Entrepreneurs & Small Business

Find support and advice for starting a business, large and small, from these businesswomen.

1. @smallbiztrends: Anita Campbell can help you with your small business success.
2. @IndieBusiness: Coles Johnson regularly discusses indie business on Twitter.
3. @startupprincess: Kelly is a fairy godmother to women in startups.
4. @SmallBizLady: Melinda Emerson is an expert in startups, social media marketing, and business reinvention.
5. @StartupPRella: Ella discusses affordable publicity for small businesses.
6. @simplicityinc: Michelle is a master of growing small business with simplicity.
7. @NinaKaufman: Read Nina’s tweets about demystifying small business law for entrepreneurs.
8. @SmartWoman: Vicki is an advocate for women entrepreneurs and responsible marketing.

Networking

These women discuss the finer points of networking.

9. @TheBOSSNetwork: Follow @TheBOSSNetwork to learn about growth through networking.
10. @WomensBusClubs: Kelly Stevens is the founder of The Women’s Clubs, a UK networking organization for women.
11. @leawoodward: Find out how Lea Woodward builds communities to help more people work location independently.

Moms

Can you juggle business and parenting? These businessmoms have the secret to making it work.

12. @mombizcoach: Lara is a mompreneur coach who helps moms create businesses they love.
13. @motivatingmum: Allison Price is dedicated to helping "mumpreneurs" achieve their business dreams.
14. @CurrentMom: Energize all of your life’s ventures by following Katherine Lewis’ tweets.
15. @Susan_Cox: Find out how to be a caring mother and successful entrepreneur from Susan Cox.
16. @Holly_Hanna: Follow Holly’s tweets to learn about working at home as a mom.

Executives

You can learn from these businesswomen who have made it to the top.

17. @CEOTodayWoman: @CEOTodayWoman offers interviews with top women CEOs.
18. @Padmasree: Follow @Padmasree, the CTO of Cisco.
19. @larafelting: Lara is a cofounder and CEO of Biznik, a community for networking.
20. @MarthaStewart: Martha Stewart can teach you about being an inquisitive entrepreneur.
21. @JillFoster: Jill Foster is a joy advocate, as well as founder of Live Your Talk and founding editor of WomenGrowBusiness.com.
22. @carleyrooney: Carley Rooney’s tweets will teach you about becoming a media entrepreneur.
23. @Oprah: Oprah Winfrey is a great example as an ultimate businesswoman.
24. @Caterina: @Caterina is the cofounder of Flickr and Hunch.
25. @richelleshaw: Richelle is the only female African American Public Utility Owner in the nation, and can teach you about business building.
26. @ariannahuff: Read these tweets from Arianna Huffington, cofounder and editor in chief of The Huffington Post.

Coaches

Check out these Twitter accounts to find women who offer business coaching.

27. @kgreenstreet: Karyn can coach you in self employment and small business.
28. @NancyFClark: Nancy is dedicated to helping women in business.
29. LJacobwith: Lori shares coaching for fundraising, communications, and more.
30. @lenawest: Lena writes about social media strategy to help women business owners use social media and the Internet.
31. @Bernadeen: @Bernadeen offers consulting for growth in small business.
32. @ZimblerMiller: Phillis can coach you on effectively using social media to attract business.
33. @paulag01: Paula is a life and career coach who helps women and small business owners.
34. @ManishaThakor: Manisha Thakor offers personal finance advice for women.
35. @womanzworld: Natalie is on a mission to help women entrepreneurs achieve their dreams.

Authors

Read and discover business insight from these female authors.

36. @bizauthor: Stephanie Chandler can offer insight on how to grow your business.
37. @nicolesimon: Nicole Simon offers social media training and organization insights.
38. @kairarouda: Kaira is a mom of four, speaker, author, and entrepreneur.
39. @alevit: Alexandra discusses meaningful work and success.
40. @darnyellejervey: Darnyelle discusses mindset, marketing, and empowerment for business.

Marketing

These women will help you learn about marketing and related disciplines.

41. @ShaunaCausey: Read what Shauna Causey has to say about social media and PR for nonprofits.
42. @sheconomy: Stephanie writes about marketing to women.
43. @BrandYou: Cindy Ratzlaff offers insight into personal branding and beyond.
44. @marketerach: Rachel is a marketer and advocate for working moms.
45. @NikkiPilkington: Nikki helps small businesses promote themselves using social media and SEO.
46. @lynnterry: Lynn is an Internet marketing advisor and author of ClickNews.com.
47. @JaneOutoftheBox: Michelle shares her knowledge as a marketing research expert.
48. @MaritzaParra: Maritza is a product creation machine who can help you make your products come to life.
49. @ShellyKramer: Check out Shelly Kramer’s tweets to learn about marketing and brand strategy.
50. @CathyWebSavvyPR: Check out Cathy Larkin’s Twitter feed to learn about social media, PR, and more for women.

1. iPads: iPads have replaced Kindles as the preferred hand-held gadget, but it’s not just about novelty. iPads have proven to be effective learning devices that allow students to interact with their lessons and teachers to constantly stream and direct students toward constantly updated information. As teacher-designed applications become the norm, iPad (and other Apple devices) will also foster customized learning so that educators can tailor their lessons to their class’ performance and potential. Other benefits of the iPad in elementary education: more social interaction during learning, better mobility, focused learning, and special needs accommodation.
2. Ebooks: Even some libraries are starting to offer ebooks alongside the card catalogs, and Arnold Schwarzenegger recently pledged to use more ebooks to combat the loss in funding for California schools. Textbooks will be easily updated in electronic form, which is much cheaper for school districts, and some ebooks and digital texts can be accessed as apps for iPhones and other devices.
3. Innovative funding programs: Despite harsh budget cuts across the country, parents and teachers are fighting to keep technology a stable, progressive learning tool in schools. One middle school in Pollock Pines, CA, has organized a task force to find alternative sources of funding for technology programs and supplies, and other schools are being inspired to create innovative funding programs, too. As the trend continues, schools will be less reliant on governments and public funds, and can benefit from other sources of technology "income." This system could lead to unfair and unbalanced budgets, if lower-income schools can’t pull together the same resources.
4. Training teachers to become online educators: High schoolers are experimenting with online learning, and the trend is becoming so popular, it’s starting to filter down to elementary and middle schools, too. As a result, teachers need training in online education so that they can transfer their classroom management skills to online environments, effectively communicating lessons and evaluating student performance.
5. Interactive whiteboards: Teachers with projection screens (or just a clean whiteboard) can connect their computer so that their desktop is displayed in front of the classroom, like a chalkboard. When teachers visit interactive websites or software programs — particularly ones with touch-key or touch-based features, students can all at once interact with the lesson or game, without needing their own computers.
6. Virtual reality: Virtual reality isn’t just an after-school game for kids who like computers. SecondLife and other VR sites and platforms offer immense learning opportunities in real-life skills, and can even introduce students to other classrooms who "play" in the same space. This North Carolina elementary class wanted to experiment with math, science and art lessons through virtual reality, and they actually designed their own virtual labs.
7. Blackboard and online communities: Online education platforms like Blackboard have been used by college professors for years, but they’re now being used more frequently in elementary and secondary classrooms, too. These communities allow for connection between teachers, parents and students, during the school day and after hours. Grades, assignments, supplemental readings, games, chats and all types of resources can be shared easily this way, fueling multi-way communication and collaboration.
8. Mobile technology: These days, iPods, cell phones and smart phones, iPads, and other mobile devices are quickly becoming sought-after educational tools, even in elementary classrooms. They can be used for research, one-to-one computing, e-mailing assignments, sharing information, taking pictures for projects and research, and using drawing tools, as Keller, TX, teacher Matt Cook has demonstrated. He’s worked with Verizon Wireless and other corporate sponsors to give phones to his fifth graders.
9. Podcasting: Podcasts are great tools for elementary teachers, because they’re free and give students instant access to multimedia learning experiences from all over the world. From current events to language lessons with pronunciation assistance to science research to literature discussions to interviews with industry experts, podcasts enrich lessons in ways that help students understand the real-life implications of what they’re learning. A great alternative to showing slideshows and even movies, podcasts can stir up class discussion and even inspire classrooms to create their own podcast.
10. Moodle: Moodle is gaining traction in classrooms at all levels for its streamlined organization features. Teachers and administrators can easily communicate and design courses, and students can manage their own e-mail accounts, assignments, and more. Other great features include multimedia playlists and capabilities, RSS feeds, grading and assignment rubrics, ePortfolios, and personalized certificates.

