5 Cool Startup Ideas

Tim Ferriss is an acclaimed author, investor, and business innovation guru. Recognized as one of Fast Company's 'Most Innovative Business People' and Fortune's '40 under 40', he has advised early-stage technology companies, such as Uber and Facebook. Ferriss has authored four #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers, with 'The 4-Hour Workweek' being his flagbearer. His 'The Tim Ferriss Show' podcast made him 'the Oprah of audio'. Ferriss graduated from Princeton University in 2000, studying language acquisition and East Asian Studies. He honed his non-fiction writing with Pulitzer Prize winner, John McPhee.

Ray Dalio, founder and co-chairman of Bridgewater Associates, has built the world's largest and highest performing hedge fund in the past 40 years. He is the author of Principles, a number one New York Times Bestseller and Amazon Business Book of the Year. Appearing on Time 100's list of the world's most influential people and Bloomberg Markets' list of 50 most influential individuals, Dalio resides with his family in Connecticut.

Brendan Kane is a forward-thinking strategist for Fortune 500 companies, celebrities, and brands, specializing in audience engagement. He began his career at Lakeshore Entertainment, pioneering the company's first influencer campaign and working on films generating a $685m worldwide gross. Kane later developed platforms and applications for high-profile clients such as Taylor Swift and Rihanna, accessed by over 50 million people globally. He co-created an advertising technology with MTV, utilized by companies like MGM, Lionsgate, and Sony. Past roles include Vice President of Digital for Paramount Pictures and leading a major social optimization firm. Known for acquiring a million followers in under 30 days, Kane wrote bestseller One Million Followers to share his methods.

Dr. Michael Salla is a renowned scholar with expertise on international politics, conflict resolution, and U.S. foreign policy. He has held academic appointments at several institutions, including American University and George Washington University in Washington D.C., and Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. Dr. Salla, who holds a Ph.D in Government, has authored multiple books on international politics, and is credited with pioneering 'exopolitics', a field studying political processes associated with extraterrestrial life. Salla has written a series of best-selling books on the subject. He is the Founder of the Exopolitics Institute.

Rob Fitzpatrick is an author, entrepreneur, and business mentor. Over 14 years, he's run numerous small businesses and shared his knowledge in three handbooks: The Mom Test, The Workshop Survival Guide, and Write Useful Books. His books are studied at Harvard, MIT, and UCL, while companies like SkyScanner and Shopify utilize them for training. Having run training programs for companies like HP and Sony Mobile, he's also helped mentor numerous startups. His advice is practical and proven. Fitzpatrick also shares insights via short YouTube videos and more information about him can be found at robfitz.com.

Howard Marks is the co-founder and chairman of Los Angeles-based investment firm, Oaktree Capital Management, which boasts $80 billion under management. Academically, Marks achieved a Bachelor's Degree in Finance from the Wharton School and solidified his background by gaining an MBA in Accounting and Marketing from the University of Chicago.

Jake Knapp, author of "Make Time" and "Sprint", is renowned for creating the design sprint during his decade at Google and Google Ventures. He has mentored 150+ companies such as Slack, Uber, New York Times and LEGO, teaching his process. He is based in San Francisco where he resides with his family.

Marty Cagan, founder of the Silicon Valley Product Group, is a renowned figure in the tech industry who was previously an executive at notable companies like Hewlett-Packard, Netscape, and eBay. His expertise spans product management, software development, product marketing, user experience design, software testing, and general management. He also offers guidance to tech organizations via SVPG. A prominent author, his written works include "INSPIRED: How To Create Tech Products Customers Love", "EMPOWERED: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products", and "TRANSFORMED: Moving To The Product Operating Model". He is also a distinguished keynote speaker.

Lyn Alden is a renowned investment and macroeconomic analyst offering research for diverse investors through her platform, lynalden.com. Her unique expertise combines engineering and finance, focusing on energy and monetary system analysis. Besides research publishing, Alden holds positions on the board of Swan.com and acts as an advisor to venture capital firm ego death capital.

Don Norman is a distinguished designer known for his focus on the intersection of people and technology. Noted by Business Week as one of "the world's most influential designers," Norman's influence spans books, lectures, and consultations. He has held numerous esteemed positions, such as Vice President at Apple, and has been honored with multiple degrees and awards. His prolific work includes renowned books like "The Design of Everyday Things" and "Design for a Better World". Norman asserts the importance of design in solving pressing global issues, emphasizing it as a tool to understand and address human behavior. Find his work at www.jnd.org.