As breast cancer stripped the life from her sister, Nancy Goodman Brinker made a promise to fight back. So in 1982, Brinker started Susan G. Komen for the Cure, named in her sister’s honor. Over the past 27 years, the organization has become the largest breast cancer charity in the world, raising more than $1 billion for research, education and health services as the mortality rate has continued to fall. Brinker, now 62, was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2008 for the work she has done worldwide to combat the disease. She spoke with us about her efforts, and what inspires them.

Do you consider yourself to be of a specific faith?

I’m Jewish. I appreciate that it is a religion of service, of justice and repair. There’s a concept called “tikkun olam” in Judaism, which is a Hebrew phrase that means repairing or perfecting the world. I try to honor that.