1. Twilight: Certainly you’ve been unable to escape hearing about this vampire love series. Although some fans are casual readers, others have embraced the series into obsession, becoming "Twifans" or "Fanpires." As a whole, the Twilight series has sold more than 100 million copies around the world, and Twilight was the best selling book of the year in 2008. In its first day of release, the Twilight DVD sold more than 3 million copies, with huge crowds at midnight release parties. Twilight has been a large presence at many conventions, including ComicCon, and one completely devoted to Twilight, TwiCon.
2. Harry Potter: Before there was Twilight, there was Harry Potter, the young adult series written by J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and his friends learn to become expert wizards, and fans young and old have strongly embraced its culture. In fact, it’s even been considered that Harry Potter has spawned a lifelong love of books for readers young and old, converting nonreaders into those who will clear their schedules in order to sit down with the newest release. The series has met incredible success, with more than 400 million copies sold and every one of its six movies so far nearing a worldwide gross of $1 billion each. Rabid fans of the series have even created their own works, with almost 500,000 different pieces of fan fiction available online.
3. The Secret: If you believe this book will improve your life, it just might. At least, that’s what author Rhonda Byrne wants you to think. After being featured on Oprah, this self-help book that insists positive thinking can bring on incredible life changing results hit the New York Times bestseller list and went on the make a movie that was for a time the #1 DVD on Amazon. The book had many readers frenzied into a spiritual cult, insisting that through the Law of Attraction, they could achieve almost anything, including extreme weight loss and even beating cancer. Overall, The Secret has sold more than 19 million copies since 2006.
4. Lord of the Rings: Although published between 1954-1955, The Lord of the Rings has enjoyed an enduring fan following, as well as a new revival in fans due to The Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies directed by Peter Jackson. These books have had many influences on popular culture, including the language of Elvish, an expansion in the genre of fantasy fiction and the inspiration of filmmakers such as George Lucas. "LOTR" fans have been known to get tattoos inspired by the series as well as create fan art. Over the years, sales of these books have topped 150 million. The Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies reached a box office revenue close to $3 billion.
5. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: This franchise has enjoyed success in many different forms, including books, radio broadcast, TV, computer games, comic book adaptations, and even a large production movie. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy inspired "Hitch-Hikeriana," a variety of merchandising and spinoff items related to the series, especially towels. It has been an international phenomenon, enjoyed in the UK, US, Canada, Germany, Israel, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. Every year on May 25th, fans of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy celebrate Towel Day to honor the late author Douglas Adams.
6. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Chronicles of Narnia is a series of fantasy novels written for children. It’s been adapted to the radio, stage, TV, and even movies. The classic works sold more than 120 million copies, and have been printed in 41 languages. Authors including Neil Gaiman and Katherine Paterson have been influenced by the works, as well as the graphic novel The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and popular TV shows like LOST and Family Guy. There is also a Saturday Night Live digital short, Lazy Sunday, that focuses on going to see Chronicles of Narnia in the movie theaters. Two movies have been released so far, and their worldwide box office gross has topped $1 billion.
7. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: In this series, a young boy learns that he is the son of Poseidon, and discovers the world of Greek mythology. The series began in 2005, and has recently released a movie of the first book, The Lightning Thief, which opened with more than $31 million in the box office its first weekend, the highest for a fantasy film outside of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Narnia. This same book has sold more than $1.2 million copies in hardcover and paperback. Percy Jackson has found fans young and old, with these fans going on to purchase the video game based on The Lightning Thief as well as a DVD that released to almost $14 million in revenue its first week.
8. The Da Vinci Code: Written by bestselling author Dan Brown, the Da Vinci Code offers a thrilling look into the legend of the Holy Grail as well as Mary Magdalene in Christianity. Although critics have not received the book well, fans certainly have. Fans in the UK have gone on their own Da Vinci Code-style treasure hunts, with one pair causing damage to the stonework of a 14th century church in search of the Holy Grail. The book has sold over 80 million copies and been translated into 44 different languages, the bestselling English language novel of the 21st century. The Da Vinci Code film in 2006 earned more than $230 million worldwide in its opening weekend, at the time the third most profitable opening weekend in film history.
9. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo: Late author Stieg Larsson’s novel has become a posthumous bestseller with an large fan base. It was released to great popularity in Larsson’s native Sweden, and soon took over many European countries, eventually reaching a frenzy in the United States as well. The trilogy has topped more than 27 million copies worldwide, and its small-release film has reached a box office payday of nearly $10 million just in the US. Fans love The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo so much that a tour has been spawned in Stockholm, taking fans to important locations in Stieg Larsson’s book.
10. Sookie Stackhouse: Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse novels haven’t quite reached a Twilight frenzy, but the books that started True Blood have a rabid collection of fans, commonly referred to as "Fangbangers." The Fangbangers often descend upon the towns of Shreveport and Monroe, Louisiana in search of the fictional Bon Temps, Louisiana that True Blood is set in. These novels went on to create the True Blood drama series that has enjoyed fandom and critical acclaim, including a Golden Globe and Emmy. In its third season, True Blood is now HBO’s most watched series since The Sopranos.

