Malaak Compton-Rock

A graceful and inspirational force, Malaak Compton lives by her favorite Marian Wright Edelman quote: "Service is the rent we pay for living." As a former judge on Oprahs Big Give and a successful public relations executive who has lent her talents to cause-related marketing for organizations such as UNICEF, she is a powerful combination of celebrity and service.

Focusing on issues that are close to her heart, including youth, women's empowerment and education, Compton created The Angelrock Project as a way to encourage volunteerism. An e-village, the foundation promotes social responsibility and encourages people to live a life of service.

Believing in the power of transforming todays children into tomorrows global leaders, she also created Journey for Change, an initiative that has made headlines, taking at-risk youth from Brooklyn to South Africa and empowering them through global service.

In 1999, she created Styleworks, a Brooklyn-based nonprofit that gives makeovers to women leaving public assistance and entering the workforce. She links clients in city job training programs with local beauty salons, where makeup artists and hairdressers donate their services to women who don't often get pampered

Committed to raising awareness about child abuse, Compton chairs Champions for Children, gathering prominent figures from the entertainment, sports, philanthropic, nonprofit, and business arenas to promote the prevention of child abuse. As an advocate for children and education, she stresses that parents, teachers, and mentors all need to feel empowered to do things differently and step up to support children in all aspects.

The author of "If It Takes a Village, Build One," Compton shares an inspirational message for everyone who ever wanted to make a difference in life.