I have also found it interesting that the meaning of "stakeholders" has a much more extensive meaning than I had originally thought. Stakeholders exist outside of the traditional roles we associate stakeholders with and are essentially classified a any individual with an interest in a particular business, whether it be monetary or not. One non-traditional example of a stakeholder is us as students. 

In most cases, students financially invest into a college or university through paying tuition, fees, and/or room and board. Evidently, through our financially contribution to NJIT, we have shown an interest in the services the university offers and how we can ultimately benefit from them. Additionally, as students of NJIT, our experiences and level of satisfaction with the university can be expressed through providing feedback, which is ultimately considered by the school, who makes decisions to change or improve aspects of their services based on our concerns. Therefore, as students of NJIT, we are ultimately playing a role as stakeholders in the context of our school. 

Employees can also be stakeholders in various contexts. Beyond their roles as workers, employees are stakeholders in their organizations. They have a vested interest in job security, workplace culture, opportunities for advancement, and fair compensation. Their engagement and satisfaction directly impact productivity, innovation, and overall organizational performance. Their skills, expertise, and dedication can directly influence the quality of products and services, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage. As stakeholders, employees have a vested interest in the organization's success and longevity so it directly impacts their livelihoods, career development, and job satisfaction.

A major stakeholder in medical devices is the healthcare professional who will be using the device. That’s why as part of design controls, a key initial step is gathering customer needs since they are a main stakeholder in the device. 

A stakeholder is anyone, group, or entity that has an interest or investment in a project, organization, or system. Stakeholders can be involved in or not involved in the project or organization.

External stakeholders receive the products or services that come from the project or organization. Internal stakeholders are the ones who work on the project or in the organization. They are responsible for the success of the organization. Executives, managers, and leaders are in charge of the project or organization and make decisions. Owners and investors have a monetary interest in the project or organization.

The last group of stakeholders are the providers of goods, services, and resources for the project or organization. Individuals or groups with potential impacts from project or organization activities. Similar organizations competing in the same market or industry. Collaborative entities working with the project or organization to achieve common objectives. Individuals or organizations responsible for reporting or communicating information about the project or organization to the public.

Like what the previous responders have mentioned, stakeholders are not just the board of directors and those with a financial stake in the company. It can be defined as almost anyone who is employed by the company, as well as its consumers! Company related stakeholders can be any type of employee who may benefit from the success of the company, such as engineers who work on a particular product that is about to be introduced to the market. The engineer in this case has a stake in the product since a positive and significant market release would indicate great success and efficient use of time, and permit improved benefits, positioning, and pay at the company to continue developing and maintaining this and future project.

The consumer would be a stakeholder beyond holding stocks because in the medical industry, the better the medical device/drug/etc., the better the impact it would have on the consumer's life when utilizing the product. This would make the patient's life more tolerable or even better depending on the type of product and how much improvements or negated symptoms there are. 

Going beyond the conventional definition of a stakeholder exposes a variety of parties that are involved. Stakeholders are individuals in the community who may be impacted by the project site. Suppliers supply essential resources, competitors shape market dynamics, and regulatory agencies monitor compliance. Public opinion and media coverage influence how people view a project. Long-term initiatives have an impact on future generations, and academic institutions research the results. Employees and contractors are directly involved, and investors and shareholders have financial stakes. Understanding this wide range enables improved impact prediction, risk reduction, and project success in general.

Any person, entity, or organization with an interest or concern in a project is considered a stakeholder. Stakeholders may be found inside or outside of the project or organization, and their levels of involvement and influence may differ. They may include: project sponsor that might be an  individual or group that provides resources, funding, or support for the project. Furthermore, stakeholders may include  project team members, customers, patients, shareholders and investors. Stakeholders must be identified, their requirements and expectations must be comprehended, and they must be actively included in decision-making processes at every stage of the project's lifespan.

I believe that a stake holder would be anyone that would be affected by the success or failure of the project, whether is it financial or career wise. For example, a project I am currently working on in the medical device industry has stake holders that are at the director level of the company, that don't see into the technical aspects of the project at all. Because I represent the R&D team in the project, I am not a part of the stakeholder meetings and I used to be confused as to why these directors were so called stakeholders if they don't have any money or time invested into the project. After the lectures, I udnerstood that the project is a critical level project in the company and the directors of R&D would be directly affected if the project succeeded in quick time or if it failed. Thus, these stakeholders were able to have a huge say in the direction and timeline of the project, because the responsibility of project success was directly correlated to them. Even though it was not necessarily a financial compensation that they would gain, the success of the project would directly affect their responsibilities as higher level executives within the company.