1. West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette: This 1943 Supreme Court decision dealt with the Pledge of Allegiance and the use of the American flag in schools. Specifically, the West Virginia legislature had required that schools would not only teach U.S. history but that teachers and students would be required to recite the Pledge and salute the flag, and that failure to do so would be classified as "insubordination" to be "dealt with accordingly." Groups including the PTA and the Boy Scouts protested, but it was a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses who objected to what they viewed as worship of a "graven image" over their belief in God. The Court ruled 6-3 that forcing children to salute the flag was unconstitutional. The victory was a major one for proponents of First Amendment rights, as well as for those whose religious beliefs were challenged by such acts.
2. Everson v. Board of Education: The landmark Everson case is remembered for expanding the protections of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause to the states instead of keeping it at the federal level. Before this 1947 decision, some states granted special legislative rights to certain religions, despite the prohibition in the First Amendment that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." A New Jersey man initially brought suit over the fact that taxpayers there were being reimbursed for the cost of children taking public transportation to schools both public and private. His argument, which the Supreme Court agreed with when the case made its way to them, was that such a program is a blurring of the line meant to separate church and state. The decision would help pave the way for a necessary separation of the two institutions in the educational realm for years to come.
3. Brown v. Board of Education: One of the most important and well known Supreme Court decisions of all time, this 1954 ruling overturned 1896′s Plessy v. Ferguson, which had held that segregated schools were legal as long as equal facilities were maintained for white and black students. The 9-0 decision of Brown uncovered the lie of that by stating that "separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." This ruling put an end to the legality of institutionalized segregation in American schools and helped clear the path for the coming civil rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s. The plaintiffs of Topeka, Kansas, had their case argued before the Court by NAACP chief counsel Thurgood Marshall, who would join the Supreme Court in 1967.
4. Engel v. Vitale: Another important decision in terms of religious freedom, Engel v. Vitale was a 1962 decision in which the Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that it’s unconstitutional for schools to compose official prayers and make students recite them. Families of students at a New York school united to legally protest the fact their children were required to recite a prayer that the school had written for its students. They argued that such a practice violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, and the Court backed them up. The school tried to claim that the prayer’s wording was vague enough not to endorse any specific religion, but the Court said that the prayer’s petition to "Almighty God" was enough to serve as promotion for a family of faiths, thus making the whole affair unconstitutional. The case helped to define and strengthen the divide between churches and schools.
5. Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District: This 1969 case would influence many others (some on this list), and courts still refer to "the Tinker test" when determining the rights of students on school campuses. The case came about when three students — two in high school, one in junior high — wore black armbands to school in December 1965 to protest the Vietnam War. The school forbade the wearing of the armbands, a ruling that stood until the case was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. In a 7-2 ruling, the Court said that students and teachers don’t forfeit their constitutional protections "at the schoolhouse gate," and that the school could only justify censoring students’ speech for a legitimate reason, not merely to avoid a potentially awkward reminder of Vietnam. Later rulings would qualify and limit Tinker, but the case was a crucial victory for students’ right to speech and expression.
6. Goss v. Lopez: This 1975 decision bolstered students’ rights in the face of disciplinary action. Dwight Lopez and eight other students were suspended from Ohio’s Marion-Franklin High School for destruction of property. However, their suspension came without a hearing or parental notification, and the swiftness and execution of that punishment was deemed by the Supreme Court (ruling 5-4) to be a violation of students’ rights to due process of the 14th Amendment. The ruling didn’t do anything to condone Lopez’s actions, but it was important in determining that students are deserving of certain procedural rights when they’re involved in disciplinary actions.
7. New Jersey v. T. L. O.: Students’ right to privacy was sharply defined in this 1985 ruling. Two high school students were caught smoking in the bathroom of Piscataway Township High School in 1980. (Amazingly, smoking was allowed on campus, but only in certain areas.) One of the students had her purse searched, which revealed rolling papers and what appeared to be evidence that she smoked and sold pot regularly. She fought the search and seizure, claiming it violated her Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches. However, the Court ruled 6-3 that the search had been reasonable: She had been caught smoking cigarettes but denied doing so, which led to a reasonable search of her purse for the cigarettes, and that search in turn yielded discovery of drug paraphernalia in "plain view." The ruling changed education by making it easier to understand what constitutes a reasonable attempt on the part of school officials to provide a safe environment, something that’s always on the table when it comes to schools.
8. Bethel School District v. Fraser: This 1986 ruling was one of those that refined the Tinker test. A student named Matthew Fraser gave a speech on behalf of another student running for school office that was packed with sexual innuendo, and as a result, Fraser was suspended. He sued that the suspension violated his right to free speech, and though the district court and circuit court of appeals sided with Fraser, the Supreme Court overturned those rulings and said that his suspension had been constitutional. The Court said that while students should still expect reasonable chances to exercise free speech, the school has the right to monitor and punish sexually vulgar speech. It’s a limiting of Tinker, but a helpful one for educators looking to strike a balance between speech and censorship.
9. Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier: Another clarification of Tinker, this 1988 ruling dealt with student newspapers. A student newspaper had two pages of stories deleted before going to press, including an article about pregnancy among students and one about students whose parents had divorced. The principal said he didn’t think the anonymous names in the story were enough to protect the identities of the students in question, and that some of the topics weren’t appropriate for younger students. The Supreme Court agreed that even though students have a right to free speech, that doesn’t mean the school-sponsored newspaper can’t remove stories, especially when those stories conflict with what are termed "legitimate pedagogical goals." A school-funded paper isn’t the same as a public forum, so students’ speech rights are a bit more limited.
10. Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe: Back to religion, that old judicial chestnut. This 2000 Supreme Court case dealt with prayer at football games. A high school in Texas allowed a student chaplain to recite Christian prayers over the P.A. system before football games, which raised the ire of some non-Christian parents, who sued under the Establishment Clause. The district court and the circuit court of appeals found that the prayers were acceptable as long as they were deemed "nonsectarian" and "non-proselytizing," but the parents appealed all the way to the Supreme Court. In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court found that such prayers were indeed unconstitutional, since the prayers were happening at school-sponsored events, on school property, using members of the student body. As a result, no amount of nonsectarian labeling could change the fact that the prayers would seem to be issued at the school’s request and with its approval, which violates the Establishment Clause. School prayer is a hot-button issue in American education, so decisions like this one always bring heated exchanges. However, decisions like this one — and the discussions they create — are necessary to preserving the freedom of all students.

