Businesspeople & Entrepreneurs, HAR-KAT
Explore the notable businesspeople and entrepreneurs whose ambition, risk-taking, and innovation built companies, transformed industries, and changed the way people live and work.
Businesspeople & Entrepreneurs Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Harriman, Edward Henry
Edward Henry Harriman was an American financier and railroad magnate, one of the leading builders and organizers......
Harvey, Fred
Fred Harvey was an American restaurateur, who operated a chain of restaurants along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa......
Hastings, Reed
Reed Hastings is an American entrepreneur who was cofounder (1997) of Netflix, a media-streaming and video-rental......
Havelange, JoĂŁo
JoĂŁo Havelange was a Brazilian businessman and sports official who served as president (1974â98) of the FĂ©dĂ©ration......
Hayakawa, S.I.
S.I. Hayakawa was a scholar, university president, and U.S. senator from California (1977â83). He is best known......
Hayami Masaru
Hayami Masaru was a Japanese banker and business executive who, as governor (1998â2003) of the Bank of Japan (BOJ),......
Hearst, William Randolph
William Randolph Hearst was an American newspaper publisher who built up the nationâs largest newspaper chain and......
Heinz, Henry John
Henry John Heinz was a U.S. manufacturer whose highly successful prepared-foods company, H.J. Heinz Company, Inc.,......
Heminge, John
John Heminge was an English actor who, with Henry Condell, prepared and oversaw the First Folio (1623), a collection......
Henslowe, Philip
Philip Henslowe was the most important English theatre proprietor and manager of the Elizabethan Age. Henslowe......
Herrhausen, Alfred
Alfred Herrhausen was a West German captain of industry, chairman of the countryâs largest commercial bank (Deutsche......
Hewitt, Abram Stevens
Abram Stevens Hewitt was an American industrialist, philanthropist, and politician who in 1886 defeated Henry George......
Hewlett, William
William Hewlett was an American engineer and businessman who cofounded the electronics and computer corporation......
Heyman, I. Michael
I. Michael Heyman was an American scholar known for his academic career at the University of California at Berkeley......
Hill, George Washington
George Washington Hill was an American businessman whose marketing efforts introduced women to cigarettes. Leaving......
Hill, James J.
James J. Hill was an American financier and railroad builder who helped expand rail networks in the northwestern......
Hill, Sir Rowland
Sir Rowland Hill was a British administrator and educator, originator of the penny postage system, principally......
Hillis, Danny
Danny Hillis is an American pioneer of parallel processing computers and founder of Thinking Machines Corporation.......
Hilton, Conrad
Conrad Hilton was an American businessman and founder of one of the worldâs largest hotel organizations. As a boy......
Hironaka Heisuke
Hironaka Heisuke is a Japanese mathematician who was awarded the Fields Medal in 1970 for his work in algebraic......
Hoffman, Paul G.
Paul G. Hoffman was an American automobile-manufacturing executive who administered international assistance programs......
Hollerith, Herman
Herman Hollerith was an American inventor of a tabulating machine that was an important precursor of the electronic......
Holloway, Thomas
Thomas Holloway was a patent-medicine merchant and philanthropist. In 1837, he began to sell an ointment that carried......
Holmes Ă Court, Robert
Robert Holmes Ă Court was an Australian entrepreneur nicknamed âthe Great Acquirerâ for his billion-dollar raids......
Holmes, Elizabeth
Elizabeth Holmes (born February 3, 1984, Washington, D.C.) is an American entrepreneur who was the founder and......
Holyoke, Edward
Edward Holyoke was the 10th president of Harvard College, who liberalized and strengthened its academic program.......
Honda Soichiro
Honda Soichiro was a Japanese industrialist and engineer who was the founder of Honda Motor Company, Ltd. Honda......
Hooker, Sir Joseph Dalton
Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker was an English botanist noted for his botanical travels and studies and for his encouragement......
Hooker, Sir William Jackson
Sir William Jackson Hooker was an English botanist who was the first director of the Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew......
Hope, John
John Hope was an American educator and advocate of advanced liberal-arts instruction for Black students at a time......
Hopkins, Johns
Johns Hopkins was a U.S. millionaire merchant and investor who in his will left large endowments to found Johns......
