NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 11, 2026--
What do a 16-year-old baker, a world-renowned athlete, a Hollywood icon and a community changemaker have in common? The power to make the world a kinder place.
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In celebration of World Kindness Week, nonprofit organization kindness.org unveiled the inaugural KIND100, recognizing 100 individuals whose actions are transforming lives and communities. Bringing together global icons and everyday changemakers, KIND100 celebrates a different kind of influence, one measured by the difference individuals make in the lives of others.
From household names including Billie Jean King, Denzel Washington, Eli Manning, Keanu Reeves, Lady Gaga, MacKenzie Scott, Jalen Brunson and Tabitha Brown to individuals driving change in their own communities, KIND100 represents the many ways kindness can take shape across generations, geographies and backgrounds.
"Kindness is one of the most powerful forces we have to change the world, yet the people putting it into action rarely receive the recognition they deserve, and it's time we recognize the people proving that every day," said Jaclyn Lindsey, Co-Founder and CEO of kindness.org. "KIND100 celebrates extraordinary individuals who remind us that kindness is not passive. It takes courage, conviction, and action. From global icons to unsung heroes, our hope is that their stories inspire millions more to recognize the power they have to create change."
The inaugural KIND100 by the numbers:
KIND100 challenges traditional definitions of influence by placing kindness at the center of its selection process. Each nominee was independently evaluated by judges across five criteria: the nature of their actions, depth of benefit, reach of impact, personal sacrifice and overall kindness. Using a 10-point scoring scale and a statistical model to account for differences in judges' scoring, kindness.org identified honorees across categories ranging from charitable work to social entrepreneurship, ensuring recognition of the many ways kindness shows up in the world. This rigorous, science-informed approach reflects kindness.org's commitment to understanding and elevating the measurable impact of kindness on individuals and communities.
"Kindness is often treated as something intangible, but it's not – its impact can be studied, understood and evaluated," said Dr. Oliver Scott Curry, Chief Science Officer of kindness.org. "Our approach recognizes not only how many people benefit from an act of kindness, but how deeply it affects their lives and what an individual may have sacrificed to help others. In this way, KIND100 celebrates the multiple dimensions of making a difference."
The inaugural KIND100 is made possible through the support of e.l.f. Beauty as lead sponsor, alongside American Eagle, UBS and Liveand.Love, as well as in-kind partners Nike Communications, McGuire Woods, and Upworthy, bringing together organizations committed to championing kindness and the individuals putting it into action.
As part of an on-going partnership with kindness.org, e.l.f. Beauty is presenting the Bold Disruptor with a Kind Heart Award as an extension of its purpose to make the world a better place for every eye, lip and face. Rooted in positivity, inclusivity and accessibility, e.l.f. is committed to democratizing access, championing the underrepresented and breaking down barriers to create opportunity for the “every.” The award celebrates individuals who share this ethos and put kindness into action by challenging the status quo.
The Bold Disruptor with a Kind Heart Award is being presented to Arunachalam Muruganantham, founder of Jayaashree Industries, who challenged cultural taboos by developing a low-cost machine to produce affordable sanitary pads. Muruganantham empowered rural women's groups in India to produce the products themselves, disrupting norms and democratizing access to menstrual health while creating economic opportunity.
"The e.l.f. Beauty purpose to make the world a better place for every eye, lip and face leads us to kindred spirits who share our values, do the right thing and stand up for what we believe in.” said Samantha Critchell, VP, Corporate Communications, e.l.f. Beauty. “Prioritizing kindness helps us show up in the world with positivity, inclusivity and accessibility - and every one of the inaugural KIND100 winners are force multipliers. They are the bold disruptors with kind hearts who put their own communities at the center of their commitment to make a positive impact and they inspire us all to think bigger about what’s possible.”
With 100 kindmakers spanning generations, geographies and backgrounds, the inaugural KIND100 reinforces a simple belief: everyone has the capacity to make a difference. By bringing greater visibility to those leading with kindness, kindness.org and its partners hope to inspire more people to recognize the impact they can have on the communities and people around them.
The full inaugural KIND100 and the stories behind its honorees can be found at kindness.org/kind100.
About kindness.org
Founded in 2016, kindness.org is a global nonprofit on a mission to educate and inspire people to choose kindness. Grounded in science and brought to life through storytelling, education, and innovative programs, kindness.org works to demonstrate the transformative power of kindness in classrooms, workplaces, and communities around the world. Through initiatives including Learn Kind, Kindlab, and the inaugural KIND100, the organization is redefining how kindness is understood, practiced, and celebrated. With a vision of a world where kindness is at the center of human connection, kindness.org believes everyone has the power to create meaningful change. Learn more at www.kindness.org.
kindness.org Presents KIND100, Honoring 100 Individuals Changing the World Through Kindness
LONDON (AP) — British actor-comedian Russell Brand may have been sent to prison for rape and sexual assault, but the wider soul-searching over celebrities getting away with sexual misconduct in the U.K. is far from over.
