Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is a globally-renowned media icon, actress, producer, and philanthropist. With her unparalleled connection with people worldwide, Winfrey is one of the most respected and admired individuals in the industry. As the Chairman and CEO, she is steering her successful cable network, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, and is the founder of O, The Oprah Magazine and Harpo Films. She has achieved critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for her role in "The Color Purple" and produced and acted in the Academy Award-winning film "Selma." For 25 years, she hosted "The Oprah Winfrey Show," an award-winning talk show, which cemented her status as a household name.

Winfrey's philanthropic contributions are particularly noteworthy. With her firm belief that education is the key to freedom, she has worked tirelessly to provide educational opportunities to the underprivileged. In collaboration with Starbucks, she created the Teavana Oprah Chai Tea, with the proceeds going to her foundation, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation, which benefits youth programs, as well as national charity organizations, including Pathways to College, U.S. Dream Academy, and National Care Mentoring.

Additionally, she established The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, which is set to graduate its fifth class in 2015. Graduates of the school have gone on to higher education both in South Africa and around the world. In 2013, Winfrey was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the U.S.