The Coast 50: They Influence and Inspire

Civic engagement: Justin Hartfield Age: 32 - Lives in: Tustin One of the state's leading medical marijuana entrepreneurs, Hartfield started Weedmaps, a service that maps out local pot dispensaries and lets users review the products. He has been politically active as well, pumping $2 million into efforts to get an initiative to legalize marijuana before California voters in November.

Sports: Mike Trout Age: 24 Lives in: Newport Beach/Millville, N.J After another stellar season at the plate and in the field, Trout in 2015 set a trajectory for his career that is on par with the greatest players of all time. At 24, an age when many major leaguers debut, the Angels center fielder is entering his fifth year as a full-time player. Most big leaguers peak between ages 26 and 30. Whether making a great play in the field or hitting a tough pitch for a home run, Trout says he's just obeying his instincts. “I try not to think about that too much,” he said of pressure. “If you do, you'll get in trouble.”

Entertainment and Culture: Robin Preiss Glasser Age: 59 Lives in: San Juan Capistrano After retiring from a dancing career at age 30, Glasser earned her bachelor of fine arts and went on to illustrate numerous books, pairing with author Jane O'Connor on the popular children's series “Fancy Nancy.” Her publisher, HarperCollins Children's Books, signed a deal this year with Disney to create an animated TV series based on their stories.

Entertainment and Culture: Logan Crow Age: 40 Lives in: Santa Ana Since Crow founded Santa Ana's Frida Cinema in early 2014, the art-house theater has become a community resource. Groups as diverse as Sikhs and suicide prevention experts have used the Frida to raise money or awareness. Local artists, college students and others have shown their work at the Frida

Entertainment and Culture: Joe Adams Age: 45 Lives in: San Juan Capistrano CEO of the nonprofit Discovery Science Foundation, Adams led fundraising and plans for the $25 million expansion of the renamed Discovery Cube in Santa Ana. The center, double its former size, includes exhibits that emphasize making science education fun and relevant, a healthy-fare cafe and demonstration kitchen, and a theater/exhibit hall.

Civic engagement: Henry Samueli Age: 61 Live in: Newport Beach In May, Henry and his longtime business partner, Henry Nicholas III, sold their Irvine-based firm Broadcom to rival computer chipmaker Avago for $37 billion. Henry and his wife, Susan, owners of the Anaheim Ducks, announced plans through their Samueli Foundation to build an ice skating complex with four rinks at the Great Park in Irvine, a development hailed as “the first major investment that someone is going to make” in the Great Park project.

Business: Scott D. Stowell Age: 58 Lives in: San Juan Capistrano As executive chairman, Stowell is one of two top executives at CalAtlantic Group, the nation's fourth-biggest homebuilder, with operations in 17 states. The firm was created in October through the merger of Standard Pacific Homes and Ryland Homes. “The aspiration of ‘home' transcends all cultures and people,” he says.” I believe homebuilding serves a fundamental human need.”

Education: Alain Bourget Age: 45 Lives in: Fullerton The associate professor of mathematics divided a university and stirred a national debate after he refused to assign his class a $180 book written by Cal State Fullerton's math department leadership. The two alternatives he assigned together cost less than $80. That led to a university reprimand, which he hopes to have repealed.

Philanthropy: Julianne and George Argyros Ages: 75 and 78 Lives in: Newport Beach Entrepreneur and business executive George Argyros and his wife, Julianne, donated $13.5 million toward the effort to create an OC “town square” in the plaza of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, plus $1.5 million for the expansion at the Orange County School of the Arts. Their Argyros Family Foundation also donated $2 million to the Discovery Cube in Santa Ana

Health: Peter and Ginny Ueberroth Ages: 78 and 76 Live in: Laguna Beach The couple gave $5 million to the Women's Health Institute at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach. The endowment, a first of its kind in Orange County, will help with physician recruitment, patient services and other wellness resources to create a one-stop shop for women seeking preventive care.

