Not everyone on The Standard’s SF100 is a household name. For every Steph Curry, Mark Zuckerberg, or Nancy Pelosi, there are other powerful and influential figures who rarely (if ever) appear in the news.
Here are 10 names from our list you should get to know better. Feel free to set up a Google Alert now.
Who is he? Anderson is the force behind Rize Up Bakery, which produces the city’s most adventurous carbs. With sourdough loaves in flavors that include gochujang, curry leaf, and truffle, Rize Up is modernizing a San Francisco staple.
Breakout moment: Anderson raised his profile nationally when he appeared in a Comcast commercial that ran during last year’s Super Bowl.
Who is she? Birnbaum is the founder and CEO of Into the Streets, a group bringing food, music, and fun to an area that needs all three: downtown. With events like Bhangra and Beats, Into the Streets is making even the dullest part of the city sparkle.
Breakout moment: The May 2024 rollout of Downtown First Thursdays, which attract thousands of revelers every month.
Who is she? Conde’s title is senior vice president of Another Planet Entertainment, but we think of her as the city’s under-the-radar music maven. APE is the force behind Outside Lands and other concerts that draw tens of thousands each year, and Conde is the key.
Breakout moment: It’s hard to pick one, but last year’s Outside Lands featured Post Malone, Shaboozey, and — just as she was going stratospheric — Chappell Roan.
Who is he? Othello is an Oakland-based artist whose work can be found at the de Young, the Whitney, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. (So, yes, he’s a household name if you have a few houses full of original art.)
Breakout moment: His sculpture “Time, Turn, and Light” is a permanent fixture at SFO.
Who is she? Manchun Wong is an engineer with an amazing talent for finding deeply hidden code and surfacing it for everyone to enjoy. She has discovered hidden or soon-to-launch features on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Lyft, all before the company’s owners wanted you to see them.
Breakout moment: She found a way to personalize the displays on Waymos.
Who is she? Medeiros is executive director of Walk San Francisco, a group advocating for pedestrians in a city full of cars.
Breakout moment: Former Mayor London Breed’s 2019 call for a “complete overhaul” of the city’s streets.
Who is he? Moghadam is the soon-to-retire CEO of Prologis, the world’s largest industrial real estate company. You don’t know him, but anyone who needs a massive warehouse does. (Think: Amazon.)
Breakout moment: Moghadam joined a who’s who of corporate titans this year as part of Mayor Daniel Lurie’s Partnership for San Francisco.
Who is he? Srivastava is CEO of Gladstone Institutes, a biomedical research institute trying to solve some of the most serious health problems.
Breakout moment: A 2010 breakthrough in heart disease treatment.
Who is she? Williams is an advocate for the homeless with a knack for finding newsworthy government documents that she shares with reporters and directly with her subscribers.
Breakout moment: In 2024, Williams was awarded a James Madison Freedom of Information Award by the Society of Professional Journalists.
Who is she? Chen is the city’s principal planner, advocating for more housing, especially multi-unit buildings.
Breakout moment: Lurie’s election has raised the profile of Chen’s efforts.