Muhammad YunusThe closest thing to God on earth? Perhaps not, but to microfinance enthusiasts like me, he is sacrosanct. Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi economist who in 1976 came up with the idea of microfinance--small loans for the collateral-less poor--to remedy the povery he saw in his home country. The result? The Grameen Bank, which has helped more than 7 million people--97% of whom are women. For his work, Yunus was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.
John HatchAnother microfinance innovator, John Hatch started FINCA in 1984 in order to created a sustainable way to help the poor. He is a man who has dedicated his life to service. (For those of you who read gossip columns, FINCA is the charity the gorgeous Natalie Portman supports) On a personal note, I cannot think of a better role-model for young people. Having witnessed first-hand extreme poverty in Latin America, he took it upon himself to come up with a solution, even though he was just out of college.
The gorgeous Queen Rania is the face of the real results of microfinance. Since Jordan lacks the natural resources of other middle-eastern countries, village banks provides her citizens the ability to grow their own businesses. A champion of womens' rights, Queen Rania has used microcredit to empower women and give them ability to provide for their families. She's quite sharp, and I suggest you look her up on youtube.
