The Points of Light Service Ambassador program celebrates and recognizes key influencers, media personalities, celebrities, musicians, sports figures, and sector leaders for their belief in the power for people to create change while providing a platform to promote their philanthropic brand.
Meet the Ambassadors
Kevin Bacon – Actor, Musician and Founder of SixDegrees.org
Kevin Bacon is one of the foremost actors of his generation, known for playing leading roles in "Mystic River", "Frost Nixon" and "XMen”. His talent for balancing starring roles with powerful supporting characters on both film and stage has allowed him to build a varied and critically acclaimed body of work. At the 2007 Sundance Film Festival Bacon launched SixDegrees.org, a web site that builds on the popularity of the “small world phenomenon” to create a charitable social network and inspire giving to charities online. To date, the site has succeeded in raising over three and a half million dollars for charities around the world. Kevin Bacon celebrated the national Make A Difference Day honorees during National Volunteer Week 2012 and served as a keynote speaker at the 2012 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.
Amy Carlson – Actress
Amy Carlson, formally best known as "Alex Taylor" on the NBC series THIRD WATCH, and series regular opposite Bebe Neuwirth on "LAW AND ORDER: TRIAL BY JURY" can now be seen as a series regular starring opposite Tom Selleck and Donny Wahlberg, in CBS' freshman hit, BLUE BLOODS. She was nominated for an EMMY for her stunning performance in the daytime show ANOTHER WORLD. Amy currently resides in NYC with her husband Syd Butler, bassist of Les Savy Fav and owner/President of Frenchkiss Records, and her two children, Lyla and Nigel.
Fabien Cousteau – Oceanographic Explorer and Founder, Plant A Fish
Growing up on decks of his famous Grandfather’s ships, Calypso and Alcyone, Fabien Cousteau was destined to work to protect our planet’s immense and endangered marine habitats. In 2006, Fabien partnered with a few members of his family to complete a three-year multi-hour series for PBS called Ocean Adventures. In 2010, he launched Plant A Fish, an innovative nonprofit organization designed to empower communities and children to help restore their local water ecosystems through the healthy “replanting” of key marine species. An active writer, he is currently working on a children’s book trilogy. Fabien is routinely seen on network television, the Oprah Winfrey Show, Gayle King, and as a guest/ contributor to NBC’s Today Show. Fabien will contribute his environmental expertise for Points of Light’s environmental programs.
Melissa Fitzgerald – Actor/Activist
Growing up in a political family in Philadelphia certainly prepared Melissa Fitzgerald for her role as Carol, C.J. Cregg’s assistant on NBC’s Emmy Award-winning drama The West Wing. Throughout her life Melissa has been dedicated to community service and outreach. In 1995 she co-founded Voices in Harmony, a non-profit youth arts organization committed to empowering at-risk teens by cultivating personal, academic, and artistic excellence. Melissa took a version of the Voices in Harmony theater program to war-torn northern Uganda to work with a group of war-affected teenagers many of whom are former abducted child soldiers and sex slaves. The result is the award winning documentary, After Kony: Staging Hope, illuminating the situation facing teenagers in northern Uganda. She is currently active in advocating for peace in Central Africa.
Nicole Lapin – Founder and CEO of Nothing But Gold Productions
Nicole Lapin is the founder and CEO of Nothing But Gold Productions, a multimedia production company focused on creating accessible financial content across various platforms. The child of a former Nobel Prize nominee and a beauty queen, it is easy to see where Nicole gets her brains and her beauty. But after the death of her father at an early age, this first generation American needed to make her own name. She went on to create her niche as the youngest anchor ever on CNN and, most recently, CNBC. Nicole is the former anchor of “Worldwide Exchange,” the only global show on CNBC, which airs in the United States, Europe and Asia. She reported live daily on breaking global financial news and geopolitics. Nicole was also regular contributor on MSNBC and served as a personal finance expert on NBC’s “Today Show,” with regular opinion pieces in the Huffington Post and USA Today. Nicole on her role as a Points of Light Service Ambassador, “In this economy, it's important more than ever to contribute in any way we can for the greater good. If that means sharing wealth and resources, go for it. If it means giving your time, commit to it. Whatever strength or excess you might have the privilege of possessing, use it for the greatest good possible.”
