Historically, women have had limited possibilities to achieve high positions in the largely male-dominated economic world. Nevertheless, the number of female CEOs and entrepreneurs has increased recently, shattering the glass ceiling and opening doors for others to follow.
1. Whitney Wolfe Herd
Established Bumble (BMBL): Wolfe Herd became the youngest female entrepreneur to take a U.S. firm public at the age of 31, when Bumble went public. Wolfe Herd began her career at the dating service Tinder and attended Southern Methodist University. She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 2014, Wolfe Herd launched Bumble with the intention of giving women a more positive and inclusive online dating experience, following her departure from Tinder. Wolfe Herd has received recognition for her business accomplishments, including placement on Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.
2. Tan Hooi Ling
Established Grab (GRAB): Ling is a founding member of the biggest ride-hailing service in Southeast Asia, which transformed the local transportation sector. Tan, who was born in Malaysia, studied computer science and electrical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US. She co-founded Grab in 2012 with fellow MIT alumnus Anthony Tan, following her tenure at McKinsey & Company.
Grab, which offers a variety of services like ride-hailing, food delivery, and financial services, has expanded from a modest startup to a firm valued at over $40 billion under Tan Hooi Ling’s direction. Tan’s leadership and commercial success have earned her recognition, and she was included on Forbes’ list of Asia’s Power Businesswomen.
3. Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss
Established Rent The Runway (RENT): Rent The Runway is a fashion rental service that has upended the conventional retail market, and Hyman and Fleiss co-founded it. The business transformed the fashion sector by enabling ladies to hire opulent designer gowns and accessories for unique events. While enrolled in Harvard Business School, the two women got to know one another and worked on the Rent the Runway idea.
Both Hyman and Fleiss have been acknowledged for their creative business strategies and industry leadership; Hyman was listed on Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list and Fleiss on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list. They have also made a strong case for women in entrepreneurship and business.
4. Anne Wojcicki and Linda Avey
Established 23andMe (ME): The DNA testing and analysis business 23andMe, which Wojcicki and Avey co-founded, has assisted millions of people in discovering their heritage and potential health risks. With the intention of facilitating wider public access to genetic testing, Wojcicki, a former analyst for the healthcare industry, and Avey, a biologist with background in biotech businesses, started the business in 2006.
Customers may find out about their heritage, inherited features, and genetic health risks by using 23andMe’s DNA testing kits. With Wojcicki being listed on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list and Avey being listed on Forbes’ 30 Under 30, both women have received recognition for their contributions to the biotech industry.
5. Katrina Lake
Established Stitch Fix (SFIX):
American businesswoman Katrina Lake founded the well-known online personal styling service Stitch Fix. While still a student at Harvard Business School, Lake launched the company in 2011 and has since built it into a multibillion dollar enterprise.
Lake’s take to personal styling, which emphasizes leveraging data and algorithms to deliver customers individualized recommendations, has upended the conventional retail sector. A strong supporter of women in business, Lake has been an outspoken advocate for gender diversity in the tech industry in addition to her success as an entrepreneur.
6. Sara Blakely
Established Spanx: With just $5,000 when she founded her business, Blakely went on to build it into a billion-dollar venture.
Blakely, who was born in Clearwater, Florida, began her professional life in sales until founding Spanx in 2000. After chopping off a pair of pantyhose’s feet to make them fit more smoothly under a pair of white pants, she had the idea for the company. Since then, Spanx has grown to be a multimillion dollar business, offering a variety of swimsuits, sportswear, and undergarments. Blakely has been listed on Forbes’ list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women and Time’s list of the 100 most important persons in the world.
7. Dr. Kathy Fields and Dr. Katie Rodan
Established Proactiv: With the launch of Proactiv, an acne treatment, the dermatologists who became business owners upended the cosmetics sector. Millions of people have benefited from their ground-breaking three-step acne treatment approach, which helps them have clearer, healthier-looking skin.
Due to their success with Proactiv, Drs. Fields and Rodan have emerged as some of the most prosperous female entrepreneurs in the beauty business. Along with creating cutting-edge products, they have a strong belief in giving women the tools they need to build successful businesses and take charge of their professions.
8. Melanie Perkins
Established Canva: Canva is an immensely popular graphic design platform that was co-founded by Melanie Perkins, an Australian entrepreneur. With more than 55 million users across 190 countries, Canva has expanded to rank among the most valuable software companies in the world under Perkins’ direction. Perkins has received several honors for her creative design methods and dedication to making a good difference in the society. Time Magazine named her one of the 100 most important persons in the world.
9. Emily Weiss
Established Glossier: American businesswoman Emily Weiss is the creator of Glossier, a revolutionary beauty brand in the market. Weiss saw a need in the industry for a company that prioritized the demands of the consumer after working in fashion and beauty journalism.
Weiss believes that her clients are the secret to Glossier’s success, thus she has built the brand with an emphasis on fostering a sense of community and involvement with them. She has gained a passionate following of beauty lovers thanks to her creative use of social media and client input, which has shaped the company’s goods and messaging.
10. Reshma Saujani
Established Girls Who Code: American novelist and lawyer Reshma Saujani founded Girls Who Code, a nonprofit organization that encourages and teaches young women to close the gender gap in technology. In 2012, Saujani established the company with the goal of equipping girls with the knowledge and self-assurance necessary to pursue professions in technology.
Girls Who Code has expanded into a global movement under her direction, impacting over 300,000 girls throughout all 50 states in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and India. As a fervent supporter of women and girls in technology, Saujani has won various honors and recognitions for her contributions.
