Each year, GOOD celebrates 100 people from around the globe who are improving our world in creative and innovative ways—advocates, inventors, educators, creatives, business leaders and more who are speaking up, building things, campaigning for change, and ultimately refusing to accept the status quo.
Over the course of March, we’ll be rolling out content featuring our honorees. For now, here’s a teaser of 10 of our 100. We hope you find as much inspiration in these incredible individuals as we do.
Amr Al-Azm
LOCATION: Athens
The Syrian historian, professor, and cultural vigilante defending his home country’s historical artifacts from behind a computer screen in Athens, Ohio.
Miki Agrawal
LOCATION: Brooklyn
The entrepreneur and innovator whose Thinx ‘period panties’ are destigmatizing the conversation around menstruation.
Charlene Carruthers
LOCATION: Chicago
The leader of unapologetically black activism and the national director of Chicago’s black feminist collective, Black Youth Project 100.
Marije Vogelzang
LOCATION: Dordrecht
The eating designer rewiring mindless consumption with creative interactive projects that upend our relationship with food.
Winnie Byanyima
LOCATION: Oxford
The Ugandan diplomat, activist, and aeronautical engineer fueling social justice projects in over 90 countries as executive director of Oxfam International.
Ekene Ijeoma
LOCATION: Brooklyn
The designer illuminating the human face behind data with interactive projects that explore the reality of social disparity.
Fahad Albutairi
LOCATION: Riyadh
Saudi Arabia’s first professional standup comedian, who is challenging his conservative country to think big.
Rolof Mulder
LOCATION: Apeldoorn
The designer and entrepreneur behind Hospitainer’s shrink-and-ship medical micro facilities focusing on administering healthcare in areas that need it most.
Asha de Vos
LOCATION: Colombo
The Sri Lankan marine biologist on a mission to protect her country’s blue whale population from the hazards of international shipping vessels.
Betsy Reed
LOCATION: New York City
The editor-in-chief behind the incisive and investigative journalism site The Intercept, a publication putting big business and government under the microscope.
Parents of young children get more time with them if they work from home.Photo credit: Canva
Juicy subject matter
Giphy from The Blacklist.
We could start a rumor.
Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.