People are the real soul of LENS: from the first idea of the early '90s to the dozens of research groups currently active, the excellence of the laboratory depends heavily on the minds that inhabit it and live it, inspired by an international, multidisciplinary and innovative environment. The best European minds meet here to exchange experiences and views, to find answers - but also new questions - to scientific challenges, and finally to push Europe toward a leading role in the application of laser light to fundamental research and future technologies.