To get on Bill Gates’ short list of Favorite Fanatics, one has to have plumbed the depths of bravery and demonstrated dogged determination to prove their Stoutness.  From “Nerd Farmers” to teachers to entrepreneurs, Gates – perhaps one of the Stoutest of all – pays tribute to a select five who are bold enough to bring their Stout Out.

1. 39th US President Jimmy Carter
   • “For most, being President of the United States would be the high point of their public lives. For Jimmy Carter, it was just the start of a long career dedicated to human rights causes.”
2. Self-proclaimed “Nerd Farmer” and high school teacher Nate Bowling
   • “‘I’m trying to cultivate a kind of scholarship in students, and a passion for learning. So I bring passion to the classroom, and they see that and rise to the occasion'”
3. Indian philanthropic entrepreneur Nandan Nilekani
   • “‘We are much better off dreaming, taking risks, and trying to realize a billion aspirations; at best we risk falling flat on our faces. Far more egregious, and most dangerous to our country, is going about ‘business as usual,’ leaving a billion voices unheard and a billion frustrations unresolved.”
4. University of Washington president and leader in health and sciences Dr. Ana Mari Cauce
   • “‘Being truly healthy means far more than simply being free from ailments and afflictions. When we assess health, we must also take into account the many other factors that affect well-being—poverty, discrimination, climate change and violence, to name just a few.'”
5. Climate change pioneer Ken Caldeira
   • “‘We will not solve the climate problem by teaching people to be less selfish. If we have to wait until people learn to make self-sacrificing snap judgments before we can solve the climate problem, we will be waiting until it is too late.”

These five individuals are each traveling on very different journeys, but Gates  – who has been on a bold, ever-evolving journey of his own since his twenties – reveals that he has learned valuable lessons from them all. Being an inspiration to Bill Gates? Now that is Stout. Check out Gates’ blog post to see exactly what sparked his interest in this year’s Favorite Fanatics – and be prepared for a little inspiration of your own.