Civic engagement: John Perry Age: 80 Lives in: San Juan Capistrano John Perry and fellow Capistrano resident Jim Reardon spearheaded a lawsuit against tiered water rates in San Juan Capistrano, which led to an appellate court confirming that the city's punitive pricing structure violated state law, bringing greater scrutiny to tiered rates elsewhere. The process taught him “how apathetic people are.”

civic engagement: Brenda Miller Age: 53 - Lives in: San Clemente The founder of PEDal, an advocacy group for pedestrians and people who pedal, Miller spent 2015 building on an award she won from the American Planning Association for her role in helping San Clemente craft a transportation plan that treats pedestrians and bicyclists as equals with drivers.

Business: Doug Holte Age: 53 Lives in: Laguna Beach As president of office properties for the Irvine Co., Holte oversees the largest office portfolio for Orange County's biggest landlord, as well as the firm's office buildings in San Diego, West Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. This year, his group is building the two tallest towers in Orange County. He says: “I'm driven by optimism.”

Business: David ColeAge: 49 Lives in: Laguna Beach Cole and his partner DJ Roller have embraced NextVR's goal of becoming the “Netflix of virtual reality” and in 2015 secured hefty funding from key investors to help achieve that goal. Under their leadership, NextVR delivered a live VR stream of the election's first Democratic presidential debate, a first.

Business: Patty Arvielo Age: 50 Lives in: Corona del Mar President of New American Funding mortgage company in Tustin, Arvielo focuses on helping women and minorities rise to the top. She also lobbies for housing accessibility. The National Hispanic Business Women's Association named Arvielo winner of its 2015 Corporate Responsibility Award. “There are a lot of sleepless nights. I feed 2,000 families.,” she says.

Business: Steve Fennelly Age: 41 Lives in: Newport Beach As CEO of Solid Landings Behavioral Health, Fennelly is a recovered drug addict who heads one of Orange County's fastest-growing companies, a provider of substance abuse treatment. “For me, it took several times of going to treatment to get and stay sober,” he says. “My life struggles have got me to where I am today.” More than half of his employees are former addicts.

Business: Debra Gunn DowningAge: 60 Lives in: Newport Beach As executive director of marketing at South Coast Plaza, Downing brought unique exhibits to South Coast Plaza this year, including an exhibit of Guo Pei dresses as part of the designer's collaboration with MAC Cosmetics. She is instrumental in helping bring big-name designer brands to South Coast Plaza.

Business: Steve Craig Age: 60 Lives in: Newport Coast He's the founder of Craig Realty Group, which operates 13 outlets in the U.S. – including the new Outlets at San Clemente – with five more in development. After 18 years of planning, the open-air San Clemente mall opened in November. The retail center has ocean views and more than 40 stores open thus far with more to come.

Business: Michael Colglazier Age: 49 Lives in: Newport Beach The president of Disneyland Resort successfully lobbied the Anaheim City Council to extend a 30-year-tax exemption in exchange for a $1 billion investment by the theme park that includes the building of a “Star Wars” land and a parking structure. Colglazier described it as “a critical policy vote” for his company and the city. He also oversaw Disneyland's 60th anniversary celebration, which brought in record attendance.

Food: Amar SantanaAge: 33 Lives in: Irvine This chef, once considered a teen prodigy in the culinary world, leapt from being a hungry kid in the Dominican Republic to a restaurateur rising star competing on the current season of Bravo's “Top Chef.” “He's on top of his game,” judge Gail Simmons says. “He has a great handle on Latin and French cuisine; he's a great chef.” He splits time between his packed Laguna Beach bistro, Broadway by Amar Santana, and his new Spanish steakhouse, Vaca, near South Coast Plaza.

Activist: Dr. Robert OlveraAge: 62 Lives in: Santa Ana The assisted-death advocate was instrumental in campaigning and lobbying for the End of Life Option Act, which will give terminally ill Californians the option to end their own lives. Olvera became passionate about the issue because his 25-year-old daughter, Emily Rose, died in 2014 after a battle with cancer without having that option.

Activist: Quinn DarlingAge: 16 Lives in: Laguna Niguel When administrators at Aliso Niguel High said rapper Macklemore could not appear on campus as part of a contest prize, the student body vice president led a push to urge the school to change its position. Students persuaded the school to let Macklemore speak – and present a $10,000 gift to the school's music program.