When Charles Slaughter signed up to be an Avon Lady, the Yale business school grad didn't care much about makeup or skin cream. He was looking to poach a business model. Living Goods, the nonprofit he founded in 2006 (after his stint as a direct marketer), gives Ugandan women the chance to be business owners. With microloans of about $50, they buy much needed products like soap and malaria medicine and then sell them for small profits. While charity funds and government aid can be short-term and unpredictable, Living Goods' model offers long-term stability. But the organization's economic impact on Uganda goes beyond empowering new entrepreneurs — it makes the country healthier. Says Slaughter: "It's hard to make a living when you've got malaria."