1. Ryan Leaf: Ryan Leaf was a high school football star in Minnesota who played quarterback for Washington State University in the 1990s. While there, he set a Pac-10 record for touchdown passes and took the school to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 67 (!) years. He was a finalist for the Heisman, he was first-team All-American, and he was pretty much guaranteed to be the next big thing. So what happened? In the 1998 NFL Draft, Leaf was the second pick in the first round, where he went to the San Diego Chargers. Soon enough, though, he started to crumble. He completed only one of 15 passes in his third game of the 1998 season and was eventually benched for poor performance. Blaming his teammates and attacking the media probably didn’t win him any favors, either. His sat out his second season, injured, and missed more of his third year for more injuries. Very brief and predictably terrible appointments followed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (who cut him after preseason) and the Dallas Cowboys (who cut him after four games.) He joined the Seattle Seahawks but retired before the season started. He coached briefly at West Texas A&M before running afoul of the law on drug charges. A pathetic end to what looked to be a promising career.
2. Brian Bosworth: Linebacker Brian Bosworth played football at the University of Oklahoma in the 1980s, where he garnered a reputation for speaking out against the NCAA. Despite trouble for steroid use, he won the first two Butkus Awards, which go to the top college linebacker, a feat that no other player has managed to repeat. The controversial figure was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1987 supplemental draft for a hefty 10-year, $11 million contract, but his star started to fade when he made grandiose promises before a game against the Raiders about stopping Bo Jackson, only to have Jackson run him over like a steamroller. A shoulder injury in 1988 meant he only played two games in the 1989 season, after which he was forced into retirement. He worked as a color man for the short-lived XFL in 2001 and showed up opposite Adam Sandler in The Longest Yard. Pretty weak end to the antics and attitude that once boasted so much more.
3. Andre Ware: Playing at the University of Houston in the late 1980s, Andre Ware was the first black quarterback to win the Heisman. He also broke a ridiculous number of records his junior year with the Cougars, when he threw for 4,699 yards and 44 touchdowns. He opted not to complete his senior year in order to be eligible for the NFL Draft. He went seventh in the first round to the Detroit Lions in 1990, but in four years with the team he only played 14 games. He was usually relegated to playing or starting when the Lions were out of playoff contention or facing an insurmountable loss. He played a few games in the 1994 season with the L.A. Raiders, then signed in 1995 with the Jacksonville Jaguars only to be cut before the season started. Ware’s tale is a common one: College star with loads of potential that’s just never given a chance to prove himself.
4. Danny Wuerffel: Quarterback Danny Wuerffel was a high school football star who continued his rise to fame at the University of Florida from 1993-1996. Wuerffel led the Gators to four straight SEC victories as well as a 1997 Sugar Bowl appearance in which they slaughtered Florida State 52-20. In addition to the Heisman, Wuerffel won the William Campbell Trophy for academic and athletic performance, making him the only athlete to ever win both. He ended his time at Florida having thrown for 10,875 yards with 114 touchdown passes. After that, well, he fizzled in the most disappointing way: Nothing really happened. He played with the New Orleans Saints before a brief time with the Rhein Fire (part of NFL Europe), then bounced from the Packers to the Bears to the Redskins, rounding out five teams in six years. He’s since moved into non-profit work.
5. Gino Torretta: Gino Toretta played QB for the University of Miami for the 1989-1992 season, during which time won the 1991 Cotton Bowl and the 1989 and ’92 Orange Bowls. He won a slew of awards, including the Heisman (which is starting to feel like the kiss of death for players who turn pro), leading his time to an impressive winning streak. Yet for all his power and potential, Toretta didn’t go until the seventh round of the 1993 NFL Draft, when he was chosen by the Minnesota Vikings. However, he didn’t play a single game that season, and he moved to the Detroit Lions for 1994. History repeated itself: He didn’t play at all. He played one NFL game, in 1996, when he was with the Seattle Seahawks and finally got off the bench in a season-ending game against the Oakland Raiders. He threw a touchdown pass right away, but it was too little, way too late. He retired after spending 1997 on a pair of rosters but not playing. He’s in the private sector now, which is such a loss.
6. Christian Laettner: Here’s another textbook case of glory gone to seed. Christian Laettner was such a god at Duke that his number, 32, has since been retired. He started in four consecutive Final Four matches, and played on NCAA championship teams in 1991 and 1992. He was lauded for his performance in the 1992 East regional final in the NCAA tournament against Kentucky, when he nailed a last-second jumper to secure the win. And as if that wasn’t enough, he was the only college player on the Dream Team, the classic 1992 USA Olympic basketball team that included Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and Larry Bird, and was so good it should’ve been illegal. After that? You know the drill: Plenty of sizzle, but no steak. He joined the Timberwolves in the 1992 NBA Draft and eventually bounced among seven teams in a 13-year career. His game just never got off the ground. He was suspended briefly in 2003 for drug use. He’s now in investment and development.
7. Tony Mandarich: Offensive tackle Tony Mandarich had an impressive career at Michigan State, earning recognition twice as one of the Big Ten Linemen of the Year as well as being named first-team All-American. He played on the team when they won the 1988 Rose Bowl against USC. He made the cover of Sports Illustrated before being drafted by the Green Bay Packers, but performance and attitude issues meant he was cut after three seasons. He returned for three seasons (1996-1998) with the Indianapolis Colts, after which he hung up his cleats for good. SI had once labeled him "The Incredible Bulk" (the guy was massive), but later changed it to "The Incredible Bust."
8. Danny Manning: Power forward Danny Manning was one of the most-loved University of Kansas basketball players of all time. He helped lead the team to a 1986 Final Four berth and a 1988 NCAA championship and became the school’s all-time leader in scoring and rebounds. The 1988 team was dubbed "Danny and the Miracles" for their impressive comeback from possible elimination to win the tournament. He was All-American, twice, and later named Big Eight Player of the Decade. That’s amazing no matter who you root for. Yet a series of injuries and knee surgeries meant that his NBA career suffered, and he eventually had to downgrade to part-time player status. His career was spent sliding among different teams, and his remarkable college performances were never repeated.
9. Matt Leinart: Quarterback Matt Leinart was worshipped by USC fans for his leadership of the Trojans to victory at the 2004 Rose Bowl and 2005 Orange Bowl. They also went to the 2006 Orange Bowl, narrowly losing to Texas. He won the Heisman, the Manning, and the Archie Griffin Award (twice). He was twice voted the NCAA’s QB of the Year. He left USC as the school’s all-time leader in several areas, including touchdown passes and completion percentage. He’s basically carved out of wood. However, a series of injuries and missteps meant his career with the Arizona Cardinals would be markedly different from his college days. His first two seasons were cut short because of injuries, and though he regained his starter position for his third season, poor preseason performance meant he had to cede the spot to Kurt Warner, who led the Cardinals to their first NFC title in 2008. His Arizona time has remained unremarkable, though he was named as starter again when Warner retired in January 2010. Maybe he can turn things around.
10. Jason White: Quarterback Jason White made a name for himself at the University of Oklahoma, where he played from 2000-2004. He started multiple times in 2001, played strong in 2002 despite an injury early on, and won the Heisman in 2003, throwing 40 touchdown passes. Critics pretty much loved the guy. He took the Sooners to the Big 12 championship game in ’03, though they lost. In 2004, he was a finalist for the Heisman again and also won his second straight Davey O’Brien Award. He ended his Oklahoma career as the school’s leader in all-time passing yards and touchdown passes (with 8,012 and 81, respectively). So what happened? Nothing at all, really, and I mean nothing: White wasn’t chosen in the 2005 NFL Draft, and no team offered him a tryout. The Tennessee Titans signed him in 2005, but White quit, blaming poor knees. That’s the whole thing. He fizzled so completely that he never made it to the pros at all.

