USC alumni don’t just follow innovation — they forge new paths and redefine fields from entertainment to AI. This month, six Trojans were named among America’s Greatest Innovators by Forbes. Selected for their creativity, breadth, engagement, disruption and commercial impact, these pioneers have something in common: USC.
#4 George Lucas ’66
Creator of Star Wars and one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, he’s shaped modern storytelling and the global landscape of science fiction.
Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images/Disney
# 21 USC Life Trustee Andrew Viterbi PhD ’62
A pioneering engineer whose development of the Viterbi algorithm and co-founding of Qualcomm transformed global communications.
Photo by USC Photo/Greg Grudt
#28 USC Trustee Marc Benioff ’86
Revolutionized enterprise software as Salesforce’s Chair and CEO and is widely known for his groundbreaking 1‑1‑1 philanthropy model.
Photo by NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images
#190 Shonda Rhimes MFA ’94
The CEO of Shondaland has redefined television with hit series like Bridgerton, Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and reshaped the industry through her landmark Netflix partnership.
Photo by Jamel Toppin for Forbes
#232 Cathie Wood ’81
Founder, CEO and CIO of ARK Invest and a leading voice in identifying and investing in disruptive technologies across sectors.
Photo by Eli Warren
#249 Marian Croak MA ’81, PhD ’82
Google’s vice president of responsible AI and human-centered technologies and a pioneering engineer with more than 200 patents in IP technology.