The Doers: 25 trailblazers creating hope and inspiring us

InsiderAug 21, 2020, 22:37 IST

Insider has compiled a list of 25 people creating hope and inspiring us.
The list includes people who are working on projects related to social justice, gender and LGBTQ rights, sustainability, public health, and education.
The honorees include a restaurateur training refugee chefs, a COVID-19 patient advocating for "long-haulers," scientists turning plastic into valuable products, and high-schoolers building a youth-led climate movement.

During a time of uncertainty and upheaval, we turn to the doers of the world.

Doers are trailblazers creating hope and inspiring us. When they see something wrong, they work to change it.

The 25 people below, selected from hundreds of nominations, have had a clear impact across key causes: education, gender and LGBTQ rights, public health, social justice, and sustainability.

They're sparking climate change awareness, advocating for COVID-19 patients, organizing protests, highlighting pay inequity, making food pantries more accessible, and bringing mindfulness to the classroom.

Read on to meet the millennial and Gen Z doers who are inspiring us in 2020.

Alok Vaid-Menon, 29, is challenging myths about gender in fashion.

Alok Vaid-Menon Eivind Hansen

Shane Burcaw, 28, and Hannah Aylward, 24, are erasing stigmas around disability.

Shane Burcaw and Hannah Aylward Shane Burcaw

Michael Tubbs, 30, is showing how basic income can work in an American city.

Mayor Michael Tubbs discusses his basic income program during an interview in Stockton, California. Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo

Emily Brown, 34, is delivering allergy-friendly and gluten-free food to families in need.

Emily Brown

Fiona Lowenstein, 26, is advocating for COVID-19 "long-haulers."

Fiona Lowenstein Kristina Teschner

Alexandria Villaseñor, 15, is building a youth-led movement for climate change action.

Alexandria Villaseñor Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Raquel Willis, 29, is telling Black trans stories.

Courtesy of The Ms. Foundation for Women

Nya Collins, Jade Fuller, Kennedy Green, Emma Rose Smith, Mikayla Smith, and Zee Thomas, 14 to 16, are leading the next generation of protest organizers.

From left, Jade Fuller, Nya Collins, Zee Thomas, Kennedy Green, and Emma Rose Smith. Brinley Hineman/The Tennessean/Reuters

Meymuna Hussein-Cattan, 39, is training refugees to become professional chefs.

Meymuna Hussein-Cattan Meymuna Hussein-Cattan

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, 36, is highlighting how racial justice and climate change intersect.

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Marine Biologist SOPA Images / Getty Images

Miranda Wang and Jeanny Yao, 26, are turning plastic trash into valuable products.

Miranda Wang (L) and Jeanny Yao (R). Miranda Wang

Janice Martellucci, 31, is bringing mindfulness education to public schools.

Janice Martellucci

Sabia Wade, 31, is improving Black maternal health outcomes.

Sabia Wade Vanessa Simmons

Adesuwa Ajayi, 28, is shedding light on pay inequity among online influencers.

Adesuwa Ajayi Adesuwa Ajayi

Dr. Cleavon Gilman, 41, is shattering the myth that the coronavirus only affects older people.

Cleavon Gilman

Brandon Maxwell, 35, is embedding philanthropy and community outreach into his fashion business.

Brandon Maxwell Miller Moble/NBCUniversal/Getty Images

Anna Voelker, 24, make science more accessible to people with disabilities.

Anna Voelker Courtesy of Anna Voelker

Dr. Trevor Boffone, 34, orchestrates viral videos to help students express their individuality.

Dr. Trevor Boffone Luke Parker

Colette Pichon Battle, 44, is dismantling structural racism in the Gulf South that's exacerbated by climate change.

Colette Pichon Battle TED/YouTube

Jerome Foster II, 18, is a climate-focused advocate mobilizing young people to vote.

Jerome Foster II (4R) and Greta Thunberg (3L) pose with Amnesty International Secretary General Kumi Naidoo in 2019. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images

Lester Walker, 39, uses food to spark conversations about race, inclusion, and economic empowerment.

Lester Walker Ray Spears

Brian Wallach, 39, is accelerating the search for an ALS cure.

Brian Wallach I AM ALS

Ziwe Fumudoh, 28, uses humor to take on uncomfortable, must-watch conversations about race.

Ziwe Fumudoh Corbin Chase

Dr. Foluso Fakorede is preventing unnecessary amputations in the US.

Dr. Foluso Fakorede Cardiovascular Solutions of Central Mississippi / Hilary Brueck, Insider

Schuyler Bailar, 24, is a trans activist and athlete.

Schuyler Bailar Monica Schipper / Getty Images

You can stay in a Buckingham Palace-inspired camper that features a throne room and golden toilets

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