Marcus Samuelsson, 02/22/12

Chef and author

Harlem is alive and thriving, more so now than ever before, and in many cases food is at the center of Harlem's new economic growth. Within the midst of great history and cultural diversity lies a food side of Harlem just waiting to be discovered by those foodies who seek it.

Dylan Ratigan, 02/22/12

Host, MSNBC's 'The Dylan Ratigan Show'; Author, 'Greedy Bastards'; Founder, Get Money Out Foundation

We need a culture that values innovation. We need to experiment in our own lives, with ourselves, our business endeavors, our government, and our surroundings.

Gabe Canales, 02/22/12

Founder, Blue Cure Foundation

Celts for Blue Cure won't be just another cancer awareness event. It will bring a message for action aimed directly at students. That message? Diet and lifestyle can help you avoid getting prostate cancer.

Linda Novick O'Keefe, 02/22/12

Founding Executive Director, Common Threads

An elementary schooler got to participate in the biggest sports event in America through Fuel Up to Play 60, a program that uses the star-power of NFL players to get kids excited about exercise.

Jeffrey Hollender, 02/22/12

Co-Founder, Seventh Generation

There is no denying that our oceans are in grave peril, and the conventional tuna industry now must make a choice: fish more sustainably, or lose market share to those who do.

Michael Green, 02/22/12

Executive Director, Center for Environmental Health

In California we recently won a victory when BPA was banned from baby bottles and sippy cups. Even before the ban, some producers were eliminating BPA from their products. My daughter's pink sippy cup, for example, was labeled "BPA-free." So why would I still worry?

Keli Goff, 02/21/12

Author, Commentator and Contributing Editor, TheLoop21.com

While the rest of the modeling world has increasingly celebrated body types that look like a 16-year-old girl's head placed on top of a 13-year-old boy's body, Sports Illustrated has continuously celebrated healthy female bodies.

Elly Pradervand, 02/21/12

Founder, Women’s World Summit Foundation

In spite of all the negative stories in the media these days, of which some are very alarming, there are in the world millions of innovative rural women entrepreneurs who care, give and daily struggle to overcome poverty and hunger in their communities.

Jon Soltz, 02/21/12

Co-Founder of VoteVets.org, Iraq War Veteran

A better way to show the thanks of a grateful nation -- more than any parade or handshake or embrace -- is to make certain that all veterans have a fair shot at building an America worthy of our service.

Malik Yusef, 02/21/12

Grammy-winning Songwriter; Spoken Word Artist

The money and fame, which caused us to pay attention to Whitney, weren't enough to save her life. Most people who have a lot of money and power don't always have someone working for them who is also willing to tell them the truth.

Emily Jacobi, 02/21/12

Co-Founder and Exec. Director, Digital Democracy

Once again, a global record was shattered in Burma. This time, it wasn't for the world's longest-running civil conflict, or the jailing of dissidents. Instead, it broke the record for the largest number of attendees at a BarCamp, a user-generated technology conference.

Joel Simon, 02/21/12

Executive Director, Committee to Protect Journalists

In the last year the battle for press freedom has moved firmly into the digital front and while there have been notable breakthroughs the cost in lives and liberty has also been exceedingly high.

Joyce S. Dubensky, 02/21/12

CEO, Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding

To focus exclusively on one dimension -- violence against Christians -- misses the nuances and complexities at play, few of which are due to religious difference alone.

Marlo Thomas, 02/20/12

Award-winning actress, author, and activist

For many of us, Presidents Day means an extra day off work and the chance to hit up the holiday sales. But, as we recall from our school days, it's actually more than that.

Saul Garlick, 02/21/12

Founder and CEO, ThinkImpact

What is the force moving this mountain? After all, universities are decentralized, lumbering bureaucracies that don't exactly embrace monolithic approaches to anything, especially if it is primarily focused on practical application.

Araceli Ruano, 02/21/12

Senior Vice President and the Director for California at the Center for American Progress

California's Freshworks Fund serves as a model for an innovative public-private partnership loan fund with the potential to increase access to healthy and affordable food throughout the state.

Daisy Khan and Fazeela Siddiqui, 02/21/12

Last month, I sent our program manager to Afghanistan to conduct an on-the-ground assessment of our pilot program. I was inspired by the stories she recounted. They painted a far different picture than the tragic stories that I have continually heard.