As the world continues to welcome new and emerging technologies, people are tapping into how they can supercharge their personal brands and invest in their communities.

This is not different for celebrities, as some of them have amassed a great following across the different social media platforms. However, when it comes down to social impact and goodwill, not everyone has the innate desire to stand for a cause or add their voice to a movement. Social impact is the long-lasting effect on communities and people, which takes place as a result of a policy, initiative, program or action.

Social impact is fast becoming a new “currency”, as people are drawn to brands and celebrities who are focused on work around different communities that are amplifying Black and Asian voices, LGBTQ+ youth, disability inclusion and several other causes. Here are 8 celebrities driving social change through their tweets, posts and content.

Rihanna

National Heroine of Barbados, superstar and global change-maker in music, fashion and beauty, Rihanna, established the Clara Lionel Foundation in 2012 as a response to social injustices around the world. The foundation has successfully funded over 150 projects and raised over $85 million. In between her gorgeous posts on social media, she is always amplifying black voices and lending her support around the call to end police brutality.

During the onset of the pandemic, Rihanna pledged $5 million in aid, including $700k worth of ventilators to her home country.

Angelina Jolie

From acting to activism, Angelia has spent over 2 decades working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). She started out as a Goodwill Ambassador and cemented her role as Special Envoy in 2012. Instagram welcomed Angelina in August when she joined the platform to highlight and garner support for causes around deforestation, refugee crisis and children rights.

Within 3 months, Angelina now commands 11.7 million followers on Instagram.

Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce

Multi-Olympic Champion and Jamaican Sprinter, Shelly-Ann, has provided scholarships for over 55 students through her ‘Pocket Rocket Foundation’ since 2012. As a leading woman in sport, she uses her social media to motivate student athletes, while speaking on the importance of motherhood and family values.

BTS

South Korean K-Pop sensation and global megastars, BTS, has used social media to speak out against Asian-American hate. Back in March, the group tweeted using the hashtag #StopAsianHate to their 41.6M followers. In June 2020, the group made a grand donation of $1 million towards the Black Lives Matter movement. They were also able to mobilise their fandom (BTS Army) to match the donation, which was publicly shared through the hashtag #MatchAMillion.

Ellie Goldstein

Being diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome at birth has never deterred 19-year-old model and Gucci breakout beauty, Ellie. She prides herself on being a role model to other disabled youth and consistently amplify the calls for more inclusion and diversity in fashion. With over 88K followers on Instagram, Ellie shares her work for the disabled community and brand partnerships with entities working to promote inclusive access.

Jack Dorsey

Former CEO of Twitter and Philanthropist, Jack Dorsey, pledged 28% of his wealth to assist with the Covid-19 relief, girl’s health and education. His announcement of this $1B donation via a tweet shows how the platform commands a degree of transparency and motivation for others to contribute towards their communities.

To date, over $422M has been donated to different causes. The progress report can be live tracked here.

Shaggy

Jamaican Grammy winner and international Musician, DJ and Actor, Shaggy, established his foundation to raise funds for The Bustamante Children’s Hospital – the only children’s hospital in the English speaking Caribbean.

The foundation has already contributed over $1M towards the hospital. In addition to partnering with other celebrities to raise funds through his “Shaggy and Friends” concert, social media plays a critical role in getting the word out and to streamline donations. In 2018, the concert had a social media reach of 52.8 million users across Canada, USA & the UK.

Laverne Cox

Actress, Model and Activist, Laverne Cox, is one of the leading face and voice for causes supporting the LGBTQ+ community. She made history as the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and to grace the cover of Time magazine.

With a combined total of over 6.5 million followers across her social media platforms, Laverne consistently advocates for the need to end anti-trans violence. She continues to amplify the necessity of uplifting voices from the LGBTQ+ community, while advocating for access to health, education and work.