1. Natalie Portman: Natalie Portman isn’t just talented when it comes to acting. The brainy star also went to Harvard, majoring in psychology, while shooting movies and working as an actress at the same time. She’s also, as you would expect, a pretty serious bookworm, naming Jonathan Safran Foer and Nabokov as two of her favorite reads.
2. Kate Beckinsale: You might know Kate Beckinsale best from her work as a vampire in the Underworld series or her role in the blockbuster film Pearl Harbor. Yet Beckinsale is much more than a pretty face. She won the W.H. Smith Young Writer’s competition twice in her teenage years and went on to study Russian and French literature at Oxford, a major that requires a serious amount of bookworm stamina. Kate admitted to Oprah that reading was a major escape for her as a child and since the birth of her daughter has taken up reading again in earnest.
3. James Woods: Woods’ brother described him once as the "ultimate high school nerd" perhaps because Woods was so dedicated to his studies. His love of reading and education led him to MIT where he pursued a degree in political science before dropping out to become an actor. These days Woods may be one of the Hollywood elite but he’s still reading more than just scripts.
4. Barack Obama: This world leader didn’t get to the top without some serious reading, earning his BA at Columbia and law degree at Harvard. President Obama has been a lifelong lover of literature, naming writers like Toni Morrison and Ernest Hemingway as his favorites, and is regularly seen with books, heard talking about books and helping to promote literature in schools in libraries across the nation.
5. Oprah Winfrey: Oprah has said of books, "Books were my pass to personal freedom. I learned to read at age three, and soon discovered there was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi." Since her beginnings in a small town, this bookworm has gone on to become one of the wealthiest women in the world, bringing her love of books with her. Her book club has inspired millions of people around the world to read everything from new fiction to literary classics.
6. Jon Stewart: As the host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart is responsible for interviewing all kinds of authors from political pundits to brilliant scientists. While he might make jokes or poke fun, it’s easy to see that Stewart has a real love of reading and actually reads part or all of the books he’s discussing. Stewart is also an author himself and his work on the show has earned him a number of journalism awards.
7. Madonna: This material girl is about more than just catchy tunes and shocking attire. Besides her musical and acting career, Madonna as published several children’s books, perhaps stemming from her own love of the written word. An avid reader, the pop diva names The Bad Girl by Mario Vargas Llosa and The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger as some of her favorites.
8. Gwenyth Paltrow: This Oscar winner has been in love with books since her mother would read them to her as a child, and credits books with getting her through some of the toughest times in her life. While on the set of Great Expectations, fellow actor Ethan Hawke gave her a box full of books he thought would help her find some peace. Among her favorites: Jane Eyre, Crime and Punishment and Franny and Zooey.
9. Ethan Hawke: Hawke isn’t just an actor but an author himself, winning praise for his authorial debut. A bit of a bookworm himself, Hawke has a great respect for writing and enjoys reading a wide variety of books. In a 2010 edition of O Magazine, he named works like James Baldwin’s Go Tell It On the Mountain and Sam Shepard’s Cruising Paradise as his favorites.
10. Bill Clinton: Former president Clinton is perhaps better known for his charm and the scandals that ensued while he was in the White House, but he is an avid reader and proponent of literature, stating once that he, "can’t imagine life without books." Clinton has named everything from standard classics like To Kill a Mockingbird to poli sci tomes like Politics as a Vocation as his favorites.
11. Adonal Foyle: NBA stars are very infrequently associated with being bookworms but this Orlando Magic center is proving that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Raised on an island in the Grenadines with no electricity, Foyle learned to read for entertainment from an early age. Today, he states that he is the only player he knows who brings a stack of books with him on road trips and has even started his own book club with his non-basketball friends.
12. Jay Leno: Recently, Jay Leno expressed frustration in finding a new home in LA where the library hadn’t been converted into a media room, stating that the value of books isn’t always appreciated by everyone in Hollywood. This talk show host knows the value of the written word as he struggled to read at an early age due to his dyslexia. Today, however, Leno and his wife have a large collection of books and are both avid readers.
13. Conan O’Brien: This TV funnyman has always been a lover of books, with his geeky nature being the butt of many of his self-depreciating jokes. His love of literature took him to Harvard where he majored in History and Literature, writing his thesis on literary greats William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor.
14. Brooke Shields: Shields has been acting since she was very young, but she didn’t let her career stop her from attending college, spending four years at the prestigious Princeton University before graduating with a degree in French Literature. Like any literature degree, that meant some serious reading, something Shields still enjoys to this day, promoting reading for kids and adults alike and even writing her own book about her battles with postpartum depression.
15. Elisabeth Shue: This star not only has brains but some serious determination as well. After dropping out of Harvard to focus on her career, this actress finally went back years later to complete her degree in government in 2000. While she admits she didn’t get into reading until she entered college, Shue names Rainer Maria Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet and Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls as her favorites.
16. Mira Sorvino: Her role in a movie like Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion wouldn’t give you a clue to how smart and bookwormy this star really is. Attending and graduating from Harvard, Sorvino studied and read in English and Chinese, writing a prize-winning thesis on conflict in China. She has said of books, "I love books. I get on a kick and gobble up whatever I can on a subject."
17. Robert Pattinson: Twilight fangirls go crazy for this handsome on-screen vampire. Yet, interviewers have described him as "bookish" and even a bit strange off screen. Whether he’s strange or not, he is a big fan of reading and makes it a point to read the books many of his movies are based on to help better understand the characters.
18. Jodie Foster: It’s likely that you know Ms. Foster from her movie roles, but she isn’t a slouch when it comes to academics either, graduating magna cum laude from Yale with a degree in Literature. She has stated that books have often been her escape and where she has found expressive inspiration for her career.
19. Matt Damon: Many may not know that Matt Damon was a Harvard literature student before he made his mark on the acting world. In fact, his Oscar-winning screenplay for Good Will Hunting was actually written for a class at Harvard. While Damon never graduated from Harvard, leaving to instead pursue acting, he is still a lover of all things literature, even helping to produce and star in a special celebrating Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States.
20. Edward Norton: Edward Norton is known for the often intelligent or complex characters he plays in movies, but what moviegoers don’t often know is the actor’s education and experience before he was in films. Norton is a Yale grad, fluent in Spanish and spent several years working in international business before ever appearing on stage. Among Norton’s favorite reads is To Change China: Western Advisers In China by Jonathan Spence, a book used in the making of Norton’s film The Painted Veil and likely a favorite because of Norton’s own degree in Chinese History.
21. Steve Martin: Martin may be best known for his work as a funnyman, but he was a serious student as a philosophy major at Cal State, hoping one day to become a philosophy professor. Alas, that was not in the cards for Steve Martin, but a successful career in TV and movies was. It didn’t dampen his love of books, however, as the actor still reads and even writes books to this day.
22. Geena Davis: If you had any doubts about the bookishness of Geena Davis, they’ll be erased by learning that this tall beauty is a member of MENSA and speaks Swedish fluently. Just last year, Davis received her honorary doctorate from Bates College for her work in gender studies in media, and keeps busy reading, writing and acting.
23. David Duchovny: After playing the seriously geeky Agent Mulder on The X-Files, it shouldn’t be hard to picture actor David Duchovny as a bookworm. This star has his bachelor’s from Princeton and went on to Yale to get his Master’s in English Literature. This well-read leading actor names Norman Mailer, Elmore Leonard and Thomas Pynchon as some of his favorite authors.
24. Mayim Bialik: You’ll say "whoa" when you learn just what a smarty and a bookworm this former Blossom star is. Attending UCLA, she has her PhD in neuroscience, writing her thesis on Prader-Willi Syndrome. While Bialik reads a wide variety of books, she is attempting to embracing her Jewish faith by reading books by Jewish authors, starting her own book club with friends.
25. Martin Scorsese: This highly acclaimed and Oscar winning director is more than just a Hollywood powerhouse. Scorsese has his MFA from New York University, and while he spends a good deal of time reading scripts he still loves to read books as well. He has stated that history books, especially those on the ancient world, are some of his favorites.

