TIME 100 NEXT - Innovators

The World's Rising Stars

MORY SACKO

30 Eclectic chef

By Omar Sy

I watched him from afar, making his way without fuss, then winning everything from Top Chef to a Michelin star for his Paris restaurant, MoSuke. Then one day, as a gift, Mory Sacko came to cook at my place.

I was already curious about Mory's rise to fame, because I'm touched by his background: he's the same age as my little brothers. A young Black man of Malian descent, one of nine children, he grew up in the suburbs of Paris reading manga and loving Japanese culture. The TV was his window on the world. Mory learned from his mother and her African dishes that to feed your people is to love them, to bring them together in pleasure and warmth.

His cuisine comprises everything that makes up his history: the tastes of France, Africa, and Japan. Mory has become a master of the culinary arts, and his recipe is to give up nothing of who he is.

Sy is an actor

MAE MARTIN

36. Candid humor

By Elliot Page

One can only imagine how profound an impact Mae Martin has had across the world. If the way their work has affected me is any indication, that impact is immense. Their candor in speaking about sexuality, identity, and addiction-all while making us laugh endlessly-is not just life-affirming, but also life-altering. Mae has the power to crack you open, to release you from shame. Whether in their gorgeously written and stunningly performed television series or their stand-up specials, they resist the urge to hold back, and it is a true joy and inspiration to witness. They step forward gracefully but unapologetically, with confidence and undeniable brilliance, to remind us what being alive is all about: being our full, authentic selves. Mae has certainly done that for me.