This year Ode launches its first annual Intelligent Optimists Issue where we will feature people who are not famous yet but should be because of the work they are doing to bring positive change to their communities, their countries, and the world. As part of this special issue, we would like to hear your nominations, too: tales of ordinary people who do extraordinary things. Just tell us who your nominee is and write a few lines explaining why this person is special and why their work is important. Nominate your favorite Intelligent Optimist!
Jed is an Internet marketing consultant who specializes in Hispanic social media marketing and the usage of social media by governmental organizations. But that doesn't begin to describe how bright, talented, and actively optimistic he is.
He created the Positive Energy Vibe Zone (pevz.org), a place to share sheer happiness found on the Internet. He works with social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to give government (including www.usa.gov/gobiernousa) a friendlier face, especially for Spanish speakers who are ordinarily given second-best. His blog (jedsundwall.com) has amazing conversations with local activists, small business owners, and other people making a real difference in the world. Read more...
Atossa Soltani is the founder and executive director of Amazon Watch, the non-profit organization dedicated to defending the rainforests and the rights of indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin. For the past 15 years, Atossa has been closely tracking threats to indigenous peoples and pristine frontiers of the Amazon Basin in South America and leading campaigns resulting in groundbreaking victories for indigenous peoples rights and the environment. She has documented human rights abuses and environmental disasters caused by transnational oil companies in the headwaters of the Amazon River.
Together with indigenous peoples’ movements in Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador, Amazon Watch is effectively holding corporations and governments accountable for environmental and human rights abuses. Atossa serves on the board of directors of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs, on the Steering Council of the Amazon Alliance and on the Advisory Board of International Funders for Indigenous Peoples. Prior to founding Amazon Watch, Atossa worked for the Rainforest Action Network and the City of Santa Monica's environmental programs. Read more...
Dan and Marsha Phillips are committed to reducing the landfill waste-stream by diverting useable building materials into the construction of low-income housing, with an unskilled, minimum-wage labor force. Building the "after-market" house with this mission in mind addresses three major social problems with one activity. Read more...
Claire had her unlikely start as a non-profit owner at the end of an eight-month trip around the world in 2006. Travel weary, she had settled into the Tumaini Children's Home for the last stop of a 20-country tour, and - on the recommendation of a friend - had planned to use this place solely as a welcoming and comfortable base for climbing Mt. Kenya.
Claire never made it up the mountain. Read more...
As a pre-school teacher who was not on her regular 8:50am train to the World Trade Center on September 11, Gemma Bulos, witnessed a global community united through tragedy. In response, she wrote “WE RISE”, a rousing anthem that celebrates water as a metaphor for peace and unity in action. She left her life, sold everything and with her meager savings began traveling around the world to launch the unprecedented Million Voice Choir where groups sing “WE RISE” on September 21, in celebration of the UN International Day of Peace and Global Cease Fire Day. In Spring 2004 she founded the non-profit organization A Single Drop (ASD) and it’s first formal year, the Million Voice Choir united peaceful voices from over 100 cities in over 60 countries and was the single initiative that has helped her to become a living example of ASD’s concept; it takes a single drop of water to start a wave, one person to initiate social change. To date, the Million Voice Choir has dissolved the political, religious, social and cultural boundaries by bridging together a variety of groups who would not normally find themselves doing anything together. Read more...
Dr. André Action Diakité Jackson is an internationally renowned economist and diamond executive, who has assumed the hefty responsibility for transforming Africa's diamond industry.
The Chairman Emeritus of Africa's largest holding company (JFPI Corporation), is now the chief of the African Diamond Council (ADC) and its African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA), the African diamond industry's 18 country governing bodies backed by Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos. Read more...
Lakshmi co-founded "Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust" in 1992 to support young underprivileged entrepreneurs and to create employment across the country (India). Many of these entrepreneurs have done very well, some of them have become millionaires, winning national and international awards. She also partners with Prince Charles and his Youth Business International to train and set-up similar programs in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
I saw here speaking last week at the European Summit of Global Transformation in Rotterdam and was impressed with the work she does. Read more...
Michele McKeag Larsen is the creator and passion behind www.ISpyJoy.com, a website created for the sole purpose of spreading joy. After losing her dream business she reevaluated her life and kept looking for what would make her happy. She found that happiness doesn't come from what we do or what we own or who we think we are; it comes from appreciating the moment and savoring it and delighting in being alive right here, right now. As she started looking for joy on purpose she experienced the uplifting impact on herself and decided to share that with others to help them be happier.
ISpyJoy.com is a wonderful chronicle of little bits and pieces of joy shared each day. It lightens up our spirit as we see the delight of a child's exuberance on his bike, a drummer on a street corner, children picking pumpkins for Halloween and more. ISpyJoy.com shows us that joy is in the little everyday experiences and is available to each of us. Read more...
Ms. Louiso publishes the eMagazine, www.attributemagazine.com. They feature individuals, business and items related to GenerationX. Their focus is on the positive attributes of GenX and what they contribute to the world around them. They do not limit themselves to this demographic as all articles cross the generations in messages of inspiration and encouragement.
Louiso had a dream to have her own magazine from her high school Journalism years and decided to go for it. She developed the magazine and found her staff and in six months was online. She is now 5 issues in and will be growing the site into a brand in the coming months. Her desire and message is to inspire the entire of the world, to contribute and put their best out there. Read more...
Katherine is a dedicated optimist. She has been a tap and jazz dance artist, teacher, choreographer, and community builder for over thirty years. Her lifetime body of work is a testament to her philosophy that a community that supports and involves artists is a more living, organic, vibrant organism. And she has taken that a step farther to incorporate non-dancers from all over and across the lines of communities she has worked with to create dance performances and creativity experiences rich with the stories and rhythms of local life.
She is a model of positive energy and happiness in her work, and all she works with warm right up to her. She brings out their confidence spirit, their love of movement freedom, and gives them the permission and tools to really express their lives and the opportunity to connect with vitally different parts of their communities. She is a real architect and builder of soul to soul living experiences, shouted out in performance that is accessible and meaningful to all. Read more...
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