Hopkins, Mark
Mark Hopkins was an American educator and theologian of whom U.S. President James A. Garfield, a former student,......
Hopkins, Mark
Mark Hopkins was a California capitalist who helped build the Central Pacific (later the Southern Pacific) Railroad......
Horniman, Annie
Annie Horniman was an English theatre manager who pioneered the British repertory movement, influencing 20th-century......
Horton, Tim
Tim Horton was a Canadian professional ice hockey player and entrepreneur. He was a defenseman in the National......
How Quincy Jones owned the 1980s
Quincy Jonesâs enormous success in the 1980s was the culmination of an extraordinary career that would continue......
Howard Lutnick
Howard Lutnick avoided death on 9/11 because he decided to take his five-year-old son to his first day of kindergarten.......
Howard, Edward
Edward Howard was a pioneer American watch manufacturer. Howard was apprenticed to the famous clock maker Aaron......
Howard, John
John Howard is an Australian politician who was prime minister of Australia (1996â2007) and leader of the Liberal......
Howard, Roy W.
Roy W. Howard was an American journalist and editor who was codirector of the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain from......
Howe, Joseph
Joseph Howe was a Canadian statesman and newspaper publisher, premier of Nova Scotia in 1860â63, agitator for responsible,......
Howe, Samuel Gridley
Samuel Gridley Howe was an American physician, educator, and abolitionist as well as the founding director of the......
Huang, Jensen
Jensen Huang is a Taiwanese-born American entrepreneur who cofounded the American semiconductor company NVIDIA......
Hudson, George
George Hudson was an English financier, known as the ârailway king,â whose enterprise made York a major railway......
Hugenberg, Alfred
Alfred Hugenberg was a German industrialist and political leader. As the head of a huge newspaper and film empire......
Hughes, Howard
Howard Hughes was an American manufacturer, aviator, and motion-picture producer and director who acquired enormous......
Hunt, H(aroldson) L(afayette)
H. L. Hunt was an American founder of a multibillion dollar oil business who promoted his ultraconservative political......
Huntington, Collis P.
Collis P. Huntington was an American railroad magnate who promoted the Central Pacific Railroadâs extension across......
Husted, Marjorie Child
Marjorie Child Husted was an American home economist and businesswoman under whose supervision the image of Betty......
Hutchins, Robert Maynard
Robert Maynard Hutchins was an American educator and university and foundation president, who criticized overspecialization......
Hyde, Henry Baldwin
Henry Baldwin Hyde was an American capitalist who was the founder of the Equitable Life Assurance Society. In 1852......
Iacocca, Lee
Lee Iacocca was an American automobile executive who was president (1978â92) and chairman of the board (1979â92)......
Ibrahim, Mo
Mo Ibrahim is a Sudanese-born British entrepreneur and philanthropist who founded one of the largest mobile phone......
Icahn, Carl
Carl Icahn is an American financier who was board chairman of Icahn Enterprises, a holding company with a diverse......
Idei Nobuyuki
Idei Nobuyuki is a Japanese business executive who served as chairman (2000â05) and CEO (1999â2005) of the Japanese......
Ignatieff, Michael
Michael Ignatieff is a Canadian author, literary critic, and politician who represented the Etobicoke-Lakeshore......
indictments of Donald Trump
In March 2023 Donald Trump became the first current or former U.S. president to be charged with a crime. In the......
Infantino, Gianni
Gianni Infantino is a Swiss football (soccer) administrator who has served as president of FIFA since 2016. Infantino......
Insull, Samuel
Samuel Insull was a British-born American public utilities magnate whose vast Midwest holding company empire collapsed......
Iselin, Columbus OâD.
Columbus OâD. Iselin was an American oceanographer who, as director of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution......
Ismay, J. Bruce
J. Bruce Ismay was a British businessman who was chairman of the White Star Line and who survived the sinking of......
Ive, Jony
Jony Ive (born February 27, 1967, London, England) is a British industrial designer who helped make design as central......
Iwasaki YatarĆ
Iwasaki YatarĆ was an industrial entrepreneur who founded the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, the second largest of the family-owned......
Jack the Rapper
Jack the Rapper (Jack Gibson) helped open the first African-American-owned radio station in the United States,......
Jackson, Phil
Phil Jackson is an American professional basketball player, coach, and executive. Employing an unorthodox New Age......
