Charles and Ali Banks fell into the wine business as outsiders. Charles remembers walking into a wine store clueless as the newly married couple prepared for their first dinner party. He naively asked the clerk questions and brought home a variety of wines. He watched closely to see which wines...

Some of Billy Hulse's most vivid memories of his mother, Mary Cobb, were in the kitchen. Her friends and family called her "Cobbie" and remember her as an inventive cook. As a child, Billy remembers fondly his mother creating recipes over the stove during their summers at the beach.

Socialvest CEO Adam Ross has taken an unconventional route in becoming a social entrepreneur. Growing up in North Carolina, he dreamt of working in the film industry. After graduating from UNC Chapel Hill, he jumped headfirst into the business when he accepted a job at Miramax in New...

Raised on a farm in Virginia, Murray Fisher developed a deep love for nature. Animals and the outdoors fascinated him and he knew early that he would involve nature into his career.

The son of former Peace Corp volunteer, Fisher was born in the country his father volunteered in,...

New York native, Elizabeth Suda, got the "travel bug" in college while studying abroad at Oxford University. She seized every opportunity to travel through Europe while abroad. After graduating from Williams College, she landed a job in the fashion industry at Coach.

"Landing back in [New York City] was...

Wanda Butts always wanted a son. After trying for years, her dream came true at 38-years-old when she gave birth to Josh. Growing up, Josh and his mother were inseparable. He was always happy and never failed to bring a smile to his mother's face.

On August 6, 2006,...

The Reverend Deacon Leroy S. Close's passion for Haiti began early. At age 16, Buck (Close's nickname that he continues to go by today) was introduced to the Salesian Sisters of Haiti by his mother. Close's family had helped the nuns build schools and orphanages in the Haitian capital of...

My personal hero is Sargent Shriver and has been for some time. He epitomized living with purpose and showed up to life every day with drive and gratitude. Although I often fall short, I try to emulate his example daily. It's surprising to even myself that I hold someone I...

True innovation is when one creates solutions beyond the obvious and fulfills multiple voids within society all at once. In this complicated global economy, competition is fierce and innovation is key to differentiate and mobilize growth fast. I believe the most innovative leaders out there are those who have built...

My family says I've always been restless. It always starts the same way: I conjure up a new experience or challenge and relentlessly seize it. Then, I become shocked when stepping out of my comfort zone is, well, uncomfortable. Looking back, the situations where I have felt the most discomfort...

My office at TheDoGooder.com overlooks New York City's Zuccotti Park, the epicenter of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Usually leaving late at night, I weaved through the crowd on the way to the subway hearing the protestors' chants, beating drums and circles of participants debating issues. I initially...

I remember vividly my fifth grade book report. The assignment: read a novel and create a replica of the scene that was integral to shaping the narrative. My scene depiction, in an old shoe box, was not only pitiful compared to the others' artistic clay creations and paper mache structures,...

The underlying theme to America's central struggles over recent years is that they're problems created over time and ignored as they grew in size and scale. The financial crisis, the housing collapse, and the terror threat are all the result of problems that have stewed for years. It was easier...

When I launched TheDoGooder.com, I had the mission to modernize the way schools fundraised and connected with their community. Schools face unprecedented budget cuts, but many parent organizations and fundraising booster clubs use antiquated models to bridge the gap and come up empty handed. I believe schools face...

I recently saw a television commercial for London's 2012 Olympic Summer Games. It was a montage of Olympic athletes in their pursuit for glory with the familiar "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" music playing with intensity. A caption read: "This Summer... The World Will Come Together in London." I love the...

While perusing some news recently on Huffington Post, I ran across a captivating story about a 108-year-old Holocaust survivor, Alice Herz Sommer. Born in Prague to an affluent family in 1903, she grew up consumed by the piano. After studying at the Prague German Conservatory of Music, Alice...

The ancient adage, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime," is the new mantra of many 21st century social enterprises. Naturally, socially focused companies have cemented its place in the private sector with...

Like so many, I was horrified by the tragic massacre in Afghanistan. Staff Sgt. Robert Bales was serving his fourth deployment when he allegedly walked off a military base and killed 16 civilians, many of whom were women and children. The horrific event cast a bright spotlight on the pressures...

Last week, I joined the international masses demanding for Joseph Kony's arrest, sparked by a 30-minute documentary entitled Kony 2012. The online video produced by the nonprofit, Invisible Children, calls for the capture of the indicted Ugandan war criminal and starts a movement to "make him famous" in...

Last week, my stomach dropped as I read the headline about a school shooting in Chardon, Ohio. The tragedy, which killed three students and injured two more, has once again generated conversations about bullying. Pundits rushed to judge and characterize the situation as yet another example of bullying in America....