Tonic's 50 Most Beautiful People: 21-30

Apparently a phone call, a little red wagon and an ostensibly unprofitable business model are all effective means for implementing major change. However, when applied with fervor and the recognition of one's gifts. So if you don't already have a passion, prepare -- you're about to be inspired to find one. And is it just us, or is everyone particularly attractive? Must be all that inner goodness shining out.

30. Toby Pomeroy – Father of Green Gold

Fortunately it's become nearly impossible for any profitable global industry and its consumers to ignore their massive collective carbon footprint. And while most businesses aren't anywhere close to operating at full sustainability levels, many are at least moving in the right direction. The change however, always seems to start with one voice: a person that when confronted by the truth, can no longer turn a blind eye. For the jewelry industry, it was designer Toby Pomeroy.

"I think it was late 2004, somewhere around then that I became aware of just the detail of how metal mining has been. I knew it hadn't been great but when I ran across that No Dirty Gold website, I was really confronted with the fact of how destructive and damaging... not only to the environment, but to native people and the miners, and the people who get displaced by the large mining companies. It was like, 'I can't do this anymore.' And I actually contemplated not making jewelry because I couldn't see continuing and knowingly doing damage to the planet.

But then one morning in early 2005, the pacifist and environmentalist thought, "Why doesn't our refiner keep scraps separate from their newly mined metals and then I can use those reclaimed metals and my customers can feel good about it. And at the same time, start to exert some awareness pressure on the mining industry."

Pomeroy picked up the phone and called his supplier, Torrey Hoover of Hoover and Strong, the country's largest precious metal refiner, and asked him if he'd consider doing such a thing. A few days later Hoover graciously agreed. Initially Pomeroy had to pay a slight premium, but the process caught on so quickly, that Hoover and Strong shifted their whole enterprise over to entirely reclaimed -- there's no longer a premium on environmentally obtained metals.

Toby assures that although this is the beginning to the answer, there's a long, long way to go.  "People are rapidly awakening to it, but as you can imagine there are millions of miners up in the hills and the valleys of these countries, they're working with mercury because it’s cheap and easy to get the gold separated, but ends up damaging their health and their family’s health. There’s a lot to be done."

And what most people don't realize is that the ring on their finger may have produced 20 tons of mine waste. How do you find out? Pomeroy suggests that the best thing to do is, "Just ask. Express interest and concern. It's like right now, we all drive cars and use gas and oil, and that’s not a clean industry, but I think our awareness will cause businesses to shift. So by asking their jeweler, 'Do you know where this came from, do you know if this was responsibly sourced?' Not that it has to necessarily be, obviously jewelers can't flip their inventory overnight, but knowing that people care will encourage them to take action and be responsible.

With one phone call, Pomeroy is now able to work with 100 percent reclaimed metals and bring beautiful designs to his customers in good conscience. But Toby doesn't see this as anything beyond the call of duty. He explains, "Ultimately that's what our job is: Taking an action, sharing it with others, having others see a possibility for themselves to be more responsible, who will then take actions and share it with others. Pretty soon it's very widespread and it's making a really big difference."

29. Anonymous -- Smile, Help Others

Sure, random acts of kindness are fun -- especially the part when you get to tell people about all the good you did. But what about the act where no one knows?

Years ago, the story goes, a couple of guys were talking about pranks that students do for rival football teams. The one guy observed, "Isn't it interesting that students are motivated to do such incredible acts without getting any credit?" Sure, pranks are fun, creative and often challenging but rarely constructive or inspiring. So the question followed -- why not do the same with kind acts? More friends joined in the conversation and soon came up with idea of a game of doing anonymous acts of kindness and leaving behind a "smile card" to keep the ripple going. Over the next few months, they tested out the concept and before long the site went up and a community of anonymous givers was born.

Helpothers is a fast-growing anonymous forum (the guys who run Helpothers, the Smile Cards, and CharityFocus.org are friends of Tonic, and you might read their stories on this site from time to time) where its members can share their stories and find inspiration as they bring joy to the lives of others and ultimately, their own. Go on -- be kind. Just try not to tell anyone about it, you might be surprised at the returns.

28. Samantha Bee -- Most Senior Correspondent

Samantha Bee's name may not be as familiar as Tina Fey or Amy Poehler, but it should be. The sketch comedy veteran holds the distinction as the lone female-correspondent on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." Clearly undeterred by this boys club, Bee claims the title Most Senior Correspondent. Master of the sardonic interview, the Canadian native Bee plays the straight-faced journalist while she allows guests to carry on with outrageous and contradictory ramblings. Fortunately for us, nothing seems to be off limits.

