Who is the new Columbus?

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Investments: Episode 25

My friend Deborah Cole Micek (aka @CoachDeb on Twitter) mentioned on Facebook that she "Didn't even realize it was a holiday. ((side effects of entrepreneurship))" To which I replied "C'mon! This is like the ultimate entrepreneurial holiday. Put it all on the line to discover a better trade route."

Columbus was indeed an entrepreneur who was willing to put it all on the line for his dream of discovering a faster trade route for spices and silk. He also wanted fame, glory and riches. And of course the native people of Hispaniola paid a high price for his success. But, succeed he did and the world was changed forever with his success.

This got me thinking, who are the new adventurers? Who is out there putting it all on the line to change our world? Is Elon Musk of Tesla Motors a Columbus-like pioneer? What about WePower, who acquired PacWind, maker of vertical wind turbines and solar panels for commercial and residential use? Should we awe at the pursuit of rare Earth elements or oil and natural gas exploration?

What do you think? Are there any great explorers left?