A day after Brand was jailed, a second British comedian — David Walliams — was in the headlines, accused of using his fame and status to prey on young female fans, including teens, for sex.
Walliams, a feted children's author and TV personality, had sought a court injunction to block two news organizations from publishing the allegations against him. But a judge dismissed his bid last week, and the Guardian and ITN — the main news provider for ITV's news programming — on Tuesday published detailed accounts from multiple women about his alleged misconduct.
Walliams has not been charged by police with wrongdoing. But the news within the same week about the two prominent comedians — both household names in Britain known for edgy comedy, each with hugely popular shows in the 2000s and 2010s — has prompted questions about why it took so long for their stars to fall, and whether media employers like the BBC played a role in indulging or shielding celebrities' predatory behavior.
After Brand's conviction, police said they are prepared for many more potential accusers to come forward. Government officials said the case shows the entertainment and media industries need to do much more to protect women from exploitation.
Allegations against both men have swirled for years, but Brand’s conviction and the publication of the detailed claims against Walliams have led many to look back at their performances and question whether they were boundary-pushing comedy or straight-up inappropriate.
Brand, 51, was known for risqué stand-up routines and provocative behavior when he hosted television programs and his own BBC radio show. He appeared in Hollywood films including “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek," and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry.
In the past decade, he relocated to Florida and pivoted to social media, where he amassed millions of followers with videos mixing wellness, conspiracy theories and discussions of his devotion to Christianity.
Brand denied accusations from six women that he raped or sexually assaulted them, but a jury of eight men and four women found him guilty last week of attacking four of six accusers. He was sentenced Monday to 10½ years in prison for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.
Walliams, 55, became a national star as the co-creator of the irreverent 2000s sketch comedy show “Little Britain." The show was a huge success at the time and won multiple awards, but has since been widely criticized for racism and mocking minority and marginalized groups.
He was also for years a judge on “Britain's Got Talent," and is a bestselling children's book author with millions of sales worldwide.
On Tuesday, ITV News and the Guardian newspaper published detailed accounts from multiple women who alleged Walliams used his fame to groom them for sex when they were teens. One woman alleged he sexually assaulted her at his house when she was 15.
Walliams denied the allegations, and had applied for a court injunction to bar the media outlets from identifying him in their reporting. A judge dismissed arguments from his lawyers claiming that publication of sexual misconduct allegations would lead him to take his own life.
In light of the revelations against the comedians, attention has refocused on some of their past work.
One of them was a 2000s stage show of “Little Britain,” in which Walliams played a former children's entertainer and sex offender who touched audience members and pulled down their trousers.
In another, a TV clip from around 2006 showed Walliams and Brand joking on a talk show about how appearing gay was a “wonderful smoke screen” that “works wonderfully well.”
One of Brand's accusers has described in court how she thought he was gay and “very effeminate,” saying that was partly why she “felt sexually safe with him" before he allegedly raped her.
The BBC said Tuesday it was removing “Little Britain” and other programs featuring and written by Walliams from its platforms.
After he was convicted, police revealed that Brand is under investigation over at least two further rape allegations.
The Metropolitan Police said detectives are assessing new information after several people reached out during and since the conclusion of Brand's trial.
The head of the Metropolitan Police, Mark Rowley, said last week officers are braced for “many, many more” possible victims of Brand to come forward.
Hours after Brand was sentenced, his ex-girlfriend, Jemima Goldsmith, alleged that she had her own “personal experience of his violence, coercive control and abuse.” She said that in 2014 she had to call police to have him removed from her house during a “violent incident," but she didn't press charges because she was worried about the impact of press attention on her children.
U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged to provide more support to victims of rape and sexual assault after Brand's sentencing. He also called the allegations against Walliams “deeply troubling."
British media reported that Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, will summon media and entertainment executives to urge them to put more robust policies in place to protect women who want to come forward with allegations against celebrities.
Although Brand's offenses took place years ago, Nandy told Sky News on Sunday that the environment in media companies has not improved.
“I can’t see what has changed in the intervening years," she said.
This Combo shows comedian and actor Russell Brand, left, as he arrives at Southwark Crown Court in London, Monday, Oct. 12, 2026 and actor David Walliams, right, as he attends the "Great Expectations" Red Carpet in London, England, Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012. (AP Photos/Kin Cheung, Ki Price)
Comedian and actor Russell Brand, accompanied by his wife Laura Brand, leaves Southwark Crown Court in London, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, where he is charged with counts of rape and sexual assault against six women.(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Comedian and actor Russell Brand, accompanied by his wife Laura Brand, arrives at Southwark Crown Court in London, Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, where he is charged with counts of rape and sexual assault against six women.(AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
FILE - David Walliams poses for photographers upon arrival at the premiere of the film "The Choral " during the London film festival in London, on Oct. 12, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Comedian and actor Russell Brand is reflected in a car window as he leaves Southwark Crown Court in London, Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, where he is charged with counts of rape and sexual assault against six women.(AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, File)
