Before graduating from this university in 1985, Conan O'Brien, founder of Conaco Productions (a 2011 Most Innovative Company), spent two years editing campus humor mag "The Harvard Lampoon."
The Jurassic Park dinos featured in this theme park's ride couldn’t produce lysine. In real life, they’d need help from Dacheng Industrial, among the world’s foremost synthesizers of the amino acid.
This club hosts the highlight of the annual DonorsChoose Moustaches for Kids charity contest, where growers gather to drink "picklebacks" (a shot of Jameson whisky and a shot of pickle juice).
This pub near eBay's HQ is where innovations are hatched from casual conversations over pretzels and beer. The most recent: a deal-finding feature called, um, Deal Finder, that launched in December.
Visit this sandwich shop at lunchtime and you're likely to spot an employee from Most Innovative Company EA. Their go-to orders include the Dripper: roast beef smothered in BBQ and melted Swiss.
Since opening its first modest retail outlet at this mall in 1989, Forever 21 (a 2011 Most Innovative Company) has expanded its average store size to 5,000 square feet.
Adam McKay, co-founder of Funny or Die (a 2011 Most Innovative Company), was also a founding member of this comedy club, whose alumni include Amy Poehler, Rachel Dratch, and Jack McBrayer.
This cafe is like second home to the techies hammering away at nearby co-working spaces, such as Hub SoMa. Come prepared to wait for your coffee--and strike up a conversation.
Among the technorati who attend events at this theater: "Natural Capitalism" author Paul Hawken and Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia (a 2011 Most Innovative Company).
This library was among the first to join Google's "Library Project," which aims to scan the collections of the world's major book repositories and make their contents searchable online.
In the early '90s, Zack Zalon, cofounder of Hello Music (a 2011 Most Innovative Company), worked as a manager at this club. He brought hundreds of acts to the stage, including No Doubt and Pearl Jam.
In January, this museum opened R:Evolution, a $19 million exhibit about the first 2,000 years of computing. It includes the first commercially available microprocessor, 1971's Intel 4004.
JetBlue (a 2011 Most Innovative Company) is the first corporation ever to receive rights to Milton Glaser's famous "I ♥ NY" logo, which is featured prominently in the airline's New York ads.
Back in 1988, NASA’s computers were shut down by the Morris worm. Antivirus software from Kaspersky Lab (a 2011 Most Innovative Company) probably could have helped, had it been around.
This rock 'n' roll-themed branch of McDonald's (a 2011 Most Innovative Company) draws massive crowds: Its capacity is 300 people, more than three times as many as the average McDonald's.
The New York Times (a 2011 Most Innovative Company) earned its stripes in 1870, after publishing a series of exposés on a corrupt politician known as "Boss" Tweed.
Nike's empire began with a single storefront, which opened across the street from this bar in the '60s as "Blue Ribbon Sports." Among its employees: Olympic runner Steve "Pre" Prefontaine.
Students at NYU (a 2011 Most Innovative Company) are drawn to this close-to-campus cafe, known for free Wi-Fi and good eats. Order a cup of the house blend and a chicken pesto sandwich.
Philip Lim was so inspired by the fashions at this luxe retailer--where he once worked--that he decided to pursue a career in design. His first step? Landing an internship with Katayone Adeli.
This hospital is the heart of SynCardia’s artificial heart business. Of the 368 devices implanted in U.S. patients, 113 have been performed here--more than at any other clinic in the country.
Can’t get enough of Charles Barkley, Turner’s opinionated and loquacious NBA analyst? Good, because he loves eating at this chain, which was started by TBS and CNN founder Ted Turne
In 2009, Univision sponsored a Times Square ball-drop to celebrate the last minute of analog TV in the U.S. The next year, the network scored its first-ever weekly ratings win among adults 18-49.
John DeWeese and Octavio Good, founders of WordLens (a 2011 Most Innovative Company), regularly frequent this pizza joint, which they can see from their office windows.
The documentary “Jordan Rides the Bus,” which is set here, chronicles the perplexing minor-league career of basketball’s greatest player. Watch it on ESPN (a 2011 Most Innovative Company).
Google's co-founders park their personal planes (including a 767) at a field here in exchange for a hefty fee, and permission to let the government use the planes to conduct scientific experiments.
The iPhone app Hipstamatic--which lets anyone create avant garde photos by tapping a button--got art world validation at this gallery, which hosted an exhibit of all-Hipstamatic photos.
In 1997, Canyon Video charged CEO Reed Hastings a $40 late fee for "Apollo 13," sparking the idea for Netflix. The store used to be at this exact location, which is now, ironically, a post office.
Before they had an office, Jenn Hyman and Jenny Fleiss, the founders of Rent the Runway (a 2011 Most Innovative Company) worked from this food oasis, home to such eateries as Buddakan and Sarabeth's.
Shazam (a 2011 Most Innovative Company) can identify more than 10 million tracks from just a few notes, making it a great tool for people attending this year's South By Southwest music festival.
In May 2010, Charles Okeke left this clinic with a Total Artificial Heart from SynCardia (a 2011 Most Innovative Company), becoming the first patient to await a heart transplant at home.
