Byrne Rhonda - Hero (The Secret)

JP’s Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation

www.peacelovehappinessfoundation.org

Having spent time in the foster care system as a child and endured stints of homelessness as an adult, John Paul has dedicated substantial resources to his charity, JP’s Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation. The organization supports environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and the protection of animals, and aims to enable people to help themselves through gardening and farming programs that equip them to feed their families and start their own businesses.

Peter Foyo

www.nextel.com.mx

Peter Foyo is a business executive and international telecommunications expert. Peter is regarded as one of the very best and most innovative CEOs throughout Latin America. He serves on the board of several companies and continues to lead a 17,000-strong workforce as president of Nextel Communications Mexico.

Nextel Foundation

www.nextel.com.mx/nextelfundacion.html

As company CEO, Peter has built an admirable culture of corporate social responsibility and philanthropy. The Nextel Foundationprovides support for the most vulnerable members of the community through education. The foundation supports students through scholarships and programs aimed at youth, the underprivileged, and the disabled, and by funding scientific research and higher education.

Laird Hamilton

www.lairdhamilton.com

Laird Hamilton is a world-renowned big-wave surfer, innovator, and pioneer of tow-in surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, and hydrofoil surfing. Laird continues to split his time between riding the big waves, developing new forms of crossover surf sports, and raising awareness for causes close to his heart.

RainCatcher

www.raincatcher.org/laird

Laird and his wife, Gabrielle Reece, were recently appointed to the board of directors of RainCatcher, a nonprofit organization established to alleviate the global water crisis. RainCatcher has assisted 700,000 people worldwide through the provision of rainwater-harvesting systems. RainCatcher aims to provide clean drinking water to an additional 10 million people by 2015.

Mastin Kipp

www.thedailylove.com

Mastin Kipp is an entrepreneur, writer, and blogger, who utilizes social media to spread his messages of inspiration. Mastin founded The Daily Love , a website, daily email, and Twitter account, which reaches 600,000 subscribers a day, and is syndicated through The Huffington Post . Mastin has made appearances on Oprah’s Lifeclass , and has been featured by Oprah on her Super Soul Sunday as a next-generation spiritual thinker.

Anthony Robbins Foundation

www.anthonyrobbinsfoundation.org

Mastin credits his transformation to the help of Life Coach Anthony Robbins, and in gratitude, he has lent his support to the Anthony Robbins Foundation. This nonprofit organization conducts programs designed to aid and enrich the lives of those most often forgotten by society: youth, the elderly, the homeless, and the prison population.

Liz Murray

www.homelesstoharvard.com

Liz Murray is a bestselling author and one of the most highly sought-after motivational speakers in the world, famous for her incredible journey from homelessness to attending Harvard University. She has shared the stage with the likes of Mikhail Gorbachev, the Dalai Lama, and Tony Blair, and has been honored by the White House as well as Oprah Winfrey for her inspirational work in empowering the young.

Momentum Teens for Leadership

www.momentumteens.org

As a role model for teenagers, Liz is proud to support Momentum Teens for Leadership, a not-for-profit organization whose aim is to encourage, empower, and nurture leadership skills among youth. Momentum Teens offers workshops and programs that provide tools and experiences to help teens become responsible, confident contributors to their community and the world.

Paul Orfalea

www.paulorfalea.com

Paul Orfalea is the founder of Kinko’s, the world’s leading office supplies and business services chain. Having divested his interest in Kinko’s, Paul spreads his time between passing on his knowledge and experience as a university professor, and his various philanthropic interests.

Orfalea Foundation

www.orfaleafoundation.org

Under Paul’s leadership, the Orfalea Foundationhas endeavored to empower others to find their own strengths. Supported programs include innovative early-childhood education, high school programs for motivated students, thousands of higher-education scholarships, and substantial funding for select university programs. Paul is also dedicated to assisting the plight of single parents, and ensuring healthy school food for children.

G. M. Rao

www.gmrgroup.in

G. M. Rao is the founder and chairman of GMR Group, a global energy and infrastructure development corporation based in Bangalore, India. A visionary business leader, Mr. Rao has more recently steered his company toward urban development and the creation of national assets, such as power plants, highways, and airports.

GMR Varalakshmi Foundation

www.gmrgroup.in/foundation.html

Mr. Rao is a strong advocate of corporate social responsibility, and established the GMR Varalakshmi Foundationto address the lack of basic amenities and abject poverty within local communities. The foundation seeks to make quality education available to everyone. Health needs are addressed through the provision of hospitals, medical clinics, and ambulances. Self-employment opportunities are created through the establishment of training institutes and entrepreneurial programs for enterprising youth.

Anastasia Soare

www.anastasia.net

Anastasia Soare is considered to be the definitive eyebrow expert, and is a beauty industry icon. Due to her unique eyebrow shaping method, Anastasia has built an enviable clientele comprising the who’s who of Hollywood, and maintains flagship salons in Beverly Hills and Brentwood. There are also Anastasia brow studios in high-end department stores worldwide, and she has personally developed and released a range of exclusive eyebrow and makeup products.

Anastasia Brighter Horizon Foundation

www.anastasiafoundation.org

Through the Anastasia Brighter Horizon Foundation, young adults emerging from the foster-care system are offered scholarships to pursue careers in beauty and skincare. Funding and support is provided to assist with beauty school education, internships, hands-on training, and job placement. The aim is to create self-sufficiency and a foundation for the future.

Further Reading from Hero’s Contributors

Layne Beachley

Beneath the Waves

Layne Beachley’s testimony to the power of self-belief.

Publisher: Random House Australia, 2009

Peter Burwash

Becoming the Master of Your D-A-S-H

Personal anecdotes, realizations, and sage advice from enlightened people, past and present, providing fundamental guidelines for improving our life journey.

Publisher: Torchlight Publishing, 2007

Dear Teenager

Peter Burwash provides an invaluable guide to teenagers for growing up healthy and whole physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Publisher: Torchlight Publishing, 2008

Laird Hamilton

Force of Nature: Mind, Body, Soul, And, of Course, Surfing

Laird Hamilton shares his unique philosophy that he used to become one of the greatest big-wave surfers the world has seen.