Jared Polis
The Democrat from Boulder, Colo., was the first openly gay freshman elected to Congress when he won his seat in 2008, and he blogged about his rookie year for CNN.com. Polis, 35, expanded his family's greeting-card empire and was named Entrepreneur of the Year by accounting firm Ernst & Young before turning to philanthropy and politics. He may be the only member of Congress who emails his poetry to supporters.
Who is your political hero/inspiration?
Pat Schroeder
What's your go-to political blog?
Politicalwire.com
If you weren't working in politics, what would you be doing?
Superintendent of New America School, a charter school network I founded.
What's the most overlooked issue facing America these days?
Human capital issues. Developing our nation's human capital through improving education at home and replacing our broken immigration system with one that works to help import the best, brightest, and hardest working people from around the world to make our country stronger.
Where do you see yourself professionally in five years?
Doing great things, having fun, loving life!