The TIME 100

Ziyi Zhang

The Chinese movie star is now filming a thriller, The Horsemen

Everyone knows Giorgio Armani! Simply put, he represents unparalleled elegance and style. He has brought his magic to all aspects of contemporary life. For me, the pleasure of collaborating with him is witnessing his work discipline and the way he inspires everyone around him to give their best. [Armani has designed Oscar and Golden Globe gowns for Zhang.]

Ralph Lauren

For decades the Bronx-born designer has challenged and evolved American fashion

We all need to believe in the hope and vision of a leader. Barack Obama has that potential. He captures our imagination with the possibility of American values once again being respected, cherished and adopted. I also suggest Ken Burns, a great American storyteller. Through his work, I learn something new about topics I thought impossible to learn more about.

Craig Newmark

He founded the "little bulletin board that could" in '95; Craigslist now gets 18 million visitors a month

I'd like to see Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, for actually providing quality news. A recent Pew study shows the majority of Americans who know the most about current affairs get their news from these guys! I also nominate Ellen Miller, of the Sunlight Foundation, for providing the tools to professional and citizen journalists to see who is paying for what in Congress.

Malcolm Gladwell

The New Yorker staff writer is the best-selling author of Blink and The Tipping Point

The war on homelessness has made more progress in the past five years than in the previous 100 thanks to Philip Mangano, the Federal Government's homelessness czar. When the history of the Bush Administration is written, we will remember Mangano as its finest appointee because he has had the courage to insist that homelessness must not be managed but solved.