Who Made the List?

Today, TIME magazine released its “TIME 100” list. “They are the people who inspire us, entertain us, challenge us and change our world.” This list, while certainly not exhaustive, represents 100 of the most intriguing, talented, and remarkable individuals who have, in one way or another, impacted our world as determined by the TIME editorial team. I was glad to see that included in this feature are a number of “Social Citizens,” who TIME recognized for their incredible work, big dreams and ability to ignite change within their communities or issue areas. 

I wanted to highlight a few of the exceptional, fearless, next gen changemakers who made the list.  While these individuals may not be as recognizable as others on the 100 list in some circles, such as President Obama, Jeremy Lin or Warren Buffett, they certainly earned their spots right alongside them.

Are there other inspiring young leaders who you think should be added to this list? We hope you'll share your thoughts and ideas with us in the comments or via social media!

 

AI-JEN POO

Excerpt by Gloria Steinem:  Ai-jen's gift for creating worker-led groups and empathetic tactics has made the National Domestic Workers Alliance into an umbrella organization with 35 satellites around the U.S. Thanks to its policy initiatives and lobbying, employment agencies now have to inform employers and workers of their rights, New York State has passed the first-ever Domestic Workers Bill of Rights (with California following), and President Obama has expanded labor laws to protect 2.5 million home-care workers.

Ai-jen Poo has done this by showing the humanity of a long devalued kind of work. This goes beyond organizing to transforming. As she says, her goal is "peace and justice in the home."

We should also note that Ai-jen is also the recipient of the 2011 American Express NGen Leadership Award.

 

SALMAN KHAN

Excerpt by Bill Gates:  Like a lot of great innovators, Salman Khan didn't set out to change the world. He was just trying to help his teenage cousin with her algebra from across the country. But from a closet turned office in his Silicon Valley apartment, Sal, 35, has produced an amazing library of online lectures on math, science and a host of other subjects. In the process, he has turned the classroom — and the world of education — on its head.

The aspiration of khanacademy.org is to give every kid a chance at a free, world-class education. The site has over 3,000 short lessons that allow kids to learn at their own pace. Practice exercises send students back to the pertinent video when they're having trouble. And there's a detailed dashboard for teachers who use Khan Academy in their classrooms.

Early pilot programs in California classrooms show terrific promise. I've used Khan Academy with my kids, and I'm amazed at the breadth of Sal's subject expertise and his ability to make complicated topics understandable. Sal Khan is a true education pioneer. He started by posting a math lesson, but his impact on education might truly be incalculable.

 

SHARMEEN OBAID-CHINOY

Excerpt by Angelina Jolie: Pakistan's first Oscar belongs to a monumental campaign that is changing the legal, social and political fate of survivors of acid-related violence. Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy's documentary Saving Face brought Pakistan's acid-violence problem to the world stage. Today she is bringing the film's message to towns and villages in Pakistan through an educational-awareness campaign. Her film not only gave her subjects sympathy and understanding but, more important, gave them dignity. The "victims" in Saving Face are some of the strongest, most impressive women you will ever come across. She showed us their scars, and we saw their true beauty.

Obaid-Chinoy, 33, is also shaping the dialogue on Pakistan. Saving Face depicts a Pakistan that is changing — one where ordinary people can stand up and make a difference and where marginalized communities can seek justice. New legislation spearheaded by female parliamentarians will impose stricter sentencing on perpetrators of acid-related violence. This is a huge step forward.

Giving voice to those who cannot be heard, Obaid-Chinoy has made over a dozen award-winning films in more than 10 countries. She celebrates the strength and resilience of those fighting against seemingly insurmountable odds — and winning.

I dare anyone to watch this film and not be moved to tears and inspired into action.

 

BEN RATTRAY

Excerpt by Molly Katchpole: Ben is the brain behind Change.org, a website that transforms the way people tell their stories and make change happen. There are a lot of petition websites, but Change.org is simple to use and supported by a team that provides media-messaging and engineering support.

Ben, 31, created a platform for me to make specific demands for banks to change their debit-card fees. This spring, Trayvon Martin's mother wrote an amazing narrative on the site that got her son's story out there, which helped build solidarity with her family and kept pressure on the police and attention on the case. That's huge.

Now Change.org is expanding into other countries, making its website available in different languages and finding solutions for people who live where the Internet might not be widely available or where protests are stopped by governments. I am so excited to see that. I can't wait.