Forbes’ 2023 list highlights 50 leaders, executives, thinkers and teams rethinking the world of work at a time when everything—from the job market’s future to AI’s impact to a college degree’s value—feels more uncertain than ever. While far from the only company developing wearable technology or clothing to help workers in extreme heat conditions, Epicore has lined up some big partners. By applying a sweat-sensing patch that’s also used for fitness to labor-intensive outdoor fields like oil rig or utility line workers—Epicore calls them "industrial athletes"—Ghaffari created a flexible, wearable tool that continuously measures sweat fluid and electrolyte loss, leveraging data to predict dehydration levels. Though small, with only about $10 million in seed and Series A funding, Ghaffari says this summer's extreme heat sparked huge interest; partners include oil giant Chevron, Japanese chemical company Denka—and the U.S. Army.

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