Nominate your favorite Intelligent Optimist!

Patrice is an Austin musician and founder of the Grace Foundation of Austin - a community-based organization dedicated to helping provide healthcare, education, career training and job placement to young adults who have survived homelessness.

The Grace Foundation is a nonprofit organization aimed at helping individuals whose lives have been affected by abuse and poverty, causing them to become homeless at a young age. This choice affects their ability to stay in school, maintain proper health, make a consistent income and contribute to society in a positive manner.   Read more...

I nominate Professor Robert Quinn of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business (www.bus.umich.edu/FacultyBios/FacultyBio.asp?id=000119677). While being one of the most influential thought leaders on issues concerning leadership, vision and change in the world, he has established the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship:

The Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship (www.bus.umich.edu/Positive) is committed to advancing research in the emerging field of Positive Organizational Scholarship (POS). This Web site is both a medium of communication for the Center for POS, and a learning and networking community for POS scholars and practitioners worldwide. They also welcome anyone who is interested in learning about this emerging field.   Read more...

Donna Stoering was a child prodigy who gave her first piano concert at age five. From there she went on to win many music honors and has become known worldwide as a concert pianist.

Donna was also an excellent student. After receiving her masters degree at age 19, she was selected to be a Marshall Scholar. She chose to study in the UK and subsequently made Europe (Italy and then the UK) her home base as she played concerts around the world.   Read more...

Ever since I entered AssistU (www.assistu.com) back in 2001, my life has changed, and I'm not shy about telling the world. :) AssistU taught me the basics of starting my virtual assistance business, of course, but it did so much more than that. It taught me that I could be valued and appreciated for who I was. That I could work with people of my choosing. That I could get paid in accordance with my valuable skills. That I could have high standards. That I could attract good things to my life.

My life has never been the same, and never will be again.   Read more...

Chris is my beloved husband and a most amazing intelligent optimist with a heart as big as ever : ) I work and travel with Chris so I see him in action. The work sounds romantic and in many ways it is -- but it also very challenging work. Being on the frontline means witnessing first hand some of the most difficult examples of the human being's destructive tenancy. Remaining optimistic within this line of work takes a special sort of character. Chris' hope is inspiring to many.

In Chris' own words: "My job is to accomplish three things: to deliver healing benefits to the market, to help preserve the natural environment by keeping areas agriculturally based and, to enhance living conditions for indigenous people."- Medicine Hunter Chris Kilham   Read more...

Demos Kouvaris is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Chestnut Hill Ventures LLC in Wellesley, Massachusetts. In addition to his busy schedule and job related responsibilities, he is helping to put a non-profit organization that supports homeless children and families 'on the map.'

Demos consistently motivates and challenges the CEO of Housing Families Inc. and the entire Board of Directors to find better and greater ways to raise funds and awareness for this very worthy cause.   Read more...

Sometimes we receive a message in life that is hard to ignore. For Jill, that message came in 1993 when a single moment was to alter the course of her life forever...

During the first investigation of a bear farm in China, Jill discovered Asiatic Black Bears imprisoned in tiny cages literally no bigger than their own bodies. Painfully milked each day for their bile through metal catheters crudely inserted into their abdomens, these bears had endured unimaginable physical and mental abuse for over 20 years. As she documented the conditions on that first farm (later exposing the practice to the international community), a bear reached out from one of the coffin-like cages and gently touched Jill. It was a silent plea for help and in that moment, Jill made a promise to do whatever she could to end their suffering.   Read more...

Kathy inspires and practically helps young people produce films and other media projects that create awareness of problems in the world. The projects Kathy supports show positive actions all over the world that better problem situations. She does this through her organisation named "Creative Visions." Kathy is a realistic and yet high-reaching person, who does not loose her practicality in her idealism.   Read more...

Chef Ann Cooper is a renegade lunch lady. She works to transform cafeterias into culinary classrooms for students - one school lunch at a time.

At The Ross School in East Hampton, NY, Chef Ann served as the executive chef and director of wellness and nutrition, developing an integrated school lunch curriculum centered on regional, organic, seasonal and sustainable meals. The implementation of her pilot wellness program proved successful, and Chef Ann was invited to work with schools across the country. She has transformed public school cafeterias in New York City, Harlem and Bridgehampton, NY, and now in Berkeley, CA, to teach more students why good food choices matter by putting innovative strategies to work and providing fresh, organic lunches to all students.   Read more...