George Foreman (1949–2025), heavyweight boxing champion

George Foreman was the two-time heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist who later parlayed his fame into a successful entrepreneurial career.

Malcolm Smith (1941–2024), Baja 1000 racing legend

Malcolm Smith was a racing driver known for his five wins at the Baja 1000 and four at the Baja 500, both notoriously grueling desert races.

Wally Amos (1936–2024), creator of Famous Amos cookies

Wally Amos was an entrepreneur and television personality who created several well-known cookie brands, including Famous Amos cookies, and hosted the TV show “Learn to Read,” an educational series aimed at adults.

Bruce Bastian (1948–2024), cofounder of WordPerfect

Bruce Bastian was a tech entrepreneur who co-founded the WordPerfect software company in the early days of home computing. He went on to become a prominent Utah philanthropist and a supporter of the LGBT community.

Patrick Gottsch (1953–2024), founder of RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel

Patrick Gottsch was a media executive who helped shine a spotlight on rural, western American life via RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel, both of which he founded.

Sydell Miller (1937–2024), founder of beauty brands Matrix, Ardell 

Sydell Miller was the entrepreneur behind the successful and influential beauty brands Matrix and Ardell, co-founding them with her husband, the late Arnold Miller.

Bob Moore (1929–2024), Bob’s Red Mill founder

Bob Moore founded the whole-grain food company Bob’s Red Mill alongside his wife, Charlee Moore.0

Joe Dudley Sr. (1937–2024), Black haircare pioneer 

Joe Dudley Sr. was an entrepreneur who founded Dudley Products, Inc., a prominent Black haircare brand.

Dick Traum (1940–2024), champion of disabled athletes 

Dick Traum was a disabled athlete, entrepreneur, and advocate whose organization, Achilles International, pushed athletic events to provide wider access and resources to competitors with disabilities.

Ryan Smolkin (1973–2023), founder of Smoke's Poutinerie

Ryan Smolkin was a restaurateur, entrepreneur, and social media personality who founded the restaurant chain Smoke's Poutinerie, with over 100 locations in Canada.

Florine Mark (1933–2023), former Weight Watchers president and CEO

Florine Mark was a businesswoman, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and a former president and CEO of Weight Watchers. 

Richard O. Simpson (1930–2023), U.S.'s first consumer safety chief

Richard O. Simpson was an American businessman and entrepreneur who became the first chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Randy Fullmer (1950–2023), Who Framed Roger Rabbit animator

Randy Fullmer was an animator and producer on such Disney films as “The Emperor’s New Groove” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.” 

David Gilmour (1931–2023), founder of Fiji water 

David Gilmour was a serial entrepreneur who started or was involved in a series of business ventures, most notably the Fiji water brand, which for a time was the number one brand of imported water. 

Bill Oesterle (1965–2023), cofounder of Angie’s List 

Bill Oesterle was an online entrepreneur and influential political activist as well as the cofounder and CEO of Angie’s List, a pioneering website that was devoted to connecting users to local home improvement contractors. 

Stew Leonard Sr. (1929–2023), grocery store founder 

Stew Leonard Sr. was the founder of the Stew Leonard’s chain of grocery stores. 

Marisol Malaret (1949–2023), first Puerto Rican Miss Universe

Marisol Malaret was the first Miss Universe from Puerto Rico and the first from the Caribbean islands, who held the crown in 1970.

Ken Block (1967–2023), rally driver and gymkhana YouTube star 

Ken Block  was a rally driver and co-founder of DC Shoes known for his gymkhana YouTube videos.

Maurice Kanbar (1929–2022), creator of Skyy Vodka and the sweater defuzzer

Maurice Kanbar was an inventor and entrepreneur whose creations included Skyy Vodka and the D-Fuzz-It device for sweaters.

Vernon Winfrey (1933–2022), Oprah Winfrey’s father

Vernon Winfrey was a prominent Nashville barber who was the father of media superstar Oprah Winfrey.

Bruce Katz (1947–2022), Rockport Shoe Company founder

Bruce Katz was the founder of the Rockport Shoe Company, where he pioneered walking shoes, and Samuel Hubbard, the luxury comfort shoe company.

Ron Rice (1940–2022), Hawaiian Tropic founder

Ron Rice was the founder of the iconic sunscreen brand Hawaiian Tropic.

Peter Buck (1930–2021), Subway restaurant co-founder

Peter Buck was the co-founder of the Subway chain of sandwich shops.

Chris-Tia Donaldson (1979–2021), founder and CEO of Thank God it’s Natural haircare

Chris-Tia Donaldson was the founder and CEO of Thank God it’s Natural (TGIN) haircare.

