Natalie Portman

Fashion designer Zac Posen refers to her as his "muse," but Natalie Portman's a lot more than that! Not only is she an active environmentalist and one of PETA's "Sexiest Vegetarians," but she also participated in the Democrats' 2004 U.S. presidential campaign. Her most passionate project, however, is helping women-owned businesses in poor countries.

According to Natalie, there's a feminization of poverty. "It's 70 percent women and children now," she told Newsweek. "It's creating a huge political imbalance." In college, Natalie learned about the Foundation for International Community Assistance -- an organization that offers microcredits (small loans of money) to women who want to start their own businesses. In 2004 and 2005, she traveled to Uganda, Guatemala, and Ecuador as the Ambassador of Hope for FINCA.

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