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. big dreamer. lady in red.
Sophie Chiche, lifebyme.com founder and curator, enjoys asking deep questions and living a life of meaning. Today she's launching Shape House, an urban sweat lodge, a place to melt away fears and fat. [www.shapehousela.com]
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
released
Wallace J. Nichols
ocean lover. conservation advocate. thoughtful dad.
Dr. Wallace J. Nichols is a scientist, ocean advocate, writer, and dad. He knows that what moves us is connecting with something bigger than ourselves. His most recent endeavor is the Billion Baby Turtle Project. [www.wallacejnichols.org]
I’ve had a big thing for turtles since I was a kid. We used to catch them in the Chesapeake Bay, paint numbers on their shells, and throw them back. Sometimes we’d recapture them, the ones we’d numbered. Using simple algebra we’d (very) roughly calculate the population size.
But the best part was always letting them go, releasing them back into the water.
As a young adult I learned that I could turn this childhood passion for turtles into a career by becoming a marine biologist. So, I did. I didn’t receive much encouragement for my plan from my family, peers, or professors. The dissertation project I chose was deemed too difficult and too late, and was therefore un-fundable and un-defendable. A non-starter in academia.
We persisted and assembled a great network called Grupo Tortuguero and set out to help restore the highly endangered black sea turtles of Mexico. Our efforts over the past three decades have been fairly effective. Turtle declines are now reversed, and a budding conservation success story is in the making. Time will tell if things continue to get better for black turtles.
But there was a span of a decade when my work seemed to be all about counting, documenting, collecting samples, and recording measurements from dead sea turtles. The stack of data sheets for the dead ones grew more than four times faster than the live stack. This started to wear on me. I hadn’t signed up for carcass counting and dump exploration.
I decided to try to balance things out, get back to some joy, and avoid early-career burn-out. Together with Brad Nahill we founded SEEturtles.org. Our mission is simple: connect people with sea turtles in ways that help both people and turtles. At many locations the turtle guides we work with are often former sea turtle hunters and egg poachers.
Instead of staying stuck and sad, I reached back to my childhood passion and shared it. Widely.
Now we’ve set out on another seemingly impossible sea turtle adventure we call the Billion Baby Turtle Project. Our goal is to get a billion baby sea turtles into the ocean over the coming decades. Every sea turtle that is released into the sea feels really good for the person doing it, does some good for the planet, and benefits the local community. It’s a memorable, cherished experience.
There’s really nothing better than taking that one thing you loved to do the most as a kid. And then multiplying it by a billion.
– Wallace J. Nichols
Explore More Meaning
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yoga teacher. humanitarian. voice for social change.
Seane Corn is an internationally celebrated yoga teacher and humanitarian, the National Yoga Ambassador for YouthAIDS, and cofounder of Off The Mat, Into the World, a leadership-training program. [www.seanecorn.com]
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environmental healer. practical visionary.
Andy Lipkis is the founder and president of TreePeople. [www.treepeople.org]
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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]
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non-profit leader. progressive mind. gerbode fellow.
Adam Borelli is the Executive Director of New Leaders Council. In 2011, he received the Gerbode Fellowship, an award given to the top five non-profit leaders. [www.newleaderscouncil.org]
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cash counselor. new reality creator. dream encourager.
Mindy Crary has an MBA and works as a CFP practitioner and financial coach who helps her clients become a lot more educated (never inundated) about not only their money, but the whack job behind it. [www.creativemoney.biz]
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life coach. inner strength accessor. northern star.
Using his coaching and corporate background, North Star Coaching founder and president Jason Weberman helps clients access their own inner strengths to take powerful steps towards being effective leaders. [www.northstarcoaching.com]
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life author. real mother. unique sparkler.
Miki DeVivo is a mom, story wrangler, still space finder, and bridge builder. She's passionate about building a community of moms who give voice to what's in their hearts. [www.thestillspace.com]
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jazz jockey. choice maker. wannabe mermaid.
Shawn Ryan is an actor, comedian, singer, and teacher. He's released two albums and made numerous TV appearances. Shawn and his husband co-founded The Young Actors' Theatre Camp. [www.Shawn-Ryan.com]
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