WAYMAKER TOP 50
Leaders whose vision, strategy, and innovation create opportunity, reshape industries, and prove that business can be both profitable and people-centered.
Redefining Leadership
at 30,000 Feet
Brett Hart is changing how major corporations connect with employees, communities, and culture from within. As executive vice president and chief administrative officer at United Airlines, he leads human resources, labor relations, and corporate affairs for one of the world’s largest airlines, shaping the experience of tens of thousands of employees and millions of travelers.
Hart’s work bridges business performance and people strategy. He has led initiatives to modernize workplace culture, build stronger labor partnerships, and make diversity and inclusion a priority across United’s global operations. His leadership shows that operational excellence is built on trust, communication, and investing in people at every level.
With his guidance, United has grown programs for workforce development, community engagement, and corporate responsibility, aligning business goals with a broader social mission. His work shows how large companies can evolve while staying competitive, resilient, and accountable.
Hart’s leadership stands out for its reach. By shaping policy, culture, and corporate practice at a global scale, he is helping legacy industries move toward a more people-centered future. His influence shows that progress in business often happens behind the scenes, through systems that support equity, stability, and long-term growth.
Changing What
Leadership Looks Like
Damola Adamolekun has become one of the most influential names in the restaurant industry after accomplishing what many thought was unlikely—leading Red Lobster out of bankruptcy.
Since taking over as chief executive officer of the iconic seafood chain in 2024, Adamolekun has focused on sweeping operational improvements, elevated food quality, and a renewed emphasis on customer experience—all aimed at restoring the brand’s relevance and financial health.
At just 36 years old, he is the youngest CEO in Red Lobster’s history. Before this role, Adamolekun built a reputation for financial and operational restructuring, most notably serving as CEO of P.F. Chang’s at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
His leadership follows his role as a partner at Paulson & Co., where he led the $700 million acquisition of P.F. Chang’s in 2019. It’s clear he knows what he’s doing—and the public agrees. Since taking over as CEO of Red Lobster, Adamolekun has built a loyal following of supporters impressed by the brand’s steady turnaround.
In a December 2025 “How Leaders Lead with David Novak” podcast episode, Adamolekun credited his success to one core principle: becoming a better leader—one who listens, accepts criticism, and leads with humility.
“Leadership is self-improvement. Understand yourself and what your strengths are and where you can be better. Because the stronger you are as a person, the more people are going to want to follow you. So if you want to be a better leader, become a better person,” Adamolekun said.
Hart’s work bridges business performance and people strategy. He has led initiatives to modernize workplace culture, build stronger labor partnerships, and make diversity and inclusion a priority across United’s global operations. His leadership shows that operational excellence is built on trust, communication, and investing in people at every level.
With his guidance, United has grown programs for workforce development, community engagement, and corporate responsibility, aligning business goals with a broader social mission. His work shows how large companies can evolve while staying competitive, resilient, and accountable.
Hart’s leadership stands out for its reach. By shaping policy, culture, and corporate practice at a global scale, he is helping legacy industries move toward a more people-centered future. His influence shows that progress in business often happens behind the scenes, through systems that support equity, stability, and long-term growth.
Shaping Trust in a Global Marketplace
A Woman Setting the Terms
Emma Grede is a trailblazing entrepreneur and business leader in more ways than one. Iconic and one of the richest self-made women moguls, she co-founded Good American in 2016, a denim fashion company that helped redefine inclusivity in retail by prioritizing size diversity and body positivity. She currently serves as the company’s CEO.
Grede is also a founding partner of shapewear brand SKIMS, further underscoring her commitment to inclusive fashion pieces.
In addition to her business ventures, she is a vocal advocate for equity and representation in corporate leadership, working with organizations like the Fifteen Percent Pledge to encourage companies to invest in Black communities by committing tangible resources.
Beyond fashion, Grede is the co-founder of Safely, which offers natural household cleaning solutions, and Off Season, a sports merchandise brand. She also hosts the “Aspire with Emma Grede” podcast.
On April 14, 2026, Grede’s first book, “Start With Yourself,” will be published—a game-changing, no-nonsense guide that provides readers with an essential framework for pursuing meaningful success on their own terms in both life and business.
“The title ‘Start With Yourself’ is my personal philosophy: Success begins with how you think,” Grede said of the book. “I believe in taking accountability, building personal resilience, and developing self-forgiveness. I have learned how to gather myself after failure and move forward stronger. It’s about pushing hard for the wins, never apologizing for your ambition, and never expecting shortcuts to get there.”
Grede’s work blends data with real-world results, demonstrating that inclusivity and equitable access to resources—especially for Black communities—can be a powerful core business strategy, even as many companies continue to fall short.
The Weight
of Her Influence
Mellody Hobson has shaped a groundbreaking career in finance by pairing disciplined investment strategy with a drive to expand opportunity. As co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments, she has helped the firm become one of the largest Black-owned investment companies in the country, managing billions in assets and changing the face of leadership in finance.
She is a national leader on financial literacy, corporate governance, and equitable leadership, serving as chair of Starbucks and as a longtime board member at JPMorgan Chase. In these roles Hobson has made decisions at the highest levels, championing diversity, accountability, and long-term value.
Her visibility is significant. In a field where power can be hard to see, Hobson has made investing and wealth building more accessible through public speaking, writing, and education. She helps more people understand how capital works and why access is important. Her leadership shows that financial expertise and social responsibility can go hand in hand.
Hobson’s career is an example of building power with purpose. By opening doors, setting high standards, and leading with clarity, she has changed expectations about who belongs in finance and how business success can shape the future.
Building a Vegan Empire
in the Face of Adversity
Pinky Cole-Hayes is on a mission to leave a lasting legacy and make a meaningful impact in Atlanta and beyond—and as the CEO and founder of Slutty Vegan, she’s doing exactly that.
The daughter of Jamaican immigrants, Cole-Hayes was raised by a mother who worked four jobs to make ends meet and an incarcerated father who still instilled in her the importance of creating opportunity for oneself. Those early lessons shaped her drive to build something bigger than herself.
She launched Slutty Vegan, the now-iconic vegan burger eatery, in 2018. Since then, the brand has expanded to more than a dozen brick-and-mortar locations, along with food trucks, and has generated more than $100 million in revenue—becoming a cultural staple and a symbol of Black-owned business success.
Still, Cole-Hayes’s journey has been marked not only by wins but also by resilience in the face of setbacks. In February 2025, amid rapid expansion and a reported $10 million in corporate overhead, she temporarily handed over ownership of the company. Just months later, she reclaimed full control, refocusing the brand on restructuring, stronger financial management, and strategic downsizing—all while maintaining Slutty Vegan’s devoted fan base and space within the Black vegan food space.
Beyond business, Cole-Hayes is deeply committed to championing generational wealth, social justice, financial empowerment, and health and wellness within the Black community. Through The Pinky Cole Foundation, she supports teens, college students, and young adults on their entrepreneurial journeys through educational programming, networking opportunities, and mentorship.
Cole-Hayes has also established scholarship funds and hosted food and toy drives—all of which speaks to a commitment of consistently reinvesting in the community that helped build her success.
She is a national leader on financial literacy, corporate governance, and equitable leadership, serving as chair of Starbucks and as a longtime board member at JPMorgan Chase. In these roles Hobson has made decisions at the highest levels, championing diversity, accountability, and long-term value.
Her visibility is significant. In a field where power can be hard to see, Hobson has made investing and wealth building more accessible through public speaking, writing, and education. She helps more people understand how capital works and why access is important. Her leadership shows that financial expertise and social responsibility can go hand in hand.