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"My objective in life is not to have a spiritual life that is separate from the rest of my life." -- Ed McCracken, CEO, Silicon Graphics

"My business is my ministry," proclaims Judy Wicks, founder and maitre d' of Philadelphia's renowned White Dog Café and Black Cat store. "I don't go to church. I don't pray. I went as a child, saw no signs, and just never thought about God until a few years ago.

"One night, I was on the street outside my restaurant, surrounded by people, putting on one of our annual events, dancing to a good Motown song. I looked around me, saw the faces of my customers, a real racially diverse group of urbanites out there around midnight dancing in the street. I looked into those faces and found this profound sense of pure joy.

"It is through my business that I express my love for other people and my sense of interconnectedness with the world. I use my business as a way of building my own capacity to care, and building the capacity of my customers and my staff to care. That is what I mean when I call it my ministry."

"It's not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are." -- Roy Disney

Judy Wicks' philosophy of business and life jelled years ago when she listened to an audiotape about the life of Mahatma Gandhi. People wondered why a spiritual leader became involved so deeply in politics and economics. Gandhi felt the answer was simple. He didn't believe in separating spirituality (family), economics (business), and politics (social activism). Neither does mother, businesswoman, and social activist Judy Wicks.

"Everyone is always trying to find out, 'How can my business be different from everyone else's? How can my business stand out?' Well, don't look too far, because the unique qualities of your business are a reflection of you.. Everybody is different, and if your business reflects all you are as an individual, it will be different. My business, quite simply, is who I am."

Who, then, is Judy Wicks? Judy is a global citizen dedicated to "peace through parties." Judy admits, "My business is largely guided by my passions. I love food and parties ? and the concept of interconnectedness. I enjoy using good food to lure innocent customers into social activism."

She exemplifies this integration, and has fun doing it. Her life revolves around a calling -- a set of values -- that uniquely integrates work, family, community, and spirituality. As said best by Judy herself, that calling is to serve up a "table for six billion, please."

"A man is only as good as what he loves." -- Saul Bellow

Judy is a walking monument to the pleasures of sharing. She wants every one of our planet's six billion people to have a seat at the table of life -- a gathering of dignity, respect, and hope. No one is denied a place. And she has developed a $4.5 million-a-year business that nets well above the industry average to exemplify the value and joy of that table.

"People come to the White Dog because they're hungry," asserts Judy. "But they're hungry not just for food. People in our society hunger for other things. They hunger to share their values, for a sense of community, and to be part of something that is larger than themselves."