We dedicate today's article to the young women who aim to become leaders in their industries.  We believe that, despite being few and in between, women are able to lead organizations in various industries.  We also believe that women must help each other and create a supportive community.  We provided the list of women CEOs below, and hope that they serve our readers the examples they need.
List of Women CEOs (January 2019 Edition)

Mary Barra
Mary Barra is the current chairman and Chief Executive Officer at the General Motors Company. She has been at the helm of GM since January 2014. Her leadership at General Motors has seen some major corporate improvements as the company has undertaken measures targeting aligning itself with the corporate call for a global reduction in carbon emissions. Other achievements under Marry Barra’s leadership at the GM include the inception of the autonomous vehicle development project.

Mary's career at the General Motors Company has seen her advance from being the executive vice president to serving as a senior vice president in charge of various global operations in product development and supply chain management. She has particularly been instrumental to the global growth of the General Motors Company. She is, therefore, an inspiration to upcoming female corporate leaders who target making a difference in the most challenging workplaces.


 Marillyn Hewson

Marilynn Hewson is the current chairman, president, and Chief Executive Officer at the Lockheed Martin Corporation. She has been holding the position since January 2013 after rising through the ranks from Executive Vice President in charge of electronics systems to being the President and Chief Operating Officer in 2010 and 2012 respectively. Her career with Lockheed Martin spans the last 35 years when she joined the company as an industrial engineer, a career that few women dare to venture into. Among her accomplishes at the Lockheed Martin Company so far include overseeing the culture of innovation and problem-solving at the customer, national, and global level.

Safra Catz

Safra Catz currently serves of the Chief Executive Officer of the Oracle Corporation, a position she has been holding since 2014. She also serves in the company's Board of Directors. Safra has held various other high-ranking positions within the company since 1999 when she joined. Safra’s skills in corporate leadership and decision-making has seen her appointed to serve as Director at the Walt Disney Company and had held a similar previous position at the HSBC Holdings Plc.

As the Chief Executive Officer, she has overseen the strategic expansion of the company's partnership in providing technical solutions to businesses, governments, and individuals. Safra is, therefore, a major inspiration to women aspiring to make a difference in leadership and corporate management.

Virginia Ginni Rometty

Virginia Rometty is IBM Company's current President and Chief Executive Officer since January 2012. In her position, she has overseen significant transformation and reinvention of the company to incorporate concepts relating to artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and cybersecurity. Her visionary leadership has seen IBM become one of the global strategic partners in the development of cutting-edge computer solutions that are making a huge difference today. She has also overseen the ushering in of a new era in data handling and processing. She is a true inspiration to upcoming women with ambitions of changing the world through visionary corporate leadership.


in the company of women book



Patricia Kampling

Patricia Kampling is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Alliant Energy Corporation. She joined the company in 2005 and served in various positions including as the Vice President in charge of Finance before transitioning to other roles including the Vice President in charge of Treasury, Executive Vice President, and Chief Financial Officer. She was promoted to the current CEO position in 2011 before being named as the company’s President in 2012. Her visionary leadership in the Alliant Energy Corporation has seen some major changes in customer service and development of innovative energy solutions. She is, therefore, a true inspiration to women leaders in the energy sector.

Gail K. Boudreaux

Gail Boudreaux is the current president and Chief Executive Officer at Anthem Inc. Anthem is a prominent Fortune 50 corporate in the health benefits service provision industry. Her leadership at Anthem has seen some major improvements in terms of increased revenue and extended reach to more customers. She has also previously served in other prestigious corporations including United Healthcare and Blue Cross in senior positions. She is currently one of the few prominent women in the healthