Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., is an American psychologist and author best known for her research on mindset, motivation, and success. She coined the term "growth mindset" and brought it mainstream with her 2006 book *Mindset: The New Psychology of Success*. She has held professorships at Columbia and Harvard Universities, has lectured worldwide, and is married to David Goldman, a national theatre director and founder of the National Center for New Plays at Stanford.

Adam Smith was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer in the field of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment.

Stephen Richards Covey was an American educator, author, businessman, and speaker.

Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was a Florentine diplomat, author, philosopher, and historian who lived during the Italian Renaissance.

Kamer Daron Acemoğlu is a Turkish-American economist of Armenian descent who has taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since 1993, where he is currently the Elizabeth and James Killian Professor of Economics, and was named an Institute Professor at MIT in 2019.