10 Women Who Are Making The World A Better Place

Looking for ways to make an impact on the world in the new year? Check out a few women who are dedicating their lives to serving others, and to see how Molly Hopkins and Cynthia Richards are helping women rebuild their self-esteem, watch the season premiere of “Double Divas,” on January 10th at 10/9c.

1. Katherine Chon

Neilson Barnard / Getty Images

After graduating from Brown University, Katherine founded the Polaris Project as a way to fight and prevent human trafficking. It functions at local and federal levels by employing both client-based and legislative tactics, and is considered one of the most highly-regarded groups to address the issue of modern day slavery.

2. Wendy Kopp

Brian Snyder / Reuters

As an undergraduate at Princeton, Kopp noticed her peers were turning down high-paying jobs in favor of teaching children. So after completing her studies in 1990 she founded Teach For America, which matches recent college graduates with teaching jobs in underprivileged communities to "eliminate educational inequity."

3. Helene D. Gayle

Paul Morigi / Getty Images

Gayle (R) is the president and CEO of Care USA, and oversees the distribution of emergency aid to distressed regions in the country. Before assuming her current position, she supervised the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's HIV, TB and Reproductive Health Program and spent 20 years at the Centers for Disease Control.

4. Christy Turlington

Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images

After experiencing a complication following the birth of her first child, Turlington founded Every Mother Counts. The organization's mission is to spread awareness of the devastation of maternal mortality, and works to implement solutions to solve problems in the lives of young girls and women worldwide.

5. Nancy Lublin

Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

Nancy is the CEO of Do Something, a non-profit that encourages youths to find ways they can make positive impacts on the world. She previously founded Dress For Success, which grants low-income women with the clothes and interview skills that are needed to advance in the corporate world.

6. Jessica Jackley

Michael Loccisano / Getty Images

Jessica Jackley is responsible for Kiva, where people can loan money to individuals (or "field partners") in developing countries so they can start a business or learn a trade to provide for their families. Once the field partners have turned a profit, they return the investment to Kiva and the lender can then re-lend the money again or donate it to another entrepreneur.

7. Melinda Gates

Mark Wilson / Getty Images

Melinda is the co-chair and trustee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which supports international programs that spread optimism, collaboration, rigor and innovation. She is especially known for her dedication to providing treatments for malaria, pneumonia and tuberculosis to poor countries.

8. Maria Bello

Mike Coppola / Getty Images

Most of us know Maria Bello from the big screen, but she spends the majority of her time working on behalf of her organization We Advance. Bello founded after the earthquake that devastated Haiti in January of 2010, and aims to secure the health, safety and quality of life of every woman there.

9. Ertharin Cousin

Giorgio Cosulich / Getty Images

Ertharin Cousin is the executive director of the United Nations’ World Food Programme, which is the world’s largest organization that fights hunger around the world. The WFP provides rations to around 90 million people a year who cannot produce or obtain enough for their families. Last year she was ranked the 69 in Forbes’ list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women.

10. Angelina Jolie

Karim Kadim / AP

These days, Angelina is more famous for her charity work as opposed to her movies. Since first contacting the United Nations High Commissioner in 2001, she's visited refugees in more than 30 countries and formed the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which has raised millions for organizations to help people in areas affected by wars and extreme poverty.

Inspired by Molly Hopkins and Cynthia Richards

Molly and Cynthia are the essence of braraderie. It's their job to make sure every woman who walks into their store finds a bra to match their body and their attitude. Catch the ladies doing what they do best on the season premiere of "Double Divas," on on January 10th at 10/9c on Lifetime.