SXDiaries: An America Tonight Q&A series

Biz Stone co-founded Twitter, earning him a spot among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2009. After helping develop the 140-character social media giant, Stone is now CEO of smartphone app developers Jelly Industries. He describes his new app Super as an "evolution in social communication" – an effort to promote empathy in a digital setting.

Last month, a New York jury convicted Ross Ulbricht, 30, of seven drug and conspiracy counts, alleging that he was Dread Pirate Roberts – kingpin of the Silk Road, an online marketplace described as eBay for the drug trade. Since his October 2013 arrest by the FBI, his mother Lyn has been tirelessly campaigning to free her son – pointing out flaws in his prosecution and fighting for other families with loved ones facing charges related to digital crimes.

Shiva Nathan is arguably one of the brightest young innovators in America. A 16-year-old from Westford, Massachusetts, Nathan designed an award-winning prosthetic arm that can be moved with signals from a person's brain.

At the 2012 Olympics, Claressa Shields helped redefine women's boxing in America, becoming the first U.S. women's boxer to win an Olympic gold medal. Growing up in Flint, Michigan, one of the most dangerous cities in the country, Shields' path toward Olympic glory wasn't easy – and the road back to the 2016 Olympics will be just as difficult.

It's been 43 years since astronaut Gene Cernan became the last person to walk on the moon. For Cernan, the memories and excitement from the space race era – and the hope that space exploration can return to being a priority in America – have stuck with him.

Conner Mertens' story has played a significant role at the intersection of sports and LGBT rights. In January 2014, the kicker for Willamette, a Division-III program in Salem, Oregon, became the first active college football player at any level to publicly announce his bisexuality. Today, Mertens continues to be a force in helping young athletes going through similar experiences before coming out.