Elizabeth Alexander is a poet, professor and current chair of the African American Studies Department at Yale University. A graduate of Yale and Boston University, she holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Pennsylvania. In 2008, Dr. Alexander was selected to compose and read a poem at the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Mario Batali is one of the country’s most celebrated chefs. He has opened six highly successful restaurants in New York City. Batali is a familiar television personality, from his Food Network cooking show, Molto Mario, to his recent PBS series, Spain…On the Road Again, and his appearances as a competitor on Iron Chef.

Stephen Colbert is the host and executive producer of The Colbert Report, an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series on Comedy Central. His show is touted by The New York Times as “one of the best television shows of the year” and praised by Entertainment Weekly as “the best show of the year.”

Louise Erdrich is the author of 13 novels as well as volumes of poetry, short stories, children's books, and a memoir of early motherhood. Her novel “Love Medicine” (1984) won the National Book Critics Circle Award and “The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse” (2001) was a finalist for the National Book Award.

Malcolm Gladwell is the author of four New York Times bestsellers: "The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference" (2000), "Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking" (2005), "Outliers: The Story of Success" (2008) and “What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures” (2009).

Eva Longoria became a household name when she was cast as Gabrielle Solis on the hit television show Desperate Housewives. A Screen Actors Guild Award winner and Golden Globe nominee, Eva is a champion of charities and organizations supporting Latinos.

Yo-Yo Ma’s multi-faceted career is testament to his continual search for new ways to communicate with audiences, and to his personal desire for artistic growth and renewal.

Her Majesty Queen Noor is an international public servant and an outspoken voice on issues of world peace and justice. She plays an active role in promoting international exchange and understanding of Arab and Muslim culture and politics, Arab-Western relations, as well as conflict prevention and recovery.

Mike Nichols has been one of the America’s leading directors for more than 30 years. One of only twelve winners of all the major American entertainment awards (Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and Tony), Nichols’s productions focus on the absurdities of modern life as revealed in personal relationships.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of The Dr. Oz Show, is Vice-Chair and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University and directs the Cardiovascular Institute and Complementary Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Meryl Streep made her film debut in 1977. She has since been nominated for 25 Golden Globes and 15 Academy Awards (including wins for both Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress in Sophie’s Choice and Kramer v. Kramer, respectively) and, in 2004, received the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award.

Athlete, artist, mother, wife, philanthropist – Kristi Yamaguchi’s accomplishments prove that with hard work and dedication, dreams can come true.