ILLAC DIAZ

WHY HIM? With just a disposable plastic bottle and a few basic household items, Illac discovered he could bring light into the homes of the Philippines’ poorest. Illac’s Liter of Light initiative now provides low-cost sustainable lighting solutions to more than 353,000 homes in 15 countries. In January, he made it into Guinness World Records for teaching the world’s largest class on sustainability (there were 280 students in the room). THAT’S NOT ALL Illac’s overarching social enterprise, the My Shelter Foundation, which won the Zayed Future Energy Prize in 2015, is always looking for ways to lift Filipinos out of poverty through sustainable grassroots businesses.