MC@Work: The New Guard

FOUNDER & CEO, NEWME ACCELERATOR @abenton

Age: 32 Bona fides: One of the only players providing strategy and content for African-Americans in new media. Bragging rights: Her NewMe Accelerator, an incubator for minority-run start-ups, is backed by Google and venture cap giant Andreessen Horowitz.

COFOUNDER, ZADY.com @sorayadarabi

Age: 30 Claim to fame: Former social media manager for The New York Times co-founded Foodspotting, a mobile app for discovering great dishes. Social mojo: 400,000-plus Twitter followers—even Barack Obama follows her. Current gig: Zady.com sources and sells stylish, ethical goods from around the world.

VP of original content, Netflix

Age: 42 Bragging rights: Instrumental in transforming the DVD rental service into a premier destination for edgy, gripping TV. Genius move: Helped to strike a deal with star director David Fincher (The Social Network) for the critically acclaimed House of Cards. Killer instincts: Renewed Orange Is the New Black before the first season had even aired.

DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES, BUZZFEED @melisbuzzfeed

Age: 24 Bragging rights: With 75 million unique views per month, no one has carved out a more enviable stake in media than arriviste BuzzFeed. Rosenthal, a former BuzzFeed intern, is key to monetizing the hell out of all those eyeballs. A-list contacts: Churns out irresistibly shareable native ads for top advertisers like GE, Virgin Mobile, and Volkswagen.

CEO & COFOUNDER, HEARSAY SOCIAL @clarashih

Age: 31 Bragging rights: Her 2009 best seller, The Facebook Era, is on the reading list at Harvard Business School. Next act: Helping financial firms manage their social media with Hearsay Social. Power pal: Howard Schultz plucked her for Starbucks' board two years ago.

Google's copyright and trademark policy expert is a former aide to Vice President Joe Biden.

Age: 35 Backstory: It takes one to know one. That's why the nation's top tech firms have tapped D.C. insiders to mind their interests on Capitol Hill. Whether it's fending off security and privacy encroachments or pushing for looser immigration laws to satisfy their employers' voracious need for engineers, Silicon Valley's front line on the Beltway know their way around town.

Former White House economic adviser under Larry Summers is now Facebook's global policy czar.

Age: 43 Backstory: It takes one to know one. That's why the nation's top tech firms have tapped D.C. insiders to mind their interests on Capitol Hill. Whether it's fending off security and privacy encroachments or pushing for looser immigration laws to satisfy their employers' voracious need for engineers, Silicon Valley's front line on the Beltway know their way around town.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney staffer and head of legislative affairs for the Office of Management and Budget now lobbies on Capitol Hill for Yahoo.

Age: 36 Backstory: It takes one to know one. That's why the nation's top tech firms have tapped D.C. insiders to mind their interests on Capitol Hill. Whether it's fending off security and privacy encroachments or pushing for looser immigration laws to satisfy their employers' voracious need for engineers, Silicon Valley's front line on the Beltway know their way around town.

SECURITY & PRIVACY EXPERT, APPLE @window

Age: 37 Backstory: Former security ace for Microsoft and Mozilla helps ensure Apple products aren't bedeviled by the viruses and crashes that afflict PCs. Inner circle: Former NSA cryptologist David Rice and Croatian cyber-savant Ivan Krstic, both now at Apple.

FOUNDER & PRESIDENT, MAC PRESENTS @marcieallen

Age: 40 Claim to fame: For companies in search of cool branding opportunities and musicians eager to defray the rising costs of touring, this New York–based music vet is the go-to broker on primo sponsorship deals. Genius moves: Matchmaker behind Citi's sponsorship of The Rolling Stones' last tour; hooked up AT&T and Nokia with Green Day to launch Nokia Music.

EVP OF PRODUCTION, LIONSGATE ENTERTAINMENT

Age: 35 Claim to fame: Key member of the team that shepherded Twilight to the big screen. Bragging rights: Instrumental in casting Robert Pattinson as the smoldering Edward. Coming soon: Divergent, starring Shailene Woodley, based on the dystopian YA trilogy.

FOUNDER, ANNAPURNA PICTURES

Age: 27 Claim to fame: Daughter of mogul Larry Ellison is a killer producer whose credits include The Master and Zero Dark Thirty. Bragging rights: Reportedly told Jessica Chastain, who initially passed on ZD30, "I cannot accept that as an answer." Coming soon: A new Terminator trilogy.

