Ted Leonis: Former executive, AOL

Ted Leonis, a longtime executive of AOL, is now the owner of various sports teams, including the Washington Capitols, an NHL franchise. At AOL in the mid-nineties, Lenois, who holds a degree in economics from Georgetown University, boosted membership of the online service from fewer than 800,000 members to over 8 million. Following his time at AOL, Leonis embarked on several philanthropic projects, including creating a film production company that produces documentaries in hopes of raising awareness around important social justice issues. In 2001 Leonis was named Businessperson of the Year by Washington Business Journal and Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine for his work with Best Buddies, an organization for people with intellectual disabilities. Leonis also serves on the board of directors NutriSystems, Inc., and on the board at Georgetown University. Leonis writes a blog, available at www.tedstake.com.