Jackson, Shirley Ann
Shirley Ann Jackson is an American scientist and educator and the first Black woman to receive a doctorate from......
Jamie Dimon
...
Jane Fraser
Jane Fraser holds the distinction of becoming the first woman to lead a major Wall Street bank. Appointed chief......
Jarrett, Valerie
Valerie Jarrett is an American lawyer, businesswoman, and politician who was a senior adviser (2009â17) to U.S.......
JAY-Z
JAY-Z is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who became one of the most influential figures in......
Jenner, Kylie
Kylie Jenner is an American television personality and entrepreneur known for her appearances in reality shows......
Jobs, Steve
Steve Jobs was the cofounder of Apple Computer, Inc. (now Apple Inc.), and a charismatic pioneer of the personal......
John Bogle
John C. Bogle was an American investor and founder of Vanguard Group who helped transform how people invest by......
John Ternus
John Ternus is an American technology executive who became chief executive officer of Apple Inc. (AAPL) in 2026,......
Johnson, Ban
Ban Johnson was a U.S. professional baseball administrator and the first president of the American League of Professional......
Johnson, Charles Spurgeon
Charles Spurgeon Johnson was a U.S. sociologist, authority on race relations, and the first black president (1946â56)......
Johnson, Gary
Gary Johnson is an American business executive and politician who, while a member of the Republican Party, served......
Johnson, Robert L.
Robert L. Johnson is an American businessman, founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), and the first African......
Johnson, Robert Wood
Robert Wood Johnson was an American manufacturer who helped further the cause of modern surgery by developing antiseptic......
Jones, Jerry
Jerry Jones is an American business executive who is the owner of the NFLâs Dallas Cowboys, one of the worldâs......
Jones, Jesse H
Jesse H. Jones was a U.S. banker, businessman, and public official, chairman of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation......
Jones, Quincy
Quincy Jones was an American musical performer, producer, arranger, and composer whose work encompassed virtually......
Jones, Samuel M.
Samuel M. Jones was a Welsh-born U.S. businessman and civic politician notable for his progressive policies in......
Jones, Sir Harold Spencer
Sir Harold Spencer Jones was the 10th astronomer royal of England (1933â55), who organized a program that led to......
Jonsson, John Erik
John Erik Jonsson was an American corporate executive under whose management Texas Instruments Inc. became a leading......
Jordan, David Starr
David Starr Jordan was a naturalist, educator, eugenicist, and the foremost American ichthyologist of his time.......
Jordan, Michael
Michael Jordan is an American former collegiate and professional basketball player widely considered to be one......
Josephson, Matthew
Matthew Josephson was a U.S. biographer whose clear writing was based on sound and thorough scholarship. As an......
Josh DâAmaro
Josh DâAmaro is a longtime Walt Disney Company (DIS) executive who became chief executive officer in 2026 after......
Juilliard, Augustus D.
Augustus D. Juilliard was a banker and industrialist who bequeathed the bulk of his multimillion dollar fortune......
Julie Sweet
Julie Sweet broke barriers as the first woman to lead Accenture, one of the worldâs largest consulting and technology......
Jung, Andrea
Andrea Jung is a Canadian-born American businesswoman who was chairman (2001â12) and CEO (1999â2012) of Avon Products,......
Kadeer, Rebiya
Rebiya Kadeer is a Uyghur entrepreneur and human rights activist. A longtime advocate of greater autonomy for Chinaâs......
Kaiser, Henry J.
Henry J. Kaiser was an American industrialist and founder of more than 100 companies including Kaiser Aluminum,......
Kalanick, Travis
Travis Kalanick is an American entrepreneur who was the cofounding CEO (2009â17) of the ride-hailing app company......
Kamprad, Ingvar
Ingvar Kamprad was a Swedish entrepreneur who in 1943 founded IKEA, the worldâs largest furniture retailer in the......
Kanter, Rosabeth Moss
Rosabeth Moss Kanter is an American social scientist and writer whose interests centre on the dynamics of corporate......
Karp, David
David Karp is an American Web developer and entrepreneur who founded the microblogging site Tumblr. Karp grew up......
Kathryn McLay
When Kathryn McLay became president and CEO of Walmart International in 2023, she took charge of one of the worldâs......