“Never look back is my philosophy.”

Vision: Achieve the UN Millenium Development Goals. Action: The most powerful woman in the United Nations, Clark has an annual budget of US$5 billion and a staff of 8,000 in 182 countries. She is leading the charge towards the UN’s Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The former prime minister of New Zealand aims to cut poverty in half and promote gender equality and environmental sustainability. www.UN.org

 “I’ve made so many mistakes, been in so many ‘ wow, this is nuts’ situations.”

Vision: A society that nurtures tolerance and understanding among all people. Action: Twenty-something Sridharan invented a mobile app that provides real-time information on water availability in India via SMS. In addition to serving the needs of women in developing countries she has helped solve a problem that affects 90 percent of Asia. www.NextDrop.org

“A real leader is someone who leads by example, through the personal narrative and values of their life.”

Vision: A world of equitable opportunity, where everyone – no matter race, gender, or religion – is treated with dignity. Action: The pair immerse themselves in pressing global issues and create films about their experiences to inspire action. Their approach is to take the time to listen and help share these stories on a global scale. www.LivingOnOne.org

“We cannot close ourselves off to information and ignore the fact that millions of people are out there suffering.”

Vision: We all want justice and equality, a chance for a life with meaning. Action: Contacting the UN High Commissioner for Refugees was Jolie’s first step in using her celebrity status to visit “forgotten emergencies” around the world to keep refugees and displaced people firmly in the media spotlight. www.UNHCR.org

 “It was when I started to see the intersection between cause and business that I realized that brands and corporations can be a force for good in the world.”

Vision: A world where corporations are a leading force for good. Action: Spreads her vision by writing, consulting, tweeting, speaking and impact investing. As an angel investor she realized that investing in business was another way to support and empower women. www.SusanMCP.com

“There is an incredible opportunity to make a difference – now.”

Vision: A new vision for the future where “business is unusual.” Action: Business has the power to drive change. The time is right for a radically different approach to business – one that puts people and planet at the core of how business is done. Branson started the B Team and was a founding member of The Elders, bringing together the world’s most influential people to discuss how best to solve the world’s most pressing problems. www.Virgin.com

“A mosquito cannot do anything against a rhino, but a thousand mosquitoes can make the rhino change its direction.”

Vision: A world in balance, where climate justice prevails and children no longer have to fight for survival. Action: The 17-year-old passed his target of planting a million trees in his home country Germany, and kept on going. To date, 30,000 Climate Justice Ambassadors have planted 13 billion trees in 131 countries. “There is still space for 1,000 billion more,” he says. www.Plant-For-The-Planet.org

It all started with a school presentation at his school in Germany and today Plant-for-the-Planet is a global movement with an ambitious goal: to fight the climate crisis by planting trees around the world.

Inspired by Wangari Maathai, who planted 30 million trees in Africa in 30 years, Felix formulated his vision: Children could plant one million trees in every country on earth and thereby offset CO2 emissions all on their own – while adults are still talking about doing it. Each tree binds a CO2 intake of 10 kg per year.

Within a year, Klaus Töpfer, former German Federal Minister of the Environment and executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) became an official patron. Finkbeiner then became a UNEP Junior Board Member and gave speeches at important environment and climate events, including the European Parliament. Plant-for-the-Planet academies were established in Germany and around the world. These are events organized by children, for children, where they motivate each other to take action against the climate crisis. The children become active Climate Justice Ambassadors and pass on their knowledge and encourage other children to take on social responsibility and shape their future.

To popularize the campaign Finkbeiner started the “Stop talking. Start planting” campaign. This was characterized by a series of photographs of himself with famous supporters such as Harrison Ford, Prince Albert of Monaco and Michael Otto, with his hand over their mouths.

“A good environmental policy is good for business.”

Vision: Mobilizing business leadership for a sustainable world. Action: Ceres was formed 25 years ago after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Their mission was to bring environmentalists and capitalists together to forge a new sustainable business model, one that would help protect the planet, weaving social challenges and investor decision- making into the capital markets to help build a thriving global economy. www.Ceres.org

“Imagine how much better the world would be if we acquired talent from 100% of the population versus 50% (of just men).”

Vision: For all businesses to operate within the framework of a mission and vision – tied to their core values, which include the betterment of humanity. Action: To positively affect gender balance across all organizations worldwide by 2020. Cofounded 5050×2020.com, which encourages leaders to adopt a more conscious way of thinking about leadership and its positive effects on business. www.SVN.com

 “For a whole new generation of entrepreneurs, it’s no longer just about the bottom line.”

Vision: Promoting a world where all capital is invested for optimal social, environmental and financial impact. Action: Freundlich has impacted the investing ecosystem by providing products and thought leadership that has enabled philanthropists, asset owners and their wealth advisors to make investments with positive social, environmental and financial returns. www.ImpactAssets.org