Photo credit: Khan Academy
I love Sal Khan because he’s been working tirelessly for something we all want: smarter people. In 2025, his Khan Academy rolled out new AI-powered tutors that are designed to work like a study partner rather than a tool you can use to cheat on tests.
They’re great because Khan’s tech personalizes them for every individual’s personal learning rate. They’ve helped millions of students learn at their own pace with less stress – unlike learning from Mrs. Honeycutt in second grade whose glare was nightmare fuel.
But Sal’s impact went beyond the Khan Academy last year when he stepped into a new role as “Vision Steward” for TED. That’s one of the planet’s most influential educational resources as well as a huge platform for exploring new ideas. Khan is now in a position to help guide TED, which is on-brand for a guy whose goal is to make lifelong learning available to everyone.
At a smaller level, he’s pushed the Khan Academy into more underserved communities, teaming up with schools and nonprofits to close the education gap. That’s edtech delivered through a Worthy 100 filter.
