In 2021, the stars aligned for San Diego. The city finally shed its “small town” image to become a bona fide global hotbed of innovation, entrepreneurial energy and business leadership.

San Diego’s world-class transformation has been driven by the vision and accomplishments of the leaders profiled in this year’s edition of the SD500. From civic and lifestyle champions to pioneers in blue tech, biotech, high tech, life sciences, real estate and finance, the San Diego Business Journal’s SD500 are the human capital powering the region’s unparalleled prosperity.

This year’s edition features a host of newcomers as well as business community leaders who’ve been SD500 mainstays for more than a decade. With diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) emerging as a major theme in 2021, women and persons of color, including people of all ages, ethnicities and sexual orientations also are well represented on this year’s list.

To compile the 2021 SD500, the Business Journal tapped its staff and professional networks, grouping members by general categories or vertical markets, beginning with the region’s civic leaders.