Payal Kadakia: Executive chairman, founder, ClassPass

Being different is what makes you special. I was one of the only Indians in my town. My parents were immigrants; I looked different and came from such a different background. I sought to explore my heritage through Indian dance, which I began taking at age 3. I thought that Indian dance and music were amazing, but many of my classmates thought it was weird. When times were toughest, it would have been nice to know that celebrating my differences and holding fast to my passions would eventually lead me to create a product that has enriched millions of lives.

Craig Newmark: Founder, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Craigslist

I was lucky to receive valuable advice as a kid, and it has guided my worldview ever since. My Sunday school teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Levin, taught me to treat people kindly and to know when enough is enough. This informed my belief that I need to take less and give more, and put my money where my mouth is. That’s why I opted to monetize my company minimally, and their lessons definitely influenced my philanthropy.

Chris Licht: Executive producer, “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”

Don’t worry so much about what other people think of you. Middle school sucks, but then things get progressively better. In a few years, you will become bizarrely obsessed with “Late Night With David Letterman.” Lean into that. And, most importantly, your parents are right ... about everything.

Emily Weiss: C.E.O., founder, Glossier

I wish I had known that there are so many different paths to success. When I was 8 years old, I was creative and ambitious, but if someone had told me I’d one day lead a business, I wouldn’t have believed them. We subscribe to these very rigid archetypes of what a C.E.O. should look like, and what life experiences are required to get to that position. So we either opt into those assumptions and start checking the required boxes, or we opt out and think, “this just isn’t for me.” I studied art, not business, and yet here I am. One of the best things we can do for younger generations is to show them that there’s no one path to leadership, no one type of leader.

What is the hardest thing about what you do that is misunderstood by others?

Abigail Disney: Filmmaker, activist, Fork Films, Level Forward

I’m close to losing my mind from the way people characterize what I am talking about as “socialism.” Once that word enters the mix it becomes impossible to have a reasonable dialogue about anything. There is nothing socialist about paying a fair wage, fighting discrimination in the workplace, or taking massive steps to address environmental threats. All I am fighting for is a moderated form of capitalism, one which is policed and polices itself, to attend to the health and well-being of the society in which it functions. I think of it as patriotic economics. None of what I am talking about is that difficult to understand. Pay people better. Fight for your workers’ interests. It’s not rocket science (unless you work for Elon Musk, of course).