1. Gordon Gekko: You knew Gordon Gekko would make the list. There’s no better physical representation of the corruptive nature of greed and the way it turned the soul-searchers of the Me Decade into the corporate sharks of Reagan’s America. The powerful central figure of Oliver Stone’s 1987 drama Wall Street, Gekko (Michael Douglas) gets filthy rich and stays that way by cutting legal corners and doing some insider trading in his career as a corporate raider. Gekko’s successful but damning methods wind up corrupting the naive young Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) and getting them both in serious trouble. Douglas’ performance is so good that he won the Oscar for best actor, and the movie — and especially his role — has become in retrospect a symbol of the financial excess of the 1980s. The speech in which he says that "greed, for lack of a better word, is good," has become a classic. The character and story were so indelible that Stone resurrected them for a sequel, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, due out in fall 2010.
2. Sam "Ace" Rothstein: Martin Scorsese loves a good mob story. Whether it’s Goodfellas, Casino, or The Departed, he’s a master at getting inside the world of organized crime. His 1995 drama Casino, a three-hour epic about the history of the Mafia in Las Vegas, is fantastic, and it’s anchored by Robert De Niro as Sam "Ace" Rothstein. Ace starts out as a sports handicapper back home before moving out to Las Vegas to manage the Tangiers casino. His rise to power and prominence in the city is executed almost flawlessly, thanks to his cunning business skills and his knowledge of how to spot everyone from a sucker to a con man a mile away. Just don’t get caught cheating.
3. Michael Corleone: Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are some of the best American films ever made. (There’s apparently a third film in the series, but let’s just ignore that one.) At the center is Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), who begins the films as the only member of the Corleone family not involved in organized crime but winds up taking the reins of the family after the death of his father. His ascent from citizen to vengeful son to cold-blooded architect of a criminal empire is stunning, and Michael proves to be a formidable and brilliant businessman as he dodges the law, eliminates his enemies, and destroys his own family to protect his power.
4. Charles Foster Kane: Writer-director Orson Welles was in his mid-20s when he made his first feature film, Citizen Kane, co-authored in large part by Herman Manciewicz. The 1941 drama is considered to be one of the best films ever made, thanks in large part to its inventive techniques, including deep focus shots and multiple narrators. The story of Charles Foster Kane is based on that of William Randolph Hearst, with Kane rising from a childhood of poverty to a career in newspapers built on sensationalistic journalism. His business brilliance comes from his unwillingness to compromise: He spends a fortune to hire the best writers, and he manipulates public perception of the Spanish-American war before running for public office. His power is undone later in life by scandal and hardship, but he remains a titan of industry in movies.
5. Ricky Roma: David Mamet’s 1984 play Glengarry Glen Ross was turned into a film in 1992 with an all-star cast: Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Kevin Spacey, Ed Harris, Alan Arkin, Alec Baldwin, and Jonathan Pryce. And though it’s tempting to give this spot on the list to Baldwin’s character — a special creation for the film who delivered a now-classic monologue — the honor has to go to Pacino’s Ricky Roma. Instead of just a speech, we get to see Roma work as he sells real estate by invoking everything from metaphysics to great sex, and the mark played by Pryce never stands a chance once Roma gets his hooks in. His salesmanship is unsurpassed by anyone else in his office, which is why he’s so far ahead of them when it comes to hitting his quota. He’s an absolutely deadly businessman, and that’s why he makes the list.
6. Brantley Foster: Finally, a comedy! Michael J. Fox stars in this prime slice of 1980s cheese (released the same year as Wall Street, coincidentally) as Brantley Foster, an impossibly idealistic college grad who moves from the midwest to New York City in an attempt to make his fortune. He gets his foot in the door by working in the mailroom for a company directed by his uncle, but he starts to find success when he moves into an empty office and sets himself up as a new exec named "Carlton Whitfield." There’s the predictable level of hijinks involving quick wardrobe changes and mistaken identities, but through it all, Brantley proves his mettle by thinking outside the box and coming up with the innovative measures needed to save the company and ensure his career as a businessman. Plus he dates Helen Slater. What more could you want?
7. Howard Hughes: Another Martin Scorsese flick, The Aviator stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes, one of the wealthiest people in the world in his lifetime and a pioneer in aviation, engineering, and filmmaking. Scorsese’s biopic traces Hughes’ rise and eventual fall. He starts out as a filmmaker and producer, finding success because of his willingness to take risks (re-shooting Hell’s Angels to add sound cost almost $2 million) and his ability to know what would be popular with the public. When he moved into aviation and engineering, he took that love of style and flair and wound up with the Spruce Goose. Despite the OCD and paranoia that would eventually bring him down, he enjoyed a brief period as one of the most brilliant business minds in the world, as the film makes sadly clear.
8. Frank Lucas: Frank Lucas was a real man, and a terrifying one: In the 1970s, he created a heroin empire in New York City by buying it pure and having it shipped back to the U.S. smuggled inside the coffins of soldiers killed in the Vietnam War. His plan was brilliant, allowing him to become one of the most powerful drug lords of his time, but it was equally gruesome and ruthless. He eventually was caught and gave up names to authorities in exchange for lightened sentences.
9. Chris Gardner: Will Smith played Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happyness, based on the incredible true story of a man struggling to care for his young son while living on the streets and learning to become a stock broker. Gardner’s perseverance and business savvy eventually paid off, winning him the career and wealth for which he’d worked for years.
10. Preston Tucker: Preston Tucker tried to do something in the 1940s that people said was impossible: create and market a new car to compete with the Big Three auto companies. Francis Ford Coppola’s 1988 Tucker: The Man and His Dream follows Tucker (Jeff Bridges) as he sets his sights on success, only to see his business skills and inventive designs shut out amid allegations of scandal and pressure from other manufacturers. One can only imagine what would have happened if his ideas had been allowed to flourish.

The iPad is still a novelty in the tech world and especially in education, where it’s being used experimentally as a content delivery and even as a content creation tool. If you’re an online college student, you’re already familiar with many digital tools and applications that help you connect to the greater academic community and your fellow online students, but the iPad may herald the future of the "tablet classroom," even for elementary-aged students. Keep reading for 10 ways that the iPad will forever change education.

1. Students will have automatically updated information: If classrooms are able to supply every student with an iPad, then textbooks wouldn’t be needed again. Instead of waiting for the school district’s budget to increase so that they can get new textbooks, teachers will be able to facilitate up-to-the-minute information, research, multimedia, and news stories for each lesson, via the iPad, instead of using outdated printed books. E-textbooks are being developed for higher education now, and more sophisticated versions for all levels of students are expected to be released in the future.
2. It promotes active, engaging learning: Parentdish.com explains that other e-readers like the Amazon Kindle are static, but the iPad is interactive and cooperates with apps that integrate music, video and other media and experiences into reading and learning, which in the past have been traditionally passive in nature. With certain apps, Internet access and other tools, students can instantly apply their lessons to real-world problems, giving their learning experiences more depth while improving critical thinking and decision-making skills at an early age.
3. iPads may foster customized learning: Customized learning programs and hybrid education programs — in which some of the teaching is conducted online, even in secondary and primary schools — are gaining traction in some schools around the country, and the iPad is a logical asset to these experimental, progressive systems. Edutopia’s Bob Lenz believes that the potential exists for teacher-designed applications and programs that will offer students customized lesson plans and annotated e-textbooks. Students will also have the opportunity to create their own blogs, research and even e-books with the tools and access provided by the iPad.
4. Budget-friendly equals more access: The price of iPads haven’t yet leveled off, but they’re still more economical than the kind of laptops that have competitive web access and applications. Some analysts believe that schools would be more likely to purchase iPads than laptops for students, giving more students access to digital learning tools and new technology. Furthermore, if students can keep the same iPad for several years — or even trade it in for new updates every so often — it is far cheaper than purchasing a whole new set of textbooks for each child from kindergarten through 12th grade.
5. It offers a range of tools without multitasking options: This feature is considered a major plus for some iPad users and a huge downfall for other tech lovers. While other tools, including basic laptops, allow for multitasking applications and the ability to run more than one application at once, the iPad’s simplicity is actually ideal for classroom learning. Students can read all the content their teachers want them to access, but without the distractions. That means that kids can’t play games while pretending to follow along with the lesson, and teachers still have control over the classroom.
6. They bring mobility to education: We expect kids to lug home back-breaking loads of textbooks to do their homework, but wouldn’t it be easier for them if they only had to carry around an iPad? Besides being physically ightweight, the iPad’s mobility means that kids can work on homework and projects from anywhere, at any time. They’re constantly tuned into learning — every teacher’s dream.
7. Content delivery is being revolutionized: Students now have virtually unlimited opportunities for receiving educational content. Beyond static textbooks or even PowerPoint presentations, developers are experimenting with multimedia games, e-books, databases and other platforms for creating and delivering content for learning.
8. It encourages social interaction during learning: This feature is especially encouraging for distance learners who study independently. An article from the University of Texas’ Continuing and Innovative Education blog points out that "as ideas or questions occur to a student while reading an online textbook, he or she can immediately share them with other students through a class’s social networking group page." Additionally, students have instant access to reference tools and multimedia support to help them understand what they’re reading, even if they’re away from their laptops.
9. iPads can boost productivity and organization: With apps from Blackboard and other education content organizers, iti will be easier for students to contact teachers, keep track of schedules and deadlines, and even find their assignments and task lists.
10. They open students up to a global learning community: iPads continue the tech trend of opening users up to the rest of the world. Even young students will be able to communicate with kids from around the world, learn from teachers at other schools, and collaborate on projects and participate in discussions within the greater, global academic community.

