In some ways, Mike Keiser might be the Michelangelo of golf, though he’d never apply that label to himself. Through the creation of places like Bandon, Cabot Links, and Sand Valley, Mike’s company, Dream Golf, has left behind monuments that may easily last for centuries. But long before he created his first golf course, The Dunes Club, in 1988 and even before he built an empire from recycled greeting cards, Mike started working as a caddie in Upstate New York. And it was there that he developed a deep love for golf and learned many of the lessons that helped him chart his path. Caddies remain a central theme at his golf courses as well as his philanthropic efforts. Mike is a longtime thought leader for and director of the Western Golf Association, which just celebrated the first ever recipients of the Keiser Family Caddie Scholarship thanks to his generosity. He is also a member of the WGA’s Caddie Hall of Fame.

Jeff King is the founder of Kingmade Jerky, the “Official Jerky and Official Meat Snack” of the PGA Tour. Founded in 2012, Kingmade has attracted a cultish following on the PGA Tour, with the help of players like Luke List, Scott Brown, Billy Horschel, Davis Love III, Jimmy Walker, Graeme McDowell, Matt Kuchar, and Vaughn Taylor. The brand continues to thrive after taking on growth capital from Bushwood Investment Partners, LLC. King has caddied for most of his life, having worked on the PGA Tour, the LPGA Tour, the Asian Tour, and the Korn Ferry Tour.

She repeatedly reinvented AxleTech, surpassing $500M in revenue, becoming one of The Carlyle Group’s top CEOs, but that should come as no surprise to anyone who hears Mary Petrovich’s story. Turning adversity into excellence, she’s had the cards stacked against her since childhood, and it was caddying at Franklin Hills Country Club that created the foundation for her success. Winning an Evans Scholarship to attend Michigan, she later added an MBA from Harvard Business School. Now a Western Golf Association Director, she serves on the boards of DealerShop, United Road Services, Traxen, Xeeva, and Woodward (NASDAQ: WWD). Mary has also won 35 club championships, has had 9 aces, and is just an all-around badass.

Matt Desch is CEO of Iridium (NASDAQ: IRDM), a satellite company based in Washington, DC. Iridium is the world’s largest satellite system, providing communications to ships, airplanes, and other industries across 100% of the planet that are outside cellular coverage. Once the largest bankruptcy in the world, Matt joined the company in 2006 and took it from a small company to a multi-billion dollar global company, launching a new $3B satellite system in the process. Matt has spent over 40 years in telecommunications, starting at AT&T Bell Labs, and was an early pioneer in the cellular phone wireless industry. He has a BS in Computer Science from The Ohio State University and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He is a Board of Trustee for the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA) and also sits on the board of Unisys (NYSE: UIS).