The creator and star of Fox's The Mindy Project, now in its second season, is also a best-selling author. @mindykaling

Age: 34 Backstory: Used to be, actresses waited around for killer roles. Now they're creating them. Hollywood's most in demand performers are hat-trick superstars: writers, actors, and directors. That means more control over scripts, more influence in casting, and of course, a bigger chunk of the profits.

The Saturday Night Live legend produced and stars in the upcoming Welcome to Me, opposite fellow SNL alum Will Ferrell.

Age: 40 Backstory: Used to be, actresses waited around for killer roles. Now they're creating them. Hollywood's most in demand performers are hat-trick superstars: writers, actors, and directors. That means more control over scripts, more influence in casting, and of course, a bigger chunk of the profits.

The creator, star, and sometime director of the HBO hit series Girls nabbed a $3.5 million book dearl last year. @lenadunham

Age: 27 Backstory: Used to be, actresses waited around for killer roles. Now they're creating them. Hollywood's most in demand performers are hat-trick superstars: writers, actors, and directors. That means more control over scripts, more influence in casting, and of course, a bigger chunk of the profits.

The Newsroom's economist turned TV personality is a best-selling author and former correspondent on The Daily Show. @oliviamunn

Age: 33 Backstory: Used to be, actresses waited around for killer roles. Now they're creating them. Hollywood's most in demand performers are hat-trick superstars: writers, actors, and directors. That means more control over scripts, more influence in casting, and of course, a bigger chunk of the profits.

This indie It girl—once dubbed the Meryl Streep of low-budget "mumblecore" films—cowrote and starred in this summer's critically acclaimed Frances Ha.

Age: 30 Backstory: Used to be, actresses waited around for killer roles. Now they're creating them. Hollywood's most in demand performers are hat-trick superstars: writers, actors, and directors. That means more control over scripts, more influence in casting, and of course, a bigger chunk of the profits.

Founder & CEO, Nasty Gal @sophia_amoruso

Age: 29 Bragging rights: Turned an eBay store peddling vintage threads into an e-commerce monster, thanks to her savvy use of social media. Nasty Gal boasts more than 920,000 Instagram followers and just about as many likes on Facebook. Last year's sales were $240 million. Big backer: Serial fashion investor Danny Rimer of Index Ventures, who has seeded Etsy, ASOS, and Net-a-Porter, kicked in close to $50 million.

AGENT, CAA

Age: 45 Claim to fame: Founded Latina magazine and served as its publisher, but lately hangs her hat at CAA, where she advises actors and filmmakers on the all-important Hispanic market. Power pals: Salma Hayek, Sofia Vergara, Pitbull, and New Guard member Eva Longoria.

WEB PRODUCER & WRITER, FUNNY OR DIE @julietboner

Age: 31 Claim to fame: Right hand to Mike Farah, president of production for Funny or Die, Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's viral video comedy site. Bragging rights: Trained at L.A.'s Upright Citizens Brigade—the West Point for sketch comics—where she still has a monthly show.

COFOUNDER, BIRCHBOX @katiawb

Age: 30 Claim to fame: With Harvard B-school bestie Hayley Barna, co-founded Birchbox, a monthly subscription service for high-end beauty samples. Birchbox ships more than 5 million boxes annually to close to half a million beauty-junkie subscribers. A-list investors: Gary Vaynerchuk, Accel Partners' Theresia Gouw, and fellow New Guard lister Kirsten Green of Forerunner Ventures.

MANAGING PARTNER, FORERUNNER VENTURES @kirstenagreen

Age: 41 Claim to fame: Founded a women-led venture capital firm in 2010 after stints in banking and private equity. Bragging rights: Last year she announced that Forerunner had raised $40 million for its first investment fund, targeting primarily e-commerce startups. A-list investments: Staked a claim in Birchbox (cofounded by New Guard member Katia Beauchamp), Bonobos, and Warby Parker.

FOUNDER, ARUZ VENTURES @luciaaruz

Age: 36 Claim to fame: Former Gilt Groupe marketing exec is now an e-commerce consultant. Bragging rights: Boasts a cadre of buzzy fashion clients like Madewell, Bonobos, and Moda Operandi. Power pals: Still tight with Gilt alums like Christian Leone, cofounder of Vaunte, and Birchbox veep Deena Bahri.