1. Matthew McConaughey: Movie star Matthew McConaughey is known for his work in romantic comedies and feel-good films as much as he is for his laid back lifestyle. The Texas native lives in California and is often seen surfing, running, biking, and hiking, but he’s still proud of his country roots. McConaughey was born in the small town of Uvalde, TX, near San Antonio, and grew up in another small city east of Dallas. After graduating high school, McConaughey attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity and attended classes at the College of Communication. McConaughey is frequently photographed wearing his UT hats and t-shirts, and always attending championship football games.
2. Ron Howard: Child star-turned Academy Award director Ron Howard has produced and directed major, influential films like A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man, Frost/Nixon and The Da Vinci Code over two decades, in addition to starring in popular TV series The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days when he was young. Howard attended the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and even delivered the commencement address to the graduating class of 2002. In his speech, he credits film schools with challenging students to become deep thinkers with a true "understanding [of] the impact of film stories, and why they work on both conscious and unconscious levels."
3. Marcia Gay Harden: Academy Award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden mixes supporting roles in major blockbusters with starring roles in more critically acclaimed independent and artistic films, like Pollock and Mystic River. The greatly respected actress is the daughter of a Navy officer and grew up around the world before settling in at the University of Texas at Austin as an undergrad, and where she majored in theatre. Harden’s parents, sisters and brothers-in-law all attended UT, too. Harden went on to earn a graduate degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and currently lives in New York City, but she recently returned to Austin to deliver the commencement address to the graduating class of 2010, in which she declared, "I love this school."
4. Brooke Shields: Actress Brooke Shields started working in the entertainment industry when she was only five years old, but she still decided to attend college after she was already a full-fledged movie star. The New Jersey native returned to her home state for college, attending Princeton as a French literature student. At Princeton, Shields was a member of the theatre troupe, the Princeton Triangle Club, and the Cap and Gown Club. Shields still warmly talks about her Princeton experience, and is glad that she went to school even though she already had a career as a successful actress.
5. David Letterman: On his late night talk show, David Letterman often jokes about his Midwest upbringing and his alma mater Ball State University, located in Muncie, IN. The school was his second choice because his grades weren’t high enough to admit him into his dream school of Indiana University, but Letterman still found a group of friends in the Sigma Chi fraternity and graduated from the Department of Radio and Television in 1969. In 2007, the school dedicated its communication and media building to Letterman, naming the building after him.
6. Adam Sandler: Entertainer Adam Sandler has come a long way since his days on Saturday Night Live, and he’s made millions of dollars making goofy comedies like Happy Gilmore, more traditional romantic comedies like The Wedding Singer and more serious films like Punch-Drunk Love and Funny People. Despite his sometimes raunchy and always silly sense of humor, Sandler has a BFA from New York University’s elite Tisch School of the Arts. The Brooklyn-raised Sandler graduated from NYU in 1988, and has even used his school experiences as inspiration for his comedic work: the song "The Lunchlady Land" was written in honor of his NYU lunch lady Emalee.
7. John Krasinski: The Office hunk John Krasinski is steadily making a name for himself in movies like Away We Go and Leatherheads, but the Newton, MA, born actor has a very impressive resume when it comes to theater and drama training. Krasinski attended Newton South High School with fellow Office actor B.J. Novak, as well as the National Theater Institute, The Royal Shakespeare Company in England, and Brown University. Krasinski participated in a friendly rivalry with another Office costar, Rashida Jones, who attended the school’s competitor, Harvard University.
8. Rashida Jones: The daughter of Quincy Jones and Peggy Lipton is a successful entertainer in her own right, after roles on The Office and Parks and Recreation and in films like I Love You, Man. Jones was raised in Los Angeles, but she attended college at Harvard, where she was an active member of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals, Black Students Association, Harvard Radcliffe Drama Club, and other groups. The religion and philosophy student remains fiercely loyal to her school despite the jokes made by her former Office costar, Krasinski.
9. Lucy Liu: Queens, NY, girl Lucy Liu is known for playing sexy, independent, take-no-prisoners females on TV and in movies, from Ally McBeal to Charlie’s Angels to Kill Bill, but she’s also a whip-smart graduate of the University of Michigan. After attending NYU for one year, Liu transferred to Michigan where she was a member of the Chi Omega sorority and graduated with a B.S. in Asian Languages and Cultures. While in college, Liu also starred in her school’s production of Alice in Wonderland.
10. Kate Beckinsale: British actress Kate Beckinsale has played classic roles in Much Ado About Nothing and Emma, as well as more fantastical characters in Underworld and Van Helsing. Beckinsale is often photographed in glamorous, sexy outfits on the red carpet and hopping around LA with her family, but the Oxford-educated actress is part of a fiercely loyal group of alumni who are proud of their heritage. Beckinsale finished her studies in Paris, away from campus, but she can still credit Oxford with connecting her to legendary actor and director Kenneth Branagh, who cast her as Hero in his famous interpretation of Much Ado About Nothing.

Millionaires & Billionaires

College will improve your lifetime earning potential, but it didn’t make a difference for these people.

1. John D. Rockefeller, Sr.: This high school dropout was the first American billionaire.
2. Kirk Kerkorian: Kirk Kerkorian is said to be the richest man in Los Angeles with a personal fortune of $16 billion, although he dropped out of school in the 8th grade.
3. Mark Zuckerberg: This young billionaire started Facebook on summer vacation.
4. Sheldon Adelson: Sheldon Adelson dropped out of City College of New York before earning enough credits for a degree.
5. Stanley Ho: The King of Gambling left college after a couple years.
6. Kevin Rose: Rose used house down payment money to start the website Digg, although he dropped out of UNLV.

Artists & Musicians

Check out these artists that didn’t need formal training.

7. Frank Lloyd Wright: Frank Lloyd Wright left high school behind to work in the University of Wisconsin’s Engineering department.
8. William Eggleston: William Eggleston attended Vanderbilt and the University of Mississippi without graduating from either.
9. Ansel Adams: Photographer Ansel Adams was educated through homeschooling and grammar school.
10. Christina Aguilera: Christina was pulled out of high school because of kids who were jealous of her fame.
11. Ray Charles: Beloved musician Ray Charles left school at 15 after his mother died.
12. Andre Benjamin: More commonly known as Andre 3000, Andre Benjamin earned a high school equivalency degree.
13. Eminem: Eminem’s education ended in high school.
14. Cher: Cher’s career began at the age of 17.
15. Louis Armstrong: Louis Armstrong dropped out of the Fisk School for Boys at 11, and joined a quartet of boys.
16. Tom Petty: Tom Petty dropped out of high school at 17 to join the band Mud Crutch.
17. Glen Campbell: By 18, Glen Campbell was on tour as part of the Western Wranglers.
18. Sheldon Harvey: Sheldon Harvey left high school to care for his wife and son, and later attended community college without graduating.
19. Coco Chanel: Her work is studied in colleges, but Coco Chanel did not attend one.

Entrepreneurs

These respected entrepreneurs did it all without a degree.

