Hero (41 page)
Pete Carroll is an American football coach and winner of two national championships, along with multiple conference and divisional titles. Pete is currently head coach and executive vice president of the Seattle Seahawks, where he was recently awarded NFC Coach of the Year.
A Better LA and A Better Seattle
Pete is renowned for his philanthropic work, particularly for his efforts to reduce gang and youth violence in Los Angeles and Seattle. Pete established
A Better LA
and
A Better Seattle
, which aim to empower individuals to create safer and stronger communities. These organizations partner with community-based organizations to provide families and youth with the tools, mentorship, and support to help them thrive.
JOHN PAUL DEJORIA
John Paul DeJoria is a businessman who cofounded John Paul Mitchell Systems, creator of hair care products and beauty schools. John Paul is the company CEO, and has achieved annual turnover in excess of $1 billion. In 1989, he cofounded and now owns the majority of the Patrón Spirits Company. John Paul is also passionate about environmental issues, international diplomacy, and philanthropy.
JP’s Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation
www.peacelovehappinessfoundation.org
Having spent time in the foster care system as a child and endured stints of homelessness as an adult, John Paul has dedicated substantial resources to his charity,
JP’s Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation
. The organization supports environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and the protection of animals, and aims to enable people to help themselves through gardening and farming programs that equip them to feed their families and start their own businesses.
PETER FOYO
Peter Foyo is a business executive and international telecommunications expert. Peter is regarded as one of the very best and most innovative CEOs throughout Latin America. He serves on the board of several companies and continues to lead a 17,000-strong workforce as president of Nextel Communications Mexico.
Nextel Foundation
www.nextel.com.mx/nextelfundacion.html
As company CEO, Peter has built an admirable culture of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. The
Nextel Foundation
provides support for the most vulnerable members of the community through education. The foundation supports students through scholarships and programs aimed at youth, the underprivileged, and the disabled, and by funding scientific research and higher education.
LAIRD HAMILTON
Laird Hamilton is a world-renowned big-wave surfer, innovator, and pioneer of tow-in surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, and hydrofoil surfing. Laird continues to split his time between riding the big waves, developing new forms of crossover surf sports, and raising awareness for causes close to his heart.
RainCatcher
Laird and his wife, Gabrielle Reece, were recently appointed to the board of directors of
RainCatcher
, a nonprofit organization established to alleviate the global water crisis. RainCatcher has assisted 700,000 people worldwide through the provision of rainwater-harvesting systems. RainCatcher aims to provide clean drinking water to an additional 10 million people by 2015.
MASTIN KIPP
Mastin Kipp is an entrepreneur, writer, and blogger, who utilizes social media to spread his messages of inspiration. Mastin founded
The Daily Love
, a website, daily email, and Twitter account, which reaches 600,000 subscribers a day, and is syndicated through
The Huffington Post
. Mastin has made appearances on
Oprah’s Lifeclass
, and has been featured by Oprah on her
Super Soul Sunday
as a next-generation spiritual thinker.
Anthony Robbins Foundation
www.anthonyrobbinsfoundation.org
Mastin credits his transformation to the help of Life Coach Anthony Robbins, and in gratitude, he has lent his support to the
Anthony Robbins Foundation
. This nonprofit organization conducts programs designed to aid and enrich the lives of those most often forgotten by society: youth, the elderly, the homeless, and the prison population.
LIZ MURRAY
Liz Murray is a bestselling author and one of the most highly sought-after motivational speakers in the world, famous for her incredible journey from homelessness to attending Harvard University. She has shared the stage with the likes of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Dalai Lama, and Tony Blair, and has been honored by the White House as well as Oprah Winfrey for her inspirational work in empowering the young.
Momentum Teens for Leadership
As a role model for teenagers, Liz is proud to support
Momentum Teens for Leadership
, a not-for-profit organization whose aim is to encourage, empower, and nurture leadership skills among youth. Momentum Teens offers workshops and programs that provide tools and experiences to help teens become responsible, confident contributors to their community and the world.
PAUL ORFALEA
Paul Orfalea is the founder of Kinko’s, the world’s leading office supplies and business services chain. Having divested his interest in Kinko’s, Paul spreads his time between passing on his knowledge and experience as a university professor, and his various philanthropic interests.
Orfalea Foundation
Under Paul’s leadership, the
Orfalea Foundation
has endeavored to empower others to find their own strengths. Supported programs include innovative early-childhood education, high school programs for motivated students, thousands of higher-education scholarships, and substantial funding for select university programs. Paul is also dedicated to assisting the plight of single parents, and ensuring healthy school food for children.
G. M. RAO
G. M. Rao is the founder and chairman of GMR Group, a global energy and infrastructure development corporation based in Bangalore, India. A visionary business leader, Mr. Rao has more recently steered his company toward urban development and the creation of national assets, such as power plants, highways, and airports.
GMR Varalakshmi Foundation
www.gmrgroup.in/foundation.html
Mr. Rao is a strong advocate of corporate social responsibility, and established the
GMR Varalakshmi Foundation
to address the lack of basic amenities and abject poverty within local communities. The foundation seeks to make quality education available to everyone. Health needs are addressed through the provision of hospitals, medical clinics, and ambulances. Self-employment opportunities are created through the establishment of training institutes and entrepreneurial programs for enterprising youth.