PATHFINDERS

A Moment of Uncomfortable Recognition Melanie Ray was scrolling through social media when the Me Too posts started flooding her feed....

From binge drinking and public speaking terror to teaching 550+ students worldwide, Ben Smith discovered that fear isn't an obstacle—it's a treasure map pointing toward your greatest potential. Growing up surrounded by meditation books and spiritual teachings, Ben spent years hiding his calling from friends who thought it was "strange." The turning point came when he realized that every fear was actually marking where he needed to go next.

After two decades working with underserved communities in Africa, Dr. Patricia Burlaud moved to Florida with a burning question: How do you create lasting change that goes beyond writing checks? Her answer came through discovering the "benefit cliff"—the devastating moment when a woman's promotion or raise suddenly eliminates all government support, leaving families worse off than before despite their hard work.

Andrea sat on her grandmother's worn couch in a small Romanian village, sunlight streaming through simple curtains. At barely school age, she was used to asking questions. But this time, her grandmother turned serious and asked her something unexpected.

Eight-year-old Sasha Nelson sat at her kitchen table with crayons and paper, writing a letter to President Bill Clinton. She carefully drew a picture of a rabbit being chased by a bulldozer—a scene from the construction site in her neighbourhood where she used to see jackrabbits and bobcats with her mother. The letter went unanswered, and the homes were built anyway. But that moment planted a seed that would grow into a life dedicated to what she now calls integration.

Andrew stood in the shallow end of a swimming pool watching a three-year-old girl tremble while sitting on the edge of the pool deck. Her parents had brought her to learn water safety, but she was frozen with fear. Over thirty years later, Andrew faced a similar scene in a meeting room in downtown Chicago, talking to youth who felt equally trapped, not by water but by their own thoughts and circumstances.

Some people see the problems in their communities and feel overwhelmed. Others, like Ali, see a call to action. "Our vision at PGL is to help create cities that are more sustainable, comfortable, and ready for the future." By developing a groundbreaking City Digital Twin platform, he is helping planners and architects rethink urban design from the ground up, ensuring that sustainability and livability are built in, not added later.

When Shari Hughson talks about wellbeing as the gateway to community built solutions, she doesn't mean fitness trackers and green smoothies. She means the ability to face a hard moment and say, "I'm okay. This, too, shall pass." For Shari, well-being isn't the absence of struggle—it's the mindset that you can figure things out.

For Michaela Tuell, a forester with Northwest Management, forestry is not just about trees—it’s about legacy, balance, and...

Dr. Karen Cross faced potential homelessness when her research supervisor left for Calgary three weeks before her program started. Years later, in an emergency room advocating for her grandfather's diabetic wound care, she watched another family have the same struggle without a medical advocate. 'Who's gonna fight for them?' she wondered. That realization led her to create Mimosa—handheld technology that helps healthcare workers detect skin problems before they become visible

“When you ask someone, ‘How do you want to feel in a year?’ you never know what the answer is going to be,” says Kay Lock Kolp, her voice...

Standing on the shore of Trieste, Italy, where the sea meets the sky, Leonardo Zangrando sees more than waves. He sees the deep, silent...

When Digital Maps Become Cultural Shields Dr. Donna Miranda-Begay stood on her tribal allotment land in Weldon, California, watching an...

Jamie Christensen was at another networking dinner when someone asked the inevitable question: "So, what do you do for work?" He could...

Mackenzie Belcastro is on a mission to help people wake up—not just in the morning, but to the fullness of who they are.

The Question That Changed Everything A veteran teacher stood up in a crowded meeting room, his six-foot-five frame towering over...

At just 23 years old, Mark Sanders has already moved countries, mentored youth, and sparked confidence in others simply by showing up as...

When Elena Iacono lost her father, the grief ran deeper than she expected. Yes, there was sadness, but also something more elusive—an...

A Single Post That Sparked a Global Movement It was March 7th, 2019—one day before International Women's Day. Julia Wagemann sat at her...

Steve Mark doesn’t just see maps—he sees connection. For nearly 15 years, he’s helped knit together a fabric of collaboration across...

Growing up in a rural farming community in Jamaica, Valrie Grant saw firsthand how geography could limit someone’s future. But she also...