2018 CNN Heroes

Each year, CNN showcases and supports the work of ordinary men and women making a difference in everyday lives. The Top 10 CNN heroes for 2018 are:


Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin (Lagos, Nigeria): Ajayi- Akinfolarin’s organization, Pearls Africa Foundation, helps disadvantaged girls in Nigeria gain the tech skills and confidence to transform their lives.

Maria Rose Belding (Washington, DC): Belding’s nonprofit, MEANS, uses an innovative online platform to tackle food waste and hunger simultaneously, connecting businesses that have extra food to charities that feed the hungry.

Amanda Boxtel (Basalt, CO): Bridging Bionics, Boxtel’s non-profit, helps people with mobility impairments walk again by providing access to cutting-edge technology like exoskeleton suits.

Rob Gore (Brooklyn, NY ): Dr. Gore’s organization, Kings Against Violence Initiative, is working to end violence by offering youth-focused interventions that
are school, community, and hospital-based.

Luke Mickelson (Twin Falls, ID): Mickelson’s non-profit, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, builds, assembles, and delivers free beds to children and families in need.

Susan Munsey (San Diego, CA): Munsey is a sex-trafficking survivor whose non-profit, Generate Hope, provides a safe space for fellow survivors to heal and build new lives.

Florence Phillips (Carson City, NV): The daughter of immigrants, Phillips and her organization, ESL In-Home Program of Northern Nevada, provide free English and citizenship classes to immigrants in Nevada.

Ricardo Pun-Chong (Lima, Peru): Inspira, Dr. Pun-Chong’s non-profit, offers families from remote villages free housing, meals, and comprehensive support while their children undergo medical treatment.

Ellen Stackable (Tulsa, OK): Poetic Justice, Stackable’s non-profit, helps incarcerated women in Oklahoma heal from trauma by helping them find their voice through writing.

Chris Stout (Kansas City, MO): Stout’s non-profit, Veterans Community Project, provides tiny houses and comprehensive support services to any veteran.

Each Top 10 CNN Hero will be awarded $10,000 and the CNN Hero of the Year will receive an additional $100,000.

For information on how to vote for the CNN Hero of the Year, please see https://www.cnn.com/specials/cnn-heroes.