Roman Kent (1929–2021), Holocaust survivor who fought for reparations

Roman Kent was a Polish Holocaust survivor who led a movement seeking reparations from the German government.

Paul Van Doren (1930–2021), co-founder of Vans

Paul Van Doren was an entrepreneur who co-founded Vans, the iconic skateboarding shoe company.

Charles Geschke (1939–2021), co-founder of Adobe

Charles Geschke was the co-founder of Adobe, the software giant that created Photoshop and PDFs.

Gerren Taylor (1990–2021), model and “Baldwin Hills” star

Gerren Taylor was a model and entrepreneur who starred on the BET reality series “Baldwin Hills.”

Martha Lou Gadsden (1930–2021), Lowcountry soul food icon

Martha Lou Gadsden was the owner of the iconic Charleston, South Carolina soul food restaurant Martha Lou’s Kitchen.

Greg Steltenpohl (1954–2021), founder of Odwalla and Califia Farms

Greg Steltenpohl was an entrepreneur who founded the beverage companies Odwalla and Califia Farms.

David Mintz (1931–2021), inventor of Tofutti vegan ice cream

David Mintz was the inventor of Tofutti, the first commercially successful vegan ice cream.

Melvin Banks (1934–2021), founder of Christian publishing house Urban Ministries, Inc.

Melvin Banks was the founder of Urban Ministries, Inc., the largest Black Christian publishing house in the U.S.

S. Prestley Blake (1914–2021), co-founder of Friendly’s restaurant chain

S. Prestley Blake co-founded the Friendly’s chain of restaurants along with his brother, Curtis Blake.

Loretta Whitfield (1941–2020), creator of Baby Whitney doll

Loretta Whitfield was an entrepreneur and education counselor who created Baby Whitney, a realistic Black baby doll.

Sheldon Adelson (1933–2021), billionaire casino magnate and political donor

Sheldon Adelson was a billionaire who owned casinos in Las Vegas and Asia, who was a prominent donor to Republican causes.

Gordon “Butch” Stewart (1941–2021), founder of Sandals and Beaches resorts

Gordon “Butch” Stewart was a Jamaican businessman who founded the popular all-inclusive resort chains Sandals and Beaches.

Frank Carney (1938–2020), co-founder of Pizza Hut

Frank Carney was a businessman who co-founded Pizza Hut along with his brother.

Tony Hsieh (1973–2020), longtime Zappos CEO

Tony Hsieh was the longtime CEO of Zappos, who built the online shoe retailer into a billion-dollar business.

Cecilia Chiang (1920–2020), restaurateur who brought authentic Chinese cuisine to the U.S.

Cecilia Chiang was a restaurateur whose San Francisco restaurant, the Mandarin, introduced a more authentic style of Chinese food to U.S. diners.

Keith Hufnagel (1974–2020), skateboarding legend

Keith Hufnagel was a highly influential skateboarder who started the popular Huf Worldwide skater clothing brand.

Erick Morillo (1971–2020), “I Like to Move It” DJ

Erick Morillo was a DJ and producer known for the dance music hit “I Like to Move It.”     

Clifford Robinson (1966–2020), NBA star with the Portland Trail Blazers

Clifford Robinson was a basketball player best known for his career with the Portland Trail Blazers, having helped lead the team to two NBA Finals appearances.

Russell LeeRoy Pickett (2020), one of few soldiers to survive first wave of D-Day

Russell LeeRoy Pickett was in the first wave of U.S. soldiers to storm Normandy Beach on D-Day. He was honored in 2019 at the 75th anniversary event held in Normandy.

Reese Schonfeld (1931–2020), cofounder of CNN and Food Network

Reese Schonfeld was the cofounder and first president of CNN, later going on to cofound Food Network.

Kirk Perron (1964–2020), Jamba Juice founder

Kirk Perron started the popular juice company Jamba Juice in 1990 as a senior project in college.

Andre Harrell (1960–2020), Uptown Records founder discovered Diddy

Andre Harrell was a hip-hop and R&B visionary who started Uptown Records and discovered Sean “Diddy” Combs.

Jimmy Glenn (2020), New York boxing and bar owner legend

Jimmy Glenn was a legendary New York City boxing trainer and bar owner who ran the famous Times Square establishment Jimmy’s Corner.

Donald Reed Herring (1933–2020), Elizabeth Warren’s brother

Donald Reed Herring was a U.S. Navy veteran and Senator Elizabeth Warren’s brother, who was frequently mentioned as she campaigned for president.

Arne Wilhelmsen (1929–2020), Royal Caribbean Cruises co-founder

Arne Wilhelmsen was a Norwegian businessman who co-founded Royal Caribbean Cruises and helped shape the cruise industry.