Age: 49
Occupation: CEO of 1871

The first female CEO of the Midwest’s largest tech incubator, Ziegler is using her experience as a McKinsey consultant and the chief innovation officer at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management to accelerate 1871’s impressive expansion — the group comprises more than 450 companies and counting. If the Silicon Prairie continues to sprout startups, it’s primarily because Ziegler is tilling the soil.