35. Rabbi Aaron Bisno, 38
Progressive Jewish leader

As Rodef Shalom's spiritual leader and senior rabbi, Aaron Bisno leads worship and oversees religious, educational and social services for his 1,130-family congregation. When he arrived as senior rabbi three years ago, he sensed a new priority in his new congregation. "All the messages I got were about being welcoming," Bisno says. "I gave a sermon about welcoming interfaith families, welcoming gays and lesbians, welcoming more children, and [the congregation was] resoundingly accepting. And though I was only repeating what I always heard, no one ever preached that from the pulpit in that way."

Bisno works with clergy from all denominations, organizing a summit for interfaith dialogue for 100 diverse clergy and swapping pulpits with the clergy at nearby Calvary Episcopal Church. Bisno officiated at the congregation's first-ever same-sex wedding, and makes outreach into the community and social-action programs a priority, regardless of faith.

36. Tacy M. Byham, 39
Leadership consultant

Everyone's had a bad boss - or two. They're micromanagers, bad listeners, morale-squashers or credit-stealers. At Development Dimensions International (DDI), Tacy Byham works to keep "boss" from being another four-letter word. "What we do is work with organizations to make sure their leaders are more authentic, more caring, less likely to dump responsibilities and able to appropriately delegate, be encouraging, and help their staff members develop and grow," Byham says. She began her career at DDI redesigning a curriculum - comprising 26 courses - to help new managers effectively lead their teams. Now, she works with executives based in large international companies to tackle their high-stakes leadership challenges.

Byham is a leader herself. "I grew up very community-minded... I've always been a doer," Byham says, listing organizations she's passionate about. She sits on the boards of the City Theatre and the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium, delivers DDI courses for Leadership Pittsburgh and continues her family's support of the arts in Pittsburgh.

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