Fast Company's annual Fast 50

The list is on the Fast Company site or at your newsstand. It is important to note that all of the people nominated for and appearing in the list are based on reader input.

My favorite? Has to be Steve Ellis from Chipotle. Why? Simple, I'm a huge fan of the product. But beyond just my burrito consumption, Ellis has a very enviable business model -- gourmet burritos made to order with the strength of the McDonald's distribution system. McDonald's hamburgers you ask? You bet. McDonald's essentially is the banker and distribution logistician, while Ellis still provides the vision and shapes the culture of the company. "Good fast food" pretty well sums up Chipotle, even in the face of competitors like Baja Fresh (for some reason the Chipotle product just tastes better to me).

What is Ellis' vision? From the interview with Fast Company:

"Food with Integrity."