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Chef Maria Loi is a renowned chef in Greece and she's now taking America by storm with her restaurants, cook books and product line recently entering Whole Foods Market. A natural pioneer in the world of food and cooking, she is helping to redefine Greek cuisine for Americans and making strong statements about the importance of eating "well". I sat down with her at her restaurant in New York City, Loi Estiatorio, to hear about her life, philosophy and journey to the American market. She also shares some of her favorite recipes from her new book, "The Greek Diet".

Siki Im fell into fashion design, but it was a happy accident. The designer known in New York for his stunning and thought-provoking menswear conceptualized and constructed in the United States, is someone with barrels of talent and passion for his work. His collections are never what they appear, often referencing fine art, literature and music - he creates garments for those who literally want to make a statement with their clothing. Born and raised in Germany and armed with a degree in architecture from the prestigious Oxford University in the United Kingdom, Siki took a chance in his life and followed an unknown career path that would eventually lead him to a respected place in the world of fashion and giving back through his professorship at Parsons College in New York City.

Imam Daayiee Abdullah is America's first openly gay imam in the Islam faith. Born Sidney Thompson in 1954 in Detroit, Michigan - Daayiee was raised as a Christian and lived with parents who were religious but progressive in their thinking. He describes his upbringing as one where activism was promoted and dialogue encouraged, Daayiee was taught to be his own person. From a young age he knew he was gay and came out to his parents and an environment of general acceptance. He followed an educational path that lead him from Detroit on a journey around the world, including earning a Juris Doctor degree and, finally, being called to Islam. Daayiee studied Islam in China and Taiwan before returning to the United States to earn his degree from the Graduate School of Islamic Social Sciences in Ashburn, Virginia. He was eventually kicked out of school before receiving his degree due to his sexual orientation. Daayiee continued his path in the light of Islam and organized a community of muslims who desire to practice their faith in an environment open to LGBT members as well as women taking lead roles in the mosque. Despite being publicly dismissed by leaders in the Islam faith for officiating gay marriages in the Washington, D.C. area and for promoting acceptance within the Muslim community, he continues to move forward with his message. He leads a community of LGBT Muslims in Washington, D.C. at the Light of the Reform Mosque. I sat down with him to listen to his story and understand his the way of thinking that has lead him to where he is today.

Nimrod Moloto is a talented musician, but an even more talented mentor. He is the founder of the Melodi Music Trust Project in Soweto, a lower-income area of Johannesburg, South Africa. Nimrod has been chosen by famed international, "ideas worth spreading", conference and talk producer TED, to speak. He also has been recognized internationally for the work he does with children in the community in which he was raised. Sparked by the sight of young kids running the dangerous streets of Soweto, in jeopardy of falling prey to drugs, alcohol and early teenage pregnancy, Nimrod decided to act. He assembled a choir which he has dedicated his life to, all in an effort to get the youth of the area involved in something they're passionate about. In turn, he has transformed people and changed the trajectory of many young lives that might otherwise go undirected.

Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil is one of the most interesting characters I have ever met. Born to one of the most respected royal families in India and coming from an esteemed lineage began centuries before him, his life seemed destined to carry on the family's heritage and be the public "face" of his kingdom, Rajpipla. But, Manvendra took another route. Coming out as the first openly gay royal in India and possibly the world, he separated himself from tradition to create a new path as an AIDS activist and LGBTQ champion for the voiceless in his country. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

Anjali Gopalan is a woman like none other. She is brave, determined and so humbling down-to-earth you would never know she was one of the "100 Most Influential People of 2012" chosen by Time Magazine. Being amongst the first in India to organize privately for the battle against HIV when the epidemic first raged through the country, she has made it her life's work to combat the disease, aid those suffering from it and empower the LGBTQ community across the subcontinent. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

Asher Levine has accomplished more at the age of 25 than many do in a lifetime, and he shows no signs of slowing down. Besides creating a cult-like following for his ready-to-wear men's line, he has imagined some of the most memorable and unique designs for the world's biggest entertainers. His passion for working with unique materials and abstract ideas is evident and that's what has made him the go-to guy for pieces you won't find hanging in your local department store. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

Ed Stewart helped establish PAWS, Performing Animal Welfare Society, in Northern California. For over 30 years, together with his partner, Pat Derby, he has rescued countless animals from poorly managed zoos and circuses around the world. He invented a non-abusive approach to elephant handling and made it his mission to educate the public about the atrocities animals face behind the glossy images of zoos and shows featuring animal "acts" as entertainment. Supported by the likes of Bob Barker, the organization strives to be a shelter for those who have no voice. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

Justin Guilbert and Douglas Riboud are the founders and co-CEOs of Harmless Harvest, a relatively new coconut water brand sweeping the nation with its delicious flavor and strong stance on ethical business practices. Having once been at the helm of large corporations, the two ventured out to create a business that matched their personal philosophies and provided a product consumers would love and feel good about purchasing. Creating what I believe to be the best tasting, bottled coconut water on the market, the business partners pushed to invent new technology that would remove harmful bacteria from the fresh coconut water before the bottling process takes place. Through thousands of pounds of pressure, instead of boiling the nutrition out, the bacteria is killed and their product maintains the complex flavors and nutritional integrity desired by so many. The efforts and risks paid off and they are on their way to expanding their ecosystem-based business model across other areas of the food and beverage market. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

