A woman knocked on Jon Potter’s car window while he was filling up at a gas station in Pittsburgh. She needed a ride to a shelter for women escaping abuse, or enough money to take the bus. Jon said no. Almost immediately, he wished he hadn’t. He got out of his car and tried to … Read more
In 1997, Patrick Awuah had a successful career at Microsoft, a comfortable life in Seattle, and a future that looked pretty secure. He had spent eight years working at one of the world’s biggest technology companies, helping develop software during the early days of the internet. But something had been on his mind since the … Read more
At 15, Inocente Izucar was preparing 30 paintings for her first major art show in San Diego. She had spent much of her childhood moving between homeless shelters, temporary apartments, and friends’ homes. Yet her paintings were filled with bright colors, playful creatures, and strange, wonderful faces. She even painted her own face, creating colorful … Read more
On September 10, 2001, doctors at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston received some long-awaited news. A donor liver had become available in Nashville, Tennessee, and it appeared to be a match for a six-month-old girl named Kareena. Kareena had been born with a condition called biliary atresia, which prevented bile from draining properly from her … Read more
Frank Robinson had spent years trying to persuade helicopter manufacturers to build a smaller, less expensive machine. He believed there were customers who wanted to fly helicopters but could not afford the aircraft already available. His employers weren’t convinced. In 1973, he left Hughes Helicopters and started his own company, using his California home as … Read more
Harmon Parker was working in rural Kenya when a community asked him to help build a footbridge. He had construction skills, but he had not arrived with plans to spend his life building crossings. The request put a practical problem in front of him. People needed to reach schools, clinics and markets on the other … Read more
Joe Roberts once pushed a shopping cart through Vancouver while living on the streets. He used it to collect cans and bottles, trying to earn enough to get through another day. On May 1, 2016, he stood in St. John’s, Newfoundland, with another cart in front of him. This time, he planned to push it … Read more