Recently, as the Money Honey Bee, Samantha tackled the issue of "short-selling" stocks. While interviewing a certified financial planner, Bee effortlessly led him to make some very foolish, yet truthful statements. And Bee relentlessly pushes the envelope. Some bold favorites include her observations of attractive on-air female reports as the Nilf-Hunter, her take on the absurdity of the media's and government officials' Twittering, and her ruthless mockery of John McCain reducing women's health to air quotes.

Let's hope Bee keeps flying right below the radar, apparently that's where all the fun happens.

27. Lisa Nigro -- The Inspiration

Getting the homeless off the streets and back into society often feels like an insurmountable task, but not to Lisa Nigro. In 1989 the ex-Chicago police officer read about a café in Atlanta, Georgia called Café 458. She explains, "This café served the homeless with dignity and respect and was run by a group called the Community of Hospitality. I drove there and worked with them for four days, along with my husband and brother-in-law. We loved it! We were inspired -- hence the name Inspiration Café."

Lisa returned to Chicago with a vision and a lot of slamming doors in her face. But she wasn't about to quit. "I was determined to show people that I wasn't going to give up," she says. "So I took my nephew's red wagon and put food in it and walked the streets of Uptown here in Chicago and started feeding people. This led to filling my car and then a school bus, which we made into a mobile café. Once that happened someone took notice and offered me a retail space for 6 months free rent."

Twenty years later, that little Radio Flyer red wagon has blossomed into a multi-faceted corporation dedicated to providing the homeless with support and resources to achieve self-sufficiency. The secret to Inspiration's success is in Lisa’s personal, albeit unorthodox, approach.

"I think our key is to build long-lasting relationships," says Nigro. "In the beginning we never took government money because they always had timelines and rules of how long you could serve someone. I know that people don't change overnight. You don't know how deep their cup is that needs to be filled. You don't know how empty they feel before they can even trust again. So you plug away and stay engaged in the relationship."

With dignity and respect as the foundation for rehabilitation, The Inspiration Corporation has succeeded where many others have failed. While there are soup kitchens all across the nation feeding people everyday, they lack the magical ingredient found in the Inspiration Café. Lisa reveals, "Choosing something off a menu seems like a small thing, but it is a big piece of becoming a person of value. Having a choice and not being a number is huge."

In addition to restaurant-style meals, guests of the Café have access to services such as case management, support groups, life-skills training and financial assistance to help them become self-supporting. Even further, the Café aims to help men and women overcome the causes of their homelessness and find stability by securing income and affordable housing.

And while every small act won't likely evolve into a model corporation, Lisa encourages everyone to, "Just do something. Find something that pulls at your heart and work in that community. Kindness is never a small thing. It's magical. It opens your heart for all kinds of possibilities in your life. The person who serves always gets more from the experience than the person being served. It's a beautiful thing." If that's the case, Lisa Nigro must be enjoying some major returns.

26. Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey, Laren Poole -- The New Voice

If you're camped out on the sidewalks outside Harpo Studios pleading for airtime and Oprah actually lets you in, chances are you've got something important to say. Last week Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey and Laren Poole scored about five minutes with arguably the world’s most influential woman. The three young filmmakers, who look like they could play themselves in the movie, are the co-founders of Invisible Children, an organization dedicated to end the war in Uganda and free Joseph Kony’s child soldiers. After a 2003 trip to northern Uganda, the boys from Southern California discovered a bigger story than they ever imagined: They saw children being used as weapons and soldiers. Upon returning to the U.S. they made the documentary “Invisible Children: Rough Cut” and promptly got their nonprofit into action. They've since been organizing numerous vehicles for change. Their latest effort is How it Ends, a two-day of rally and lobbying event in Washington, D.C. on June 22-23.

Invisible Children represents a generation dedicated to building a future of socially responsible peacemakers by transforming apathy to activism. Bailey, Russell and Poole maintain that their work abroad is guided by the wisdom and strength of the Ugandan community as they partner to end the immediate horror of genocide, as well as educate future generations. There's plenty to be done, so get crackin'. And that goes for everyone. Jason Russell says, "Don't think you're too young. You can change the world any day. Start now."

25. Arne Duncan -- The Educator

"Never before has being smart been so cool," or so says Arne Duncan. Perhaps that's because we've never had such an enthusiastic high-profile Secretary of Education. Whatever the case, it's all very refreshing; especially since our education system could use some serious shaking up.

The former Chicago schools chief believes that educating our children is not only a social obligation but also the solution to our economic challenges as individuals and as a nation. Hopefully this hands-on leader will successfully execute President Obama’s "new vision" for education in America. Imagine what the world would look like if we all put a premium on being smart?

