Karen founded Re-Store to breathe new life into discarded fabrics by upcycling them into fashionable accessories, but her mission for sustainability doesn't end there. She employs seamstresses from underprivileged backgrounds to produce Re-Store's pieces, making Re-Store a social enterprise that brings positive change to both people and planet.

A river filled with waste discarded from nearby temples in his hometown of Kanpur, India, nudged Ankit into creating Phool, a social enterprise that turns waste into incense and various recycled materials. But compassion spurred him to go further and tackle stigma by employing Dalit women — who face harsh discrimination in India — to produce Phool's products. His vision of an inclusive and eco-friendly future has empowered some 3,700 women to date.

Football, patriarchy and blindness may not have obvious links to one another, but in the hands of Mritunjay, the world's most popular sport has become a tool for tackling injustice. Through Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital, girls from underprivileged communities develop confidence and agency over their lives by learning how to play football. They are then given the opportunity to train as optometrists and work at Akhand Jyoti Eye Hospital, which in turn provides free surgery to the poor to eradicate curable blindness.

Seasoned midwife Nerissa found renewed purpose when she joined forces with non-profit Mercy in Action, which helped her rebuild her clinic in Leyte, Philippines, after it was battered by a typhoon. Not only does Nerissa's clinic offer free maternal healthcare to women from under-resourced communities, she also supports Mercy in Action in the continued training of midwives, helping compassionate healthcare take root in places that need it the most.

Lara founded RIMAU to save the iconic Malayan tiger from extinction, but her mission goes beyond survival for the critically endangered big cat. RIMAU's Menraq programme also empowers the Jahai, an indigenous people who have lived in Royal Belum Temengor Forest for generations. By tapping the Jahai's knowledge of the forest to carry out anti-poaching activities, RIMAU supplements their livelihoods as they work together to save the Malayan tiger.

For Nizar, food is more than sustenance, it also builds communities. He founded Free Food for All to deliver free meals to underprivileged communities in Singapore, and has hired community members to do the cooking, supplementing their incomes. He also founded Food for Change to support refugees and communities in crises around the world with food, clean water and medical assistance.