From entertainment and technology to politics and finance, these 50 top playersunder 40 represent our editors’ picks

Representative (D-Ill.) Age: 38
Since being elected in 1995, Jackson has emerged as a powerful young leader and staunch advocate for equality in healthcare and education. He’s used his position to create the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, considered one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation in four decades. He has also fought against moves to undermine affirmative action and cuts to education and energy assistance.

Michael Hill
Baseball Executive Age: 32
A year after joining the Florida Marlins, Hill’s team went to the 2003 World Series, having defeated the Chicago Cubs in a decisive Game 7. In his ninth season in a front-office job, this assistant general manager demonstrates his own power-hitting skill by handling waiver and rule compliance, roster management, and contract research and negotiation.

O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson
Film Producer / Entrepreneur Age: 34
From hard-core rapper to film star to director, Ice Cube has been a success. His Friday movies grossed $118 million and Barbershop raked in $75 million. The CEO of Cube Vision Productions, he recently signed on to produce and star in a minimum of three films for Revolution Studios. He has two films scheduled for release in early 2004. Also look for him in the XXX sequel. These days, every day is a good day.

Mellody Hobson
Fund Company President Age: 34
Hobson joined Ariel Capital Management Inc. at age 21, still a wet-behind-the-ears intern. Now, she steers the direction of the investment management firm, totaling $13.88 billion in assets under management. As president, she’s responsible for firmwide management, overseeing virtually all of the company’s operations, except research and portfolio management.

Melissa James
Investment Banker Age: 39
James, a Yale and Harvard alumna, manages Morgan Stanley’s relationship loan portfolio. She’s currently working in a joint venture between institutional equities, fixed income, and investment banking where Morgan Stanley is acting as a lender to its major corporate clinets. James facilitated the $3.6 billion initial public offering of Agere Systems and its spin-off from Lucent — one of the largest technology company IPOs in U.S. history.

Gregg A. Gonsalves
Investment Banker Age: 35
Since 1999, Gonsalves has headed up the Aerospace and Defense Group at Goldman Sachs & Co. He is also a managing director for Goldman Sachs’ Industrial and Natural Resources Group. Armed with a B.S. from Columbia University in mechanical engineering and an M.B.A. from Harvard University, Gonsalves routinely advises companies during billion-dollar transactions. He assisted TRW in their $12 billion sale to Northrop Grumman, advised Northrop in the acquisition of Litton Industries for $5.2 billion, and was involved in the $1.1 billion sale of General Motors’ Defense Business to General Dynamics. Outside of Goldman, he is a member of the boards of A Better Chance foundation and the Jackie Robinson foundation’s Alumni Association.

David C. Johnson, M.D.
Orthopedic Surgeon Age: 34
Ever since his older brother passed away from a lymphoma, Johnson knew he wanted to practice medicine. The orthopedic surgeon, who specializes in sports medicine at Mount Vernon Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, specifically arthroscopic surgery for the shoulder, elbow, and knee, has sutured many athletes