We owe the very idea of the learning organization to management strategist Peter Senge. In the 1990s, he provided the ultimate decoder ring for CEOs who wanted to apply collaboration and systems theory in the workplace.

Sandy Bodecker, 56, believes inspiration is everywhere. Last year, his team found what they were looking for in suspension-bridge cables. The result: the revolutionary Flywire technology, and the lightest and strongest high-performance footwear ever.

Making aging less of a drag is Joseph Coughlin’s mission — and with some 80,000 Americans turning 60 each day, it’s a more pressing task than ever. Coughlin, 47, runs the first multidisciplinary research lab devoted to using smart technology to bolster older folks’ quality of life.

Check out the rest of the list and be inspired.