French perfumer Frédéric Malle is one of the world's most respected scent masters. He comes from a family deeply entrenched in the industry and grew up in Paris around some of the most influential people in fashion. After working as a fragrance consultant for years he created his own brand, Frédéric Malle Editions de Parfums, and decided to do things his way. Taking action on his uneasy feelings about how other perfumers had been treated in the industry, he changed the way people saw those behind some of the world's most famous fragrances. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

David Wolfe is a nutrition pioneer and entrepreneur. With countless books, conferences, websites and health products under his umbrella, he is the embodiment of what it means to maximize your potential both physically and mentally as a human being. His knowledge of the human body and expertise in health science is unparalleled. He sat down with me to discuss his take on being successful, including specific steps to take on your journey. He also answers candid questions about what makes him tick and philosophies he lives by every day. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

B. Akerlund is a costume designer, stylist and fashion activist like none other. She's brave, bold and has a mission to do things her way -- which includes inspiring a younger generation to stay true to who they are. From the age of 16, she's pounded the pavement to make a name for herself in fashion and styling. Today, her client list includes the likes of: Madonna, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Britney Spears, Lexus, Dior, H&M and countless others. What I learned from her is that we all have an opportunity to do what we want in life. The key is to identify what we're good at and put that into action. She is kind, thoughtful and a big believer in karma -- you do good and good will happen to you. I sat down with her in the Bernadotte Suite at The Grand Hotel, Stockholm, for an intimate conversation. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

Ajuma Nasenyana is one of the world's top fashion models. Hailing from Northern Kenya, she began her career as a national champion in running before being discovered by a local modeling agent. She has been invited to walk the world's most prestigious runways including: Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood and Victoria's Secret. But, growing up, her life wasn't as glamorous. She was teased incessantly for her dark skin. Since she has become a public figure, Ajuma has made it her mission to spread the word about the skin-bleaching epidemic in Kenya and on the continent of Africa. She hopes, through her words and actions, she can inspire a younger generation to forego this risky practice and love themselves for who they are. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

Attention anyone who has wanted to start a business of their own, but thought the circumstances were too difficult. Patrick Ngowi is an entrepreneur from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. From the age of 15, Patrick created businesses with little money -- all in an effort to grow them into something great. He dabbled in cell phone top-up cards in high school, imported cell phones from China in college and brought alternative energy to the masses as an adult. With a strong drive and ambition to create a business that was not only financially stable, but bettered the lives of those it touched -- solar power was his focus. Since beginning the venture, Helvetic Solar, at the age of 22, he has lit-up Tanzania, in the most rural of areas, and made a name internationally as an influential man making a difference. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

As one of South Africa's most recognizable names in media, Khanyi Dhlomo embodies the idea of seeing life as an opportunity to live at your highest potential. From the age of 20, she has worked and pushed herself into the roles of newscaster, magazine editor, Harvard graduate, media mogul and fashion empress. Her belief in herself and attention to detail has earned her a reputation of respect and honor throughout the country. We sat down at the Fairlawns Boutique Hotel and Spa in Johannesburg to discuss her story, her philosophy and her advice to those who have big dreams and ambitions. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

Ludwick Marishane is a 23-year-old entrepreneur from South Africa. He is responsible for conceptualizing a product, DryBath, that has the potential to save those in developing nations without access to clean bathing water from disease and bacteria. It all started with the desire to create a business and acting on an idea that came to him while hanging out with his friends. With hard work, research and a list of ingredients -- Marishane recruited others to help him make his idea a reality. He has been a speaker for the global "ideas worth spreading" conferences, TED, and has been chosen as one of the 12 brightest minds in the world by Google. His determination and willingness to use the tools available to him as a college student propelled him into his current position at the helm of a successful start-up. We sat down with him at "The Barn", a communal workspace for start-ups in Cape Town, South Africa, for a conversation. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

Charles P. Garcia is a leader in the Latino community and works to uplift its members through education. His resume reads like an example of what the ideal professional experience would look like to most. Born in Washington D.C. and raised in Panama City, Panama, he has worked as a junior officer for the Air Force and White House fellow. He worked under four presidential administrations, started and sold successful businesses, written books on leadership and appeared as a guest on several national news outlets as a political and social issues expert He embodies the belief in "dreaming big" and manifesting your reality through hard work and the thoughts you project out into the universe. I sat down with him at The Boca Raton Resort and Club for a conversation. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

It's time to take your thinking, and life, to new heights. I traveled to Quito, Ecuador to meet world famous mountaineer, Ivan Vallejo. Vallejo was incredibly inspiring as he taught me that it's never too late to move in the direction of your dreams. Born and raised in Ecuador, Vallejo always knew he loved mountains. But, life's pressures led him into a career that wasn't compatible with his personality and goals. In his thirties, he found the courage to cut his family's income by half and leave his job as a chemical engineer to make more time for mountain climbing. Since then, he has built a name and reputation in scaling the world's 14 highest peaks, all without the use of supplemental oxygen. His philosophies sparked me to think about my own experience on this planet differently and they will for you too. Whether you're 18 or 48, you hold the reigns and, therefore, the control to do something different. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

