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?
For our series Who’s Next, we’ve been profiling the next generation of luminaries in fields ranging from sports to media to 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.
If you’ve missed out on these stories so far, today’s your lucky day: our Who’s Next homepage just launched. Make sure to bookmark this trailblazer Rolodex, as we’ll be publishing a new feature every week or two for the rest of the year and they’ll all live right here. I just looked at the roster of folks we have lined up, and believe me when I say that the best is yet to come.
Not to shade any of the rising stars we’ve talked to (and photographed, and invited to our office) already. Their game-changing achievements and unbelievable origin stories are a taste of where Who’s Next is headed for the rest of 2025…
- Bonnie Stiernberg caught up with Kyle Allen for our first-ever digital cover story. You may not know the actor, but you’ll know the directors he’s worked with: Spielberg, Branagh, Bigelow.
- I spoke with Jak Crawford, who might be the next great American F1 driver. (He’s got a race this weekend. Tune in.)
- Paolo Sandoval sat down for soup with Sam Fragoso, who recently had Seth Rogen and Ezra Klein on his chart-topping interview podcast.
- Forget smartwatches. As Kirk Miller explained, “sleepbuds” are the next revolution in wellness wearables.
- Does every buzzy restaurant feel the same? Then you haven’t been to a Varun Kataria joint. Amanda Gabriele has, and it’s a trip.
- Wordle isn’t the future, Connections is — thanks to Wyna Liu. Our social team asked her a few hard-hitting questions, too.
- The hype for Christopher Nolan’s take on The Odyssey is off the charts. When Bonnie chatted with Jesse Garcia, he was in Greece filming it.
- And Tanner Garrity, editor of The Charge, wondered what was behind the rise of padel. He traced it back to one man.
None of these people are household names. Not yet. But in a year — or two, or five — they will be.
What’s next for Who’s Next? You’ll have to follow along to find out. Make sure that includes Instagram, where we’ll be sharing in-house photo shoots and video Q&As with our subjects. The next profile drops in T-minus two days…
— Alex Lauer, features editor
| 
