John Perkins

American environmental activist, indigenous people's advocate, etnrepreneur and author of several books including best-selling "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man," "Secret History of the American Empire" and "Shapeshifting, The World Is As You Dream It."

A Peace Corps volunteer after college, he joined a consulting company in 1971. During his tenure with the company he seved as liaison between corporations and impoverished cultures. He became icreasingly disenchanted with the way the business model contributed to corporate coffers and robbed indigenous cultures. His experiences became the foundation of his best-selling book, "Confessions" in 2004. In 1980 he founded Independent Power Systems, an alternative energy company, and sold in 10 years later. He went on to write other books and to establish Dream Change Coalition, an organization that aims to help indigenous people preserve their culture and their environment.