Faris Al-Shathir, the young co-founder of New York's public art rooted non-profit, "BOFFO", has facilitated some of the most interesting collaborations between the worlds of art, fashion and architecture. His idea for BOFFO was born out of a bad economy and a desire to bring together people who could make his larger-than-life ideas a reality. We sat down in the current construction site that is New York City's "Superpier" on the Hudson River. The site was the location of Boffo's last collaboration between British eyewear maven Linda Farrow and architects Neiheiser & Valle. Throughout our conversation it was easy to spot Faris' passion for art and his willingness to do what it takes to make his dream a reality. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

Edwin Ibarra grew up on the shores of Ecuador, in a small town, to a large family with limited financial resources. At the age of 13 he fell in love with running and knew it would be his destiny. Now, at 22, he has created a name for himself as a long-distance runner who runs barefoot. Not only does Edwin run barefoot because it feels more "natural" but he runs for the children of his country who do not have access to the money required to participate in a sport. Running with no shoes says to those children that you can do it, no matter what the circumstances. We spoke briefly, with the help of his translator, at the beautiful Casa Gangotena Hotel in Quito, Ecuador, before he showed me how a barefoot run is really done. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

In 1989 Bob Paris, one of the world’s greatest athletes in the sport of bodybuilding, came out as an openly gay man. At the time of his public acknowledgement of his sexuality, 70% of Americans believed that homosexuality was a sin, as reported by The Los Angeles Times. Bob faced a tremendous fall-out in his sport and ignited controversy in schools, churches and small communities around the country as he moved around to speak about the issue and further the conversation which would eventually lead to the gay athletes of today having an opportunity to do the same. His pioneering decision changed the face of what being gay meant and looked like in America. We sat down with him (and his very friendly dog, Cole) at his home in British Columbia, Canada to speak about his groundbreaking decision to live openly, and the reverberations that are still felt today. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

Never in my life have I met a woman with such determination. Catalina Escobar, one of CNN’s Heroes of 2012, is a Colombia native who founded the Juan Felipe Escobar Foundation in 2000 after the tragic death of her 16-month-old son, Juan Felipe. As a volunteer in Cartagena’s largest and most ill-equipped hospital, Catalina also witnessed the deaths of several babies born to teenage mothers who could not afford the $30 needed to purchase medicine for their ill newborns. Facing these traumatic experiences head-on, Catalina took her grief and turned it into power by deciding to fight for those with no voice. Beaten, put out, sexually abused and mistreated – she has created a safe haven for thousands of emotionally abandoned teen girls through her foundation and outreach into the city’s most impoverished and dangerous slums. Through her efforts, Catalina has helped lower the infant mortality rate in the city of Cartagena by 79% as well as redirect the lives of countless girls by giving them an opportunity to meet their life’s fullest potential. She is the embodiment of an “Inspired Citizen” and we sat down recently in Cartagena to learn more about her efforts and her story. View more at www.inspiredcitizen.com.

CNN Hero Edwin Sabuhoro turned the idea of conservation on its head when he thought-up the notion of converting poachers into saviors. With not more than $5,000 of life savings, Edwin quit his job as a park ranger in Rwanda and imbedded himself into communities of poachers to understand the rationale behind their desire to hunt the country’s endangered mountain gorillas. After earning their trust and slowly making the poachers understand that the species was more valuable alive than dead, by way of attracting tourism dollars, Edwin began to assist the impoverished communities in earning a respected income. We sat down with Edwin to speak about his risky decision to confront the country’s problem of poaching head-on, his passion for gorillas and his mission to uplift the communities who have lived amongst the gorillas for centuries.

They say, in life, that you must turn lemons into lemonade. And, Alex Minsky’s story is the epitome of this well-known adage. As a young marine, Alex lost his leg in an accident three weeks after landing in Afghanistan for combat. He nearly died and fell into a black hole of despair for two years post trauma. But, a decision to move forward and set an intention for his life opened him up for opportunity in the world on modeling. Alex has become a hero for some, a sex symbol for others and an example of how one can reclaim their life after an unexpected transformation. I sat down with him in Bel Air, California to hear his story.

Dr. João Goulão came from the south of Portugal to its capital city, Lisbon, in the early 2000s to help the government tackle the issue of drug addiction. With over 1% of the country hooked on heroin, drugs crept into every home and life of people living in the country – no matter rich or poor. A trained physician practicing family medicine, Dr. Goulão worked with a team who put together a plan to decriminalize drugs, taking the stigma out of possession. By building a network of care for addicts and encouraging those with drug problems to look at the root of the problem, his efforts have contributed to the reduction in addiction and crime rates across the country. We sat down with him at the beautiful Palácio Belmonte in Lisbon to discuss the decriminalization’s effects on the country 15 years later, and how other countries might look to Portugal for inspiration for their own issues with abused substances. This story is an example of a country showing true love and compassion for its citizens.