6 Entrepreneurs Changing the World

Entrepreneurship is both enticing and terrifying. That alone means entrepreneurship is an endeavor that should be applauded. Seeing as 9 out of 10 startups fail, the attempt to bring one’s dream to fruition is a leap of faith that deserves acknowledgement. Entrepreneurs deserve even more credit if they manage to make it and turn what was once a glimpse of inspiration into a household name. However, there are some entrepreneurs that stand out from the rest for all they have contributed towards bettering the world:

1. Jean Clauteaux

As the co-founder of the social-media-meets-e-commerce startup Uriji Jami, Jean Clauteaux brings meaning and purpose to social media. Moving from a gold prospector in the rain forest to leading executive for a multinational firm, Clauteaux has always had a penchant for fostering connections through shared inspiration. As a response to his frustration over the amount of time we dedicate to social networks with poor engagement, he created Uriji Jami to lend our online interactions significance. By monetizing experiences and aspirations,Uriji Jami emphasizes the sharing of personal stories to connect the user’s past, present with his future. This is done with the hope that the user will actualize her or his dreams. As the dreamer behind Uriji Jami, Clauteaux is on his way to changing the entire way we utilize social media and the way in which we allow it to impact our lives.

2. Yaron Gissin

As a serial entrepreneur and investor focused on media, renewable energy and life sciences, there is no wonder that Yaron Gissin founded Kalisaya, the global leader of portable renewable energy products and the award-winning KaliPAK™ Solar Generator. With up to 600Wh of energy stored in a compact case that doubles as a solar generator, KaliPAK features a patent-pending technology and design that enables up to 50% more solar efficiency than available products.

As a multimedia artist, Gissin also serves as the company’s design director, something he has quite a lot of experience in having taught Communication Design at the School of Visual art in New York where he graduated cum laude. In his spare time, Gissin is busy kicking butt as a Sun-Kwan-Moo Martial Arts instructor or with his black belt in Traditional Tae-Kwon-Do.

3. Ali Brown

Dubbed the “Entrepreneurial Guru for Women” by Business News Daily, Ali Brown certainly lives up to her claim to fame. As founder and CEO of Ali International LLC, she gives sound business coaching and mentoring to people around the globe that stems from her own self-taught, successful entrepreneurial ventures. With a rags-to-riches story laced with hard work and perseverance, this philanthropist became a self-made millionaire and now passes her sales and marketing prowess onto others through workshops, seminars, e-books and events.

4. Jean-Marc Borello

CEO Jean-Marc Borello aims to balance social inequality across France and over 30 other countries in the EU. Moving from teacher, to civil servant, and finally to CEO of Groupe SOS , Borello and his endeavors have since benefited over one million people each year. Founded in 1984, Groupe SOS continues to tackle major social issues, such as housing, health, education, seniors and youth. Its 405 organizations and 15,000 employees are all dedicated to finding market-based solutions for disadvantaged members of these groups, underscoring the fact that Groupe SOS is conceivably the world’s largest social enterprise today.

5. Anne Wojcicki

As the CEO and co-founder of the company 23andMe, renowned biologist Anne Wojcicki wants to equip people with access and an understanding of their personal biological makeups. 23andMe is responsible for producing at-home genetic testing kits that are easy to use. All it takes is a saliva swab and the time to mail in your kit to quickly receive insights and FDA-approved reports on your ancestral lineage as well as your health. Titled “The Most Daring CEO” by The Fast Company in 2013, Wojcicki proved she could come under fire and emerge unscathed when the FDA questioned the reliability of the testing kits’ results (which since then have been verified). As 23andMe has compiled one of the largest databases of personal genetic information, it is safe to say that the potential it channels for future genetic discoveries can potentially save lives.

6. Gavin Armstrong

Dr. Gavin Armstrong has a passionate commitment to combating world hunger and malnutrition. The Canadian entrepreneur is the CEO and president of The Lucky Iron Fish — a social enterprise that has created a ‘fish’ from iron, providing a natural source for an iron-rich diet — in an effort to tackle iron deficiency worldwide. Armstrong has several awards and acclaim for his many achievements, among which are a Silver Innovation award from the Edison foundation international Michaelle Jean Emergency Hunger and Relief award, Social Innovator of the Year award from Babson college, and recognitions in the Forbes 30 under 30 Social Entrepreneur category. On top of all that, he is one of the 17 ‘Rising Social Entrepreneurs of the Year’ in Conscious Company Magazine.