Chosen because: Alex Lidow, 62, is an entrepreneur and a physicist with a Ph.D. from Stanford University who wants to take the silicon out of Silicon Valley. His 9-year-old company in El Segundo, Calif., Efficient Power Conversion, is working to transition products reliant on silicon-powered chips -- including lidar sensors -- to faster, more efficient and less expensive gallium nitride chip technology. The result could lead to more powerful and cheaper lidar sensors, enabling automakers and suppliers to develop commercial autonomous vehicles faster.
Quote: "Semiconductors fuel innovation, creating the backbone of technology advancement and subsequently, the economy at large."
