author. speaker. motivator.
Affectionately known as "America's #1 Success Coach," Jack Canfield is the originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and a leading authority in the areas of self-esteem, achievement motivation, and peak performance. www.jackcanfield.com
political powerhouse. media mogul. author.
Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Huffington Post and the author of twelve books. www.huffingtonpost.com
author. speaker. linchpin.
Seth Godin is a prominent author, blogger and speaker. www.squidoo.com/linchpin
yogi. philanthropist. dynamic teacher.
Krishna Kaur is the founder of YOGA for Youth, a program that takes yoga, meditation, and stimulating discussions on the philosophy of yoga to urban youth. www.yogaforyouth.org
producer. philanthropist. tv legend.
Norman Lear has enjoyed a long career in television and film. He is also a political and social activist and philanthropist. www.normanlear.com
race car driver. activist. carbon free girl.
Leilani Münter is a professional race car driver and an environmental activist who uses her voice in the number one spectator sport in America as a catalyst for change. www.leilanimunter.com
Freedom Fighter. Philanthropist. Game Changer.
By going undercover to meet slaves and slaveholders, Kevin Bales exposed modern slavery’s penetration into the global economy. He co-founded Free the Slaves, which has helped to liberate thousands of slaves. www.freetheslaves.net
mom. TED-talker. no-bullsh**er.
Sophie Chiche, founder of lifebyme.com, is the single mom of an amazing 16-year-old, Leah, and wicked step-mom of 22-year-old, Sarah. They all live in LA. You can find them boxing, cooking, collaging, hosting brunches, laughing their head off or bickering over who’s washing and who’s drying the dishes.
Writer. Entrepreneur. Daily Lover.
Entrepreneur and writer Mastin Kipp founded TheDailyLove.com, which merges pop culture with inspiration, and co-founded The Love Yourself Company, an apparel company that has started a global self-esteem movement. www.TheDailyLove.com
singer. musician. crier.
Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. www.lizphair.com
archbishop. author. peaceful leader.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is Chairman of The Elders, a group of world leaders who address some of the world's most pressing problems. He works energetically for human-rights and in his ministry. www.tutu.org
author. ceo. humanitarian.
Zainab Salbi is the founder and CEO of Women for Women International, a group dedicated to helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives. www.womenforwomen.org
speaker. psychotherapist. life embracer.
Despite his physical challenges, Sean Stephenson has taken a stand for a quality of life that has inspired millions of people around the world. He’s a professional speaker, psychotherapist, and author. www.timetostand.com
yogi. meditator. teacher.
Kia Miller teaches Yoga at Yoga Works in Los Angeles, leads teacher trainings, and runs retreats and workshops on meditation, chakras, pranayam, and mantras, and other practices. www.kiamiller.com
creator. writer. idea geek.
Simon Mainwaring is an ex-Nike/Wieden creative, former Worldwide Creative Director at Motorola/Ogilvy, branding/advertising writer, author/speaker/blogger, Australian, idea geek. www.simonmainwaring.com
Strategist. Writer. Life Coach.
Shannon Bindler is a style editor, life coach, and the co-founder of Get Up Girl, an empowerment company that inspires women to shine. www.getupgirl.com
Designer. Art Director. Passionate Creator.
Grammy-nominated art director/designer/photographer Mathieu Bitton has designed over 450 CDs and movie posters. He’s a renowned collector of and authority on black films and their soundtracks. www.candytangerine.com
Agent. Producer. Photography Enthusiast.
Opus Reps founder and agent-producer Jorge Perez travels the world producing photo shoots with great photographers and celebrities. He's also very involved with Meals on Wheels in Los Angeles. www.opusreps.com
nurture
Andy Lipkis
environmental healer. practical visionary.
Andy Lipkis is the founder and president of TreePeople. www.treepeople.org
The simplest thing I do to stay engaged is to plant and to nurture. This goes back to the early days of TreePeople, the organization I founded when I was eighteen, when I saw how powerful and life-changing it was for young people to discover their ability to make a difference through planting and caring for trees.
In 1973, at a summer camp our staff worked with in the local mountains, some of the kids were gang members and, frankly, that was scary to me. There I was, just a few years older than those hardened, inner city kids, sharing with them about the wonder of trees – including their ability to feed the animals and clean the air. I was introducing them to the names and varieties of trees and they were doing the hard work – swinging picks and digging holes and planting trees. But I could tell I was stifling my enthusiasm, my open-hearted caring, because I could see that these were tough kids and I worried I was being judged as a wimp.
The next year, I went back to the camp to find that the same kids had returned. Something had happened. They were so warm and enthusiastic. They said to me, “Tell us again about the sugar pine! Tell us about the incense cedar! Tell us about the giant sequoia!” The spirit of the forest had entered their hearts. They remembered the names, they remembered me, and they remembered with caring. They wanted to hear the stories again, and they wanted to do more work.
That experience remains a high point of meaning in my nearly four-decade career of community forestry. I saw that tree planting wasn’t only food for the moment, but can give us lasting energy.
I like to say that when you plant a tree, you’re actually planting two trees, one that grows in the soil, and the other – a seed of caring – that grows in your heart. With luck, the physical tree survives and grows and lives on. But that seed of caring, awareness, and empowerment continues to grow, too, and it’s not limited by the size of your own body. It’s connected to others. I stay engaged by working to feed that seed of caring, that tree, in other people.
- Andy Lipkis
Explore More Meaning
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milkshaker. pr maven. difference maker.
Pamela Caffray’s background is in trending, forecasting, PR, and event planning. She co-founded Milkshake to join her love of discovery and sourcing with her passion for giving back and helping others. http://getmilkshake.com
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Songwriter. Painter. Dreamer.
Songwriter, novelist, and painter Pol Serge Kakon was born in Mogador (now Essaouira). He founded The Drunken Boat, in Paris, which became a mecca for poetry and song. www.polsergekakon.com
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Consultant. Game Player. Team Builder.
Jane Grossman, Catalyst of A Sustainable Way, works with individuals and work teams, helping them reach new levels of excellence and satisfaction. www.asustainableway.com
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archbishop. author. peaceful leader.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is Chairman of The Elders, a group of world leaders who address some of the world's most pressing problems. He works energetically for human-rights and in his ministry. www.tutu.org
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mentor. author. destiny fulfiller.
A teacher in the fulfillment of personal and professional destinies, Peggy McColl is a best-selling author, a mentor for authors and entrepreneurs, and the founder of Dynamic Destinies Inc. http://destinies.com
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producer. political activist. brave new filmmaker.
Robert Greenwald is a producer, director, political activist, and the founder of Brave New Films, which uses moving images to educate and empower viewers to take action on issues that matter. www.robertgreenwald.org
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dedicated practitioner. experiencer. woman.
Michaela Boehm is a counselor and teacher. She’s currently the only counselor personally trained and authorized by David Deida, who she began co-teaching with in 2007, focusing on women’s empowerment. www.michaelaboehm.com
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neurotransmitter. sound innovator. yummy hummer.
Sound visionary and author Alex Theory draws upon extensive training in psychology, integrative medicine, and psychoacoustic music production to innovate new styles of music and media. www.unifyearth.com
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