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The mentored: Lucy Kanu, Founder and Executive Director, IDEA Builders, Nigeria
The mentor: Sara Ortwein, Vice President, Exxon Mobil Development Co.

After watching fellow Nigerians struggle to balance their dreams with the constraints of reality, Lucy Kanu launched IDEA Builders, a nongovernment organization that works to improve the lives of disadvantaged women and youth. The experience: Three weeks at Exxon Mobil taught Kanu to "pay attention to detail in every way" and to remember "no waste, no excess in processes." Cool opportunity: Ortwein organized a dinner with employees from Exxon Mobil's Nigerian affiliate where Lucy gave an impassioned talk about her organization. Ortwein's takeaway: "Lucy reinforced for me the difference that one person can make."

Photographed on the Hoover-Diana platform, an offshore rig in the Gulf of Mexico

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Last updated July 11 2008: 2:26 PM ET
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