We make it our business to ask questions. Lots of questions.

Here’s the one we get back the most: How do you pick your ROI Influencers lists?

It’s not a simple answer.

It starts by following the business world, which we do, 365 days a year. Key figures in key stories always are noted. And, with a staff that has been covering business in this state for decades, we feel we already know a lot of the power players.

But certainly not all of them.

We want to make sure we have all the power players — all the Influencers — who do so much that doesn’t get attention.

It’s a special type of heroic action — one that is done simply for good.

We know we haven’t found all of these stars, but we are confident of this: if you go through the following pages and slideshows — and read the short descriptions that go with each honoree — you'll say to yourself: That’s why that person got picked for this list.

The Power List is our annual kickoff to our ROI Influencers lists. It obviously is meant to recognize the top people overall — and in 14 individual categories. But, know that many of those individual categories will be expanded for their own sector-specific lists later in the year (categories such as Real Estate, Health Care, Higher Education and Technology).

If you want to nominate someone for our upcoming lists this year, please send 25-50 words why to Editor Tom Bergeron