Joshua Ishmael Vargas Joshua Ishmael is the founder of Love Changes, a global nonprofit dedicated to ending child abuse through awareness, healing, and community action. A survivor himself, Joshua transformed his personal trauma into a mission to build “Forever Homes” — safe, self-sustaining spaces where children can heal and thrive. His vision is simple but profound: to create a world where every child feels safe, seen, and free. Through poetry, empathy, and strategy, Joshua connects with people in their most vulnerable moments, helping them find words, healing, and hope. He believes empathy isn’t just a feeling but a powerful tool for transformation — one that, when paired with strategy, can change lives. Jacob Zuppke Jacob Zuppke is the CEO, President, and Board Member of Whisker, the leading innovator in connected pet care and the company behind Litter-Robot, Feeder-Robot, and Litterbox.com, serving over 1.25 million customers worldwide. Starting as employee #25 more than a decade ago, Jacob rose through the ranks by leading operations, marketing, and product development, helping shape Whisker into a category-defining brand. Today, he leads a team of about 100 product engineers focused on advancing the future of pet technology. As CEO, Jacob guides Whisker’s strategy and vision to create products that are as intuitive and enjoyable for humans as they are for pets. Shirin Behzadi Shirin Behzadi’s journey is a remarkable story of resilience and determination. Born and raised in Iran, she witnessed the upheaval of regime change and war as a teenager and was even arrested at age 15 by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard for speaking her mind. At 17, she arrived alone in the U.S., taking a job behind bulletproof glass at a Los Angeles gas station while earning her bachelor’s degree. Through perseverance, Shirin rose from CPA to CFO and eventually became CEO, navigating personal and professional challenges, including emergency brain surgery, while building her leadership career.