Risk Takers: They made big bets in 2022 - CNN

12 leaders. 9 big bets. All designed to push global business forward.

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  • Founder and CEO, Rivian

    RJ Scaringe

    Rivian's very first vehicle beat out the Big Three automakers to win truck of the year. Now that Detroit is catching up, can this electric startup survive long enough to put its multibillion-dollar losses behind it?
  • Founder, Earthseed

    Ifeoma Ozoma

    This daughter of Nigerian immigrants made headlines in 2020 when she accused her former employer, Pinterest, of racism and sexism. Now, Ozoma is taking on the tech industry she left behind to help others speak out about discriminatory workplaces.
  • Founder, Adani Group

    Gautam Adani

    This university dropout briefly overtook Jeff Bezos on the list of the world's richest men earlier this year. As the Indian billionaire ventures into new businesses, analysts fear his empire has borrowed too much, and critics say his rise rests heavily on cronyism.

  • Pioneers of the four-day work week

    These executives asked their employees to work less for the same paycheck. After a bumpy start and some surprising benefits, they're determined to keep the new schedule
    • Twitter whistleblower

      Peiter "Mudge" Zatko

      He's a famous hacker-turned-high-profile information security executive. But he put that career on the line to blow the whistle on one of the world's most influential social media companies amid its contentious fight with the world's richest man.
    • CEO, Kraft Heinz

      Miguel Patricio

      A scandal and sinking sales left Kraft Heinz in crisis before the pandemic. CEO Miguel Patricio is working to turn things around at the iconic food giant. Velveeta martini, anyone?

    • Starbucks Workers United

      Starbucks baristas have taken on the coffee giant, demanding a say in how stores are run. Despite store closings and firings connected to their unionization efforts, Starbucks Workers United has won union representation votes at more than 200 stores in less than a year.

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          • Photo credits

            Amit Dave/Reuters, Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg/Getty Images, Lev Radin/Sipa USA, CNN/Tomasz Werner, Courtesy Kickstarter PBC, Adria Malcom/The New York Times/Redux, Courtesy The Kraft Heinz Company, Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg/Getty Images, Andrea Morales, Libby March/The New York Times/Redux, Sarah Silbiger for CNN