Billy Smith counts rows in the knit structure of a mask to ensure that specifications for fit and sizing meet company standards. Nick Rubalcava/Bilio hide caption
Social Entrepreneurs: Taking On World Problems The past decade or so has seen explosive growth in the number of social entrepreneurs — innovators who take a business-like approach to solving social problems. NPR profiles some of these entrepreneurs.
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Social Entrepreneurs: Taking On World Problems
Read about innovators who take a business-like approach to solving social problems.
Prema Thakur, an official for the Champawat district in India, teaches Pratap Singh Bora, a 56-year-old migrant laborer from Nepal, how to write his name in Hindi. Sanju Chand hide caption
Without Fans, Sports Stadiums Are Pretty Quiet During The Pandemic
Some governors are taking notice of the pool of medical professionals in immigrant communities and the bigger role they could play against the coronavirus. Wuttisak Promchoo/Getty Images hide caption
In 2014, Martha Phillips, an American nurse, traveled to West Africa during the Ebola crisis to provide medical care. Treating Ebola not only taught her how to stay safe around a deadly virus but also how to manage the stress and sadness of working during a disease outbreak. She's now drawing on that experience to help other nurses cope with the challenges of coronavirus. Martha Phillips hide caption
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, seen above in 2018, gives high marks for social distancing efforts during the coronavirus pandemic but low marks for testing. He says he thinks large public gatherings may have to wait until there's a vaccine. Carolyn Kaster/AP hide caption
Bill Gates, Who Has Warned About Pandemics For Years, On The U.S. Response So Far
Facebook says it's dedicating $100 million to prop up news organizations pummeled by the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Loic Venance/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Facebook Pledges $100 Million To Aid News Outlets Hit Hard By Pandemic
The Diner, which is a project of Meals on Wheels People in Vancouver, Wash., provides community in addition to meals for seniors enrolled in the program. Tom Cook/Courtesy Meals on Wheels People hide caption
Meals On Wheels Serves Up Breakfast, Lunch And Community At Local Diner
Justine Adhiambo Obura, chairwoman of the No Sex For Fish cooperative in Nduru Beach, Kenya, stands by her fishing boat. Patrick Higdon, whose name is on the boat, works for the charity World Connect, which gave the group a grant to provide boats for some of the local women. Julia Gunther for NPR hide caption
No Sex For Fish: How Women In A Fishing Village Are Fighting For Power
Laura Marcus, founder of The Arete Project, stands in front of the campus, lovingly called the "Hobbit Hole." Lauren Magaki/NPR hide caption
Mangroves by the water in Mumbai. Bhaskar Paul/The India Today Group/Getty Images hide caption
Mangroves Help Fight The Effects Of Climate Change. So Why Is Mumbai Destroying Them?
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Patients line up for remote health consultation sessions on a char near Rangpur, Bangladesh. Allison Joyce for NPR hide caption
North Carolina-born landscape architect Walter Hood has reimagined street corners and town squares across America. Courtesy of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation hide caption
Greta Thunberg says she wants people to use the power of their votes to elect leaders who will work to reduce carbon emissions and slow global warming. Mhari Shaw/NPR hide caption
Greta Thunberg To U.S.: 'You Have A Moral Responsibility' On Climate Change
Mahmee CEO Melissa Hanna (right) and her mother, Linda Hanna (left), co-founded the company in 2014. Linda's more than 40 years of clinical experience as a registered nurse and certified lactation consultant helped them understand the need, they say. Keith Alcantara/Mahmee hide caption
One Educator Has The Secret For Helping Struggling Readers Succeed
Grigory Vodolazov's 3-year-old son peers into his family's apartment complex from their unit in Bellevue, Wash. The Vodolazov family is part of Creating Moves to Opportunity, a housing voucher experiment that uses incentives and counseling to encourage low-income families to move to what are called "high opportunity" areas. Jovelle Tamayo for NPR hide caption
The basic toilet kit that Mark Lloyd distributes to homeless camps in Seattle includes a tent, bucket, seat, cat litter, toilet paper and sanitizer. Gabriel Spitzer/KNKX hide caption
Seattle Man's Toilet Kit For The Homeless Brings Privacy, Opens Doors
Computer illustration of malignant B-cell lymphocytes seen in Burkitt's lymphoma, the most common childhood cancer in sub-Saharan Africa. Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library/Getty Images hide caption
Jason Carney designed and installed the solar array on the roof of his house in Nashville, Tenn. He wants to introduce more people in minority communities to the advantages of solar energy. Tamara Reynolds for NPR hide caption
Stepping Into The Sun: A Mission To Bring Solar Energy To Communities Of Color
Trying to make the world a better place: (left to right) Skoll Award winners Gregory Rockson of mPharma, Nicola Galombik and Maryana Iskander of Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator, Nancy Lublin of Crisis Text Line, Bright Simons of mPedigree and Julie Cordua of Thorn. Greg Smolonski/Skoll hide caption