Who’s developing the next device that’ll change your life? Who’s creating the next bar that’ll redefine nightlife? Who’s the next actor that’ll be the muse of your favorite director? Questions like these are impossible to answer with certainty. Or are they?
In our ongoing series Who’s Next, we’re profiling the next generation of luminaries in fields ranging from sports and movies to wellness and tech. If you want to know what the future holds, you need to meet the people building it — and we’re giving you an in-depth introduction.
Through wide-ranging interviews, we’re digging into the surprising details of how these trailblazers got to where they are, and more importantly, the roadmap they’re laying out for the future. An F1 hopeful who started racing at the age of 6. A podcaster who was egged on by Roger Ebert. A restaurateur whose empire started with a bar where JFK sat. Their stories are extraordinary, every single one, and this is just the beginning.
None of these people are household names. Not yet. But in a year — or two, or five — they will be.
Kareem Rahma
Host and co-creator of Subway Takes / Rahma’s internet talk show is a viral sensation not because of the celebrity guests, but because of his unique ability to connect with strangers. It’s a gift that uplifts all of his creative endeavors.
Johnny Ward
Adventurer and Travel Show Host / Ward could probably be in the Guinness World Records, but instead of chasing fame, he’s chosen adventure. Now, he’s starting to share his travels with the world.
Jesse Garcia
Actor / A family comedy on Disney+. Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming Odyssey adaptation. A biopic about the inventor of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. With an acting résumé like that, there’s one obvious question for Garcia: what can’t he do?
Sam Fragoso
Host of Talk Easy / Fragoso has built a reputation for uninhibited conversations on his increasingly popular interview podcast, with guests ranging from Francis Ford Coppola to Mikey Madison. Our chat was no different.
Kyle Allen
Actor / The star of Netflix’s The Life List never dreamed of becoming an actor. But at 30, he’s already worked with Steven Spielberg and Kenneth Branagh, with a secretive Kathryn Bigelow project next in line.
Santiago Gomez
Founder of Padel Haus / What comes after pickleball? Gomez has the answer: padel. The Mexico City native, who played the racket sport as a child, is bringing the fast-paced pastime to cities around the country. Americans can’t get enough.
Wyna Liu
Puzzle Editor at The New York Times / Since it launched in 2023, Connections has been a massive hit for the Times and its increasingly vital Games department. Liu is just as surprised as anyone, but her singular skillset offers clues into its staying power.
Varun Kataria
Founder of Xanadu and Turk’s Inn / After relocating a supper club from Wisconsin to Brooklyn, the New York impresario erected a combination roller rink and music venue down the street. Maybe what nightlife has needed for so long is someone like Kataria to give it a 180.
N.B. Patil and Rockwell Shah
Ozlo Sleepbuds Team / When Bose sent a “life-changing” product to the tech graveyard, Patil left his job of 22 years in order to save it. Now, Ozlo has developed a fan-favorite, award-winning device the team believes can solve one of humanity’s most persistent problems: getting good sleep.
Jak Crawford
Formula 2 Driver / The 19-year-old Texas racing phenom is headed into his third season of F2, with his sights set on the pinnacle of motorsports. As the profile of F1 continues to rise in the United States, can Crawford become the sport’s next great American driver?
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