglas Leone is an Italian-born American venture capitalist and managing partner at Sequoia Capital. He moved to t...
Honoree Eren Ozmen Eren Ozmen Owner and President Sierra Nevada Corporation Eren joined Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) in 1988, shortly after receiving her MBA from the University of Nevada, Reno. With the same...
Honoree Jeff Skoll Jeff Skoll Founder and Chairman Skoll Foundation As founder and chairman of the Skoll Foundation, the Skoll Global Threats Fund, Participant Media, and the Capricorn Investment Group, Jeff Sko...
Honoree Viet Thanh Nguyen Viet Thanh Nguyen Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen was born in Ban Me Thuot, Viet Nam. He came to the United States as a refugee in 1975 with his family and was initially set...
Honoree Bharati Mukherjee Bharati Mukherjee National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author “I am an American, not an Asian-American. My rejection of hyphenation has been called race treachery, but it is really a de...
Honoree Jim Carrey Jim Carrey Actor, Comedian “This country has helped define me and make my dreams come true,” Jim Carrey said in a 2004 statement after becoming a U.S. citizen. The actor, comedian and produce...
Honoree Mehret Mandefro Mehret Mandefro Physician, anthropologist, filmmaker “When people saw the film, they understood how women and girls are treated in almost every facet of society and how the issue of violence...
Honoree Michael Moritz Michael Moritz Chairman, Sequoia Capital "Since our wealth – like all fortunes – rests so heavily on the intelligence, work and contributions of others it seems only right that we voluntaril...
Honoree Nadia Comaneci Nadia Comaneci Five-time Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics "In my head, the destination was the United States, but I had no idea how I was going to get there. I was very scared, but I was m...
Honoree Noubar Afeyan Noubar Afeyan Entrepreneur, venture capitalist, philanthropist “What keeps you from innovating is being comfortable. If you’re an immigrant, then you’re used to being out of your comfort zon...
Honoree Sally Jewell Sally Jewell Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior “What I am most proud of and feel I really moved the meter on is resetting the federal government relationship with indigenous people of thi...
Honoree Selu Alofipo Selu Alofipo Artist, White House “Champion of Change” “Although I am very proud of my heritage, I am extremely thankful for the blessings and opportunities made available to me in this great...
Honoree Thuan Pham Thuan Pham CTO, Uber Technologies, Inc. “When we reached the US as refugees, we had to start our lives over with empty hands, but it was the hope and promise of the American Dream that kept ...
Honoree Thomas Campbell Thomas Campbell Born in Singapore and raised in Cambridge, England, Thomas P. Campbell is the director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, where he has overseen the openings ...
Honoree Preet Bharara Preet Bharara Known for his office's prosecutions of nearly 100 Wall Street executives, Preet Bharara is the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. His office has reached histo...
Honoree Rakesh Khurana Rakesh Khurana In addition to being the Dean of Harvard College, Rakesh Khurana is the Marvin Bower Professor of Leadership and Development in organizational behavior at Harvard Business Sch...
Honoree Eugene Volokh Eugene Volokh A law professor at the UCLA School of Law, Eugene Volokh is cofounder of the blog, "The Volokh Conspiracy," which runs on the Washington Post's website (which is independent of...
Honoree Ann Telnaes Ann Telnaes Ann Telnaes is a syndicated editorial cartoonist whose work appears in newspapers across the country. She is the second woman to earn a Pulitzer in this category and one of the f...
Honoree Thalía Thalía Born Ariadna Thaliaa Sodi Miranda, Thalia is a Mexican singer, author, and actress, who is known as the "Queen of Latin Pop" internationally. She has sold more than 400 million rec...
Honoree David Tran David Tran Businessperson Born in Vietnam, David Tran named his company, Huy Fong Foods, after the boat by which he immigrated to America. Seeking to create a kind of Heinz ketchup for the Vi...
Honoree Tan Dun Tan Dun Composer Born in 1957 in Si Mao, China, composer and conductor Tan Dun is one of the most prominent figures in classical music, merging Chinese musical traditions with Western instrum...