20. Mary Kay Ash: Mary Kay Ash’s family could not afford to send her to college, but she was able to build a successful cosmetics company.
21. Jack Taylor: Jack Taylor founded Enterprise Rent-A-Car, although he dropped out of college in World War II.
22. Mike Hudack: Mike Hudack never went to college, but he founded blip.tv.
23. Paul Allen: Paul Allen dropped out of Washington University to co-found Microsoft with Bill Gates.
24. W. Clement Stone: W. Clement Stone dropped out of elementary school, although he later too high school night courses and some college.
25. Debbi Fields: Mrs. Fields turned her chocolate chip cookie recipe into a successful food franchise.
26. Sir Richard Branson: Richard Branson dropped out of high school, but he went on to successfully publish "Student" magazine.
27. Larry Ellison: Before starting Oracle Corporation, he dropped out of both the University of Illinois and University of Chicago.
28. Arthur Ernest Morgan: Engineer Arthur Ernest Morgan learned the practice by apprenticeship.
29. Ted Turner: Ted Turner was rejected by Princeton and Harvard.
30. Bill Gates: Bill Gates is one of the richest people in the world, but he was a college dropout.
31. John Carmack: The cofounder of id Software John Carmack dropped out of University of Missouri.
32. Michael Dell: The founder of Dell dropped out of college when his dorm room business began grossing about $80,000 per month.
33. David Karp: Although David Karp dropped out of the Bronx High School of Science at 15, he founded Tumblr.
34. Milton Hershey: Milton Hershey started his own chocolate company with only a 4th grade education.
35. Dave Thomas: Dave Thomas got his first job at 12, dropped out of school at 15, invested in KFC, and opened his first Wendy’s.
36. Ralph Lauren: Ralph Lauren studied business for two years before dropping out of college.
37. Ty Warner: Toy tycoon Ty Warner dropped out of Kalamazoo College to sell stuffed animals.
38. Steve Jobs: Steve Jobs attended only one semester of college.

Athletes

These athletes skipped over college in favor of an athletic dream.

39. Rashard Lewis: Rashard Lewis left behind Alief Elsik high school to be drafted into the NBA.
40. Kevin Garnett: Kevin Garnett has played in the NBA for more than 14 years since skipping college.
41. Andre Agassi: Tennis player Andre Agassi quit school in 9th grade to go to the tennis courts.
42. LeBron James: LeBron James skipped college to go straight into the NBA and sign an endorsement deal with Nike.
43. Dwight Howard: After being drafted as a first pick, Dwight Howard decided not to go to college.
44. Kobe Bryant: Kobe Bryant was drafted straight out of high school into the Charlotte Hornets.
45. Mario Andretti: Although Mario Andretti dropped out of high school, he later earned an equivalency degree.

Actors

Although they didn’t go to college, these actors are still well-respected.

46. John Travolta: John Travolta started his movie career at the age of 16 when he dropped out of high school.
47. Julie Andrews: Julie Andrews, Oscar winning actress, singer and author dropped out of high school.
48. Pierce Brosnan: Before his stage acting career, Pierce Brosnan left school at 16.
49. Kevin Bacon: Kevin Bacon skipped college to go to New York and study drama.
50. Ellen Burstyn: Ellen Burstyn left home at 18 before her Broadway debut.
51. Johnny Depp: Johnny Depp dropped out of high school to become a movie star.
52. Ellen DeGeneres: Ellen DeGeneres only studied one year at the University of New Orleans to work odd jobs while getting started as a comedienne.
53. Raymond Burr: Actor Raymond Burr claimed to attend Stanford and Columbia, but he never actually went to college.
54. Steve Martin: Steve Martin dropped out of college at 21.
55. James Dean: After earning the role of Malcolm in Macbeth, James Dean left UCLA in pursuit of full-time acting.
56. Marisa Tomei: Marisa Tomei attended Boston University and New York University, but didn’t graduate from either before pursuing work with As the World Turns.
57. Brad Pitt: Brad Pitt left the University of Missouri two weeks before graduation to take acting classes in LA.
58. Chris Rock: Comedian and actor Chris Rock was a high school dropout at the age of 17.
59. Halle Berry: Halle Berry moved to Chicago immediately after high school to start her modeling and acting career.
60. Nicholas Cage: Although he dropped out of Beverly High School at 17, Nicholas Cage has become one of the most powerful people in Hollywood.
61. Michael J. Fox: Michael J. Fox’s education did not extend past high school.
62. Jim Carrey: Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey left high school at 16.
63. Tom Hanks: Tom Hanks dropped out of college to be an intern at the Great Lakes Theater Festival.
64. Michael Caine: Michael Caine, Oscar winning actor, dropped out of high school.
65. Joe Pesci: Joe Pesci went from high school dropout to making $3,000,000 from Lethal Weapon.

Writers

Check out these writers that created beautiful works without the help of a college education.

66. Jack London: Author Jack London quit school after learning about his family’s past.
67. William Blake: Poet and artist William Blake was educated at home by his mother.
68. William Faulkner: This Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist dropped out of both high school and the University of Mississippi.
69. Jack Kerouac: Kerouac left his athletic scholarship at Columbia University behind after he cracked his tibia.
70. Robert Frost: Beloved poet Robert Frost dropped out of Dartmouth College.
71. Doris Lessig: Doris Lessig won the Nobel Prize for Literature, but ended her formal schooling at 14.

Entertainment

These masters of the entertainment business didn’t need a college degree.

72. Simon Cowell: Simon Cowell didn’t go to college, but rather started in a mailroom for a music publishing company.
73. William Hanna: Cartoonist William Hanna dropped out of college at the beginning of the Great Depression.
74. Aaron Brown: Aaron Brown dropped out of the University of Minnesota to sign up for active duty in the Coast Guard.
75. Quentin Tarantino: This successful moviemaker dropped out in 9th grade.
76. Sammy Cahn: Oscar-winning songwriter Sammy Cahn dropped out of high school.
77. David Geffen: David Geffen dropped out of Brooklyn College and the University of Texas.
78. James Cameron: He’s gone on to become an Oscar winning director, producer, and screenwriter, but James Cameron dropped out of California State University.
79. Peter Jennings: Peter Jennings attended the University of Ottawa and Carleton University, but he did not graduate from either.
80. Rachael Ray: With no formal training in college or culinary arts, Rachael Ray has become a star in the food and entertainment industry.
81. Jim Clark: Jim Clark’s education didn’t get past prep school.
82. Woody Allen: Woody Allen had false starts at NYU and City College of New York before becoming a full-time writer.
83. Steven Spielberg: Steven Spielberg was denied acceptance to film school, but has since become one of the world’s most successful movie directors and producers.
84. Barry Diller: The founder of Fox, Barry Diller, was a college dropout.
85. Walt Disney: Walt Disney dropped out of high school at 16, but went on to find success as an animator and businessman.

Inventors

These inventors created using just their ingenuity.

86. Henry Ford: Ford left home at 16 to apprentice as a machinist.
87. Steve Wozniak: The Woz dropped out of college to design calculators at Hewlett-Packard.
88. Thomas Edison: Thomas Edison only went to school for a few months, but his mother taught him at home.
89. Dean Kamen: Dean Kamen dropped out of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, but he holds more than 80 US patents.

Presidents & Politicians

Find out which great leaders achieved greatness without a degree.

90. George Washington: George Washington only went to school until he was 14 or 15.
91. Andrew Jackson: Even without a college degree, Andrew Jackson was an American President, Congressman, and more.
92. Patrick Henry: Patrick Henry attended local schools and was tutored by his father, but he never went to college.
93. Martin Van Buren: Although he did not attend college, he was able to work as a law clerk for several years before becoming a lawyer.
94. Zachary Taylor: Instead of going to college or studying on his own, Zachary Taylor served in the military.
95. Millard Fillmore: Millard Fillmore had only six months of formal schooling.
96. Benjamin Franklin: The Remarkable Benjamin Franklin received less than two years of formal education.
97. Abraham Lincoln: Abraham Lincoln came from a poor family who didn’t live close to a school, but he taught himself to read and become a lawyer.
98. Harry S. Truman: This American President’s formal education ended with high school.
99. Winston Churchill: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill flunked out a sixth grade, and although he graduated 8th out of a class of 150 at the Royal Military Academy, he never attended college.
100. Grover Cleveland: Grover Cleveland was unable to go to college, instead having to work when his father died.