In his brief and dramatic life, 19th-century medical alumnus Elisha Kent Kane broke new ground in exploring both the frozen North and the hothouse atmosphere of celebrity culture.

As a Penn student, he helped free his wrongfully accused father from a Venezuelan prison, championed a struggling conservative student publication, and won an award for protecting free speech on campus. These days, as he shuttles among his identities as foundation executive, movie producer, TV talking head, and columnist, Thor Halvorssen C’96 G’96 is still “fighting for freedom”—with time out for an occasional nice meal.

David Teece describes himself as a “practicing business intellectual.” That’s not an oxymoron.