The Stimulist's 7 People to Watch

Find out why you need to pay attention to these 7 people.

DJ Spooky (Paul D. Miller) Disc Jockey - It’s not your average DJ that goes to college in Maine, has degrees in French lit and philosophy, and writes science fiction on the side. But then, it’s also not your average DJ who’s still working at 40—and showing at NY’s Museum of Modern Art. Suffice it to say, Mr. Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky) is like no other DJ you know. DJ Spooky’s sound, as a composer/producer, is so unique he had to make up a name for it: “illbient,” (hip hop mixed with electronic music ).

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DJ Spooky (Paul D. Miller) Disc Jockey - It’s not your average DJ that goes to college in Maine, has degrees in French lit and philosophy, and writes science fiction on the side. But then, it’s also not your average DJ who’s still working at 40—and showing at NY’s Museum of Modern Art. Suffice it to say, Mr. Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky) is like no other DJ you know. DJ Spooky’s sound, as a composer/producer, is so unique he had to make up a name for it: “illbient,” (hip hop mixed with electronic music ).

Gavin Newsom Mayor of San Francisco - Gavin Newsom, 43, has all the trappings of political stardom: good looks, ambition, charisma, and a signature issue. He’s even got the sex scandal thing down. The youngest San Francisco mayor in a century, Newsom has implemented one of the country’s most progressive agendas over the last five years. It’s gotten him into trouble but it’s also earned him a profile high enough to give him a legit shot in next year’s gubernatorial election.

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Gavin Newsom Mayor of San Francisco - Gavin Newsom, 43, has all the trappings of political stardom: good looks, ambition, charisma, and a signature issue. He’s even got the sex scandal thing down. The youngest San Francisco mayor in a century, Newsom has implemented one of the country’s most progressive agendas over the last five years. It’s gotten him into trouble but it’s also earned him a profile high enough to give him a legit shot in next year’s gubernatorial election.

Geoffrey Canada CEO Harlem Children Zone </br - Born and raised in The Bronx and schooled at Bowdoin College and Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, over the years Canada has honed and refined his techniques in his quest to make Harlem a safe, healthy place to grow up and lead a successful life. The 57-year-old founded the Harlem Children’s Zone in 1990. Students from the Harlem Children’s Zone now regularly outperform their peers in educational-performance tests of all kinds.

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Geoffrey Canada CEO Harlem Children Zone </br - Born and raised in The Bronx and schooled at Bowdoin College and Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, over the years Canada has honed and refined his techniques in his quest to make Harlem a safe, healthy place to grow up and lead a successful life. The 57-year-old founded the Harlem Children’s Zone in 1990. Students from the Harlem Children’s Zone now regularly outperform their peers in educational-performance tests of all kinds.

Harold Koh Dept. of State Legal Adviser - Koh, 57, Yale Law School’s first Asian-American dean and the son of Yale’s first Asian professor, has the kind of back story that makes his fantastic accomplishments seem like foregone conclusions. President Obama nominated Koh for Legal Adviser to the Department of State and last week, a Senate Committee confirmed Koh (12-5), giving him “far-reaching influence over the extent to which international norms affect U.S. law.”

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Harold Koh Dept. of State Legal Adviser - Koh, 57, Yale Law School’s first Asian-American dean and the son of Yale’s first Asian professor, has the kind of back story that makes his fantastic accomplishments seem like foregone conclusions. President Obama nominated Koh for Legal Adviser to the Department of State and last week, a Senate Committee confirmed Koh (12-5), giving him “far-reaching influence over the extent to which international norms affect U.S. law.”

Kevin Johnson Mayor of Sacramento, Calif. - Even before the end his illustrious NBA career, which began in 1987, Sacramento native Kevin Johnson founded an educational foundation and a charter school in the city’s rough Oak Park neighborhood, and turned one around in Harlem. Once he retired, Johnson moved back home and became the principal at Sacramento High. After a hard-fought mayoral race, Johnson joined Adrian Fenty and Corey Booker on the roster of young, ambitious African-American mayors looking to revitalize American cities.

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Kevin Johnson Mayor of Sacramento, Calif. - Even before the end his illustrious NBA career, which began in 1987, Sacramento native Kevin Johnson founded an educational foundation and a charter school in the city’s rough Oak Park neighborhood, and turned one around in Harlem. Once he retired, Johnson moved back home and became the principal at Sacramento High. After a hard-fought mayoral race, Johnson joined Adrian Fenty and Corey Booker on the roster of young, ambitious African-American mayors looking to revitalize American cities.

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Mark Sanchez New York Jets Quarterback - A third-generation Mexican-American and former University of Southern California star quarterback, Sanchez wasn’t just representing the school, he was proudly representing the nearly four-and-a-half million Latinos in L.A. Now, after leading the Trojans to within a game of the national title, he’s set to prove himself in New York City after being drafted by the Jets.

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Mark Sanchez New York Jets Quarterback - A third-generation Mexican-American and former University of Southern California star quarterback, Sanchez wasn’t just representing the school, he was proudly representing the nearly four-and-a-half million Latinos in L.A. Now, after leading the Trojans to within a game of the national title, he’s set to prove himself in New York City after being drafted by the Jets.

Michele Norris Journalist - With an Emmy and a Pulitzer on her mantle, Michele Norris is easily the crown jewel of National Public Radio (NPR). The Minnesota native served as an ABC News correspondent and wrote for the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and L.A. Times before taking the reins at NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Her supernatural ease behind the mic has earned her a proverbial “cult-like” following.

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Michele Norris Journalist - With an Emmy and a Pulitzer on her mantle, Michele Norris is easily the crown jewel of National Public Radio (NPR). The Minnesota native served as an ABC News correspondent and wrote for the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and L.A. Times before taking the reins at NPR’s “All Things Considered.” Her supernatural ease behind the mic has earned her a proverbial “cult-like” following.