Lauren Bush Lauren – Chief FEEDer and Co-Founder of FEED Projects
Lauren Bush Lauren is the Chief FEEDer and Co-Founder of FEED Projects, a charitable company with the mission to create good products that help feed the world. Each FEED product sold supports organizations such as the UN World Food Programme, UNICEF, and Feeding America. To date, FEED Projects has partnered with companies like Whole Foods Market, Barnes & Noble, HSN, Disney, Pottery Barn, and many more. Lauren is also the Chairman of the Board and Co-Founder of the FEED Foundation. Through the sale of eco-friendly products and donations, FEED has been able to provide nearly 60 million school meals to children around the world. Lauren was honored at the 2012 generationOn benefit and was a keynote speaker at the 2012 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.
Laura Ling – Journalist, Host, E! Investigates, Co-Author “Somewhere Inside”
Laura Ling is the host and reporter on “E! Investigates,” a documentary series on the E! Network. In March 2009, while reporting on the trafficking of North Korean women, Ling was detained by North Korean soldiers along the Chinese-North Korean border. She was arrested and held captive in North Korea for 140 days before being granted a special pardon and returning to the United States. She has since sought to shine a light on the issue of trafficked women as well as to bring greater attention to the plight of other imprisoned journalists around the world. She writes about her experiences in the book, “Somewhere Inside” and was a featured keynote speaker at the 2012 National Conference on Volunteering and Service.
Ann Lopez – TV Producer and Co-Founder of the Lopez Foundation
Ann has entertained millions through her work in multiple facets of the entertainment industry. As a living kidney donor, Ann has led the charge to inspire countless people to save lives by becoming organ and tissue donors. As a board member and previous national spokesperson of the National Kidney Foundation, she has worked tirelessly to raise funds to help families across the country. Ann also serves as Ambassador for Donate Life Hollywood, leading a national campaign to save the lives of thousands of men, women and children who are currently awaiting organ transplants.
Wes Moore – Host of “Beyond Belief” on OWN, Youth Advocate, Army Combat Veteran, Business Leader and Author
Wes was a paratrooper and Captain in the United States Army, serving a combat tour of duty in Afghanistan with the elite 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division in 2005–2006. Following his career in the US Army, he served as a Special Assistant to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice until 2007. He is passionate about supporting U.S. veterans and examining the roles education, mentoring and public service play in the lives of American youth. He serves on the board of the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and founded an organization called STAND! through Johns Hopkins that works with Baltimore youth involved in the criminal justice system. Wes is committed to being a positive influence and helping kids find the support they need to enact change. Wes has been a featured speaker at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service and will support Points of Light’s youth, military and veterans initiatives related to service.
John Oliver – The Daily Show
John Oliver is a writer and correspondent for "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart." Outside of The Daily Show, John also guest stars in NBC's Community, and has produced three seasons for Comedy Central of John Oliver's New York Stand-Up Show. As a writer, he has won multiple Emmys and Writers Guild Awards, and he performs stand-up all over the country. He is also the voice of Vanity Smurf. That last one was not a joke. John has spoken at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service twice and will support Points of Light’s military and veterans initiatives related to service.
Jacob Soboroff – Host and Producer, HuffPost Live
Jacob Soboroff is a host and producer for HuffPost Live, the new live streaming network of The Huffington Post, and has created and hosted programming for some of the most well-known networks in the United States.
Jacob is a contributor to MTV's 2012 presidential election coverage, for which he discussed America's young voters with GOP candidate Mitt Romney. As the AMC News correspondent, Jacob interviews actors and filmmakers at the world's most prestigious film festivals for the critically-acclaimed network. Also for AMC, Jacob narrated the documentary "Committed," which he produced with Oscar and Emmy nominee Morgan Spurlock. Jacob co-hosted NBC's proactive school makeover show School Pride, and has contributed reporting to CNN, NPR's Weekend Edition and the PBS series WIRED Science.
Jacob is a member of the board of Why Tuesday, a nonpartisan group working to increase American voter participation, and as a member of the City Year Los Angeles associates board. His talk about increasing American voter turnout was featured on the main stage at TED 2012 in Long Beach. In college, Jacob was an aide to New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg.