Yes, the guy you know as will.i.am is a bombastic pop star and the frontman of the Black Eyed Peas, but Adams has established himself as a go-to social and technology consultant big brands trust. He’s advised Coca-Cola and Intel. He’s teamed up with NASA, the NBA, Anheuser-Busch InBev, and inventor Dean Kamen. He just enrolled at MIT for computer science, proving he’s more than another deep-pocketed enthusiast throwing money at other people’s ideas. His line of technology accessories, i.am.plus, started with an iPhone camera lens and in 2014 will put out a home robot and a smartwatch. (Sure, the camera wasn’t a hit, but it showed he has the ability to create.) Auto-tuned electro-warbler though he is, Adams may prove to be the new model for how pop stars attain business influence.