24. Sara Snow -- Green Goddess

Whether you want to know how to eat local, dress green, clean with organic products, make homemade granola bars or learn how to compost, Sara Snow is your gal. She's like Martha Stewart, but green–and super cool. While eco-living green is a new concept for many of us, green has been coursing through Sara's veins since her childhood in Ann Arbor, Mich. Snow's parents were among the pioneers of the natural food movement. In 1969, they opened Eden Foods Inc., one of North America's leading organic food companies.

As a girl who grew up in a home heated by solar power and a stranger to Western medicine, Sara's career path is simply a natural progression of a lifetime of good living. In 2005, Snow's history culminated in the development of a lifestyle TV series called "Living Fresh" -- an embrace of everything organic, local and recycled. Snow continues to shares her true love and passion for sustainable living and in the process is building a green empire. Her second show, "Get Fresh with Sara Snow," is touted as a hipper version of her first series. And her first book, "Sara Snow's Fresh Living" hit bookstores in March. Snow's mission is to make natural living accessible to everyone. Looks like she's well on her way to making that happen.

23. Ron Gonen -- Champion of the Earth

You want a prize for recycling? Well you're in luck, because Ron Gonen thinks you deserve one. In 2004, the CEO co-founded RecycleBank, a rewards program that incentivizes recycling by measuring the amount of material each home recycles, then converting that to "RecycleBank points." The points can then be redeemed at hundreds of local and national partners such as Kraft, Target and Bed Bath and Beyond.

Like most common sense ideas, this one has profound implications. So profound, the United Nations recently named Gonen 2009 Champion of the Earth for the progressively practical program.

"To be able to take an idea and develop it into something that is recognized on a global scale for having a positive impact on the world is a special feeling," says Gonen. That feeling will likely keep growing, as RB shows no signs of slowing with sights set oversees.

Since launching its pilot program in Pennsylvania, RB has expanded its presence to over 100 U.S. cities and projects to be in over 100 million homes over the course of the next five years. RB is currently implementing its U.K. launch and will be in the Royal borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in partnership with Veolia Waste Services. The first British pick-up date is scheduled for June 1, 2009.

But RB has bigger dreams than just picking up trash. Gonen hopes to transform the way societies view the lifecycle of a product. "Since the discarding of product in a linear lifecycle destroys value, then the reuse and recycling of that product should create value. I believe that in order for a cyclical product lifecycle to be created and remain sustainable, value must be passed back to the entity, households, who are responsible for providing each product a cyclical lifecycle."

So while some consider recycling a function of an appreciation and respect for the planet, others require proof of a greater return. "The most important impact is that people would recognize that smart environmental decisions are smart economic decisions."  Now that’s money in the bank.

22. Blake Mycoskie -- Good TOMS

"Sell one; give one," is probably not the most popular business school philosophy, but maybe it should be. The model has guided Blake Mycoskie to great success. The Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS Shoes spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative, was invited to the White House to discuss U.S. economic policies with President Obama's Senior Administration and currently appears in an AT&T commercial.

After a 2006 trip to Argentina, where Mycoskie befriended some shoeless children, the entrepreneur from Texas decided to redesign the traditional Argentinean slip-on and for every pair sold, he'd give a pair to a child in need. One for One. While many laughed, Blake carried on undeterred. Within two years, TOMS has covered the feet of over 140,000 children and the company is expected to pull in $13 million in revenue in 2009. So if you think you can't do well and do good, think again.

And while you're kicking around in your new TOMS this summer, rest assured that because of you, a child somewhere is happily running around, feet covered and all. Something tells us this is what keeps this Blake guy smiling all the time.

21. Summer Rayne Oaks

By now we're more than familiar with the story of a model-turned-actress or activist or whatever. But entomologist and environmental scientist turned model? Well, that's a new one, but it’s the story of Summer Rayne Oaks. While completing her studies at Cornell, the natural stunner began dabbling in the world of modeling -- a far cry from the research lab. After graduation, Oaks felt the best way she could serve the environment and raise awareness around sustainability would be to use her talents as a cause-related model.

Oaks' ethos is the basis for values-based modeling, something she defines as, “The act, art, or profession of aligning your values and image with the core social, ethical, and environmental values of a company, brand, organization, or program." Her latest efforts support Zoe & Zac, a new collection of fashionable, affordable and eco-friendly shoes.

Summer isn't only asked to lend her good looks to good causes, her brains are at a premium too. She's recently been appointed to the Planet Green's Board of Advisors, where she's also a spokesperson and resident expert. She also recently released her first book, "Style, Naturally: The Savvy Guide to Sustainable Fashion and Beauty." And as if all that weren't enough, Oaks is also a partner at the strategic consulting firm Group SJR, where she helps clients develop and implement campaigns across the United States and around the globe. Her instincts were right. Chances are we wouldn't hear much from this model environmentalist from the inside of a think tank.

Be sure to follow along through Friday as we count down the final 20. And, check out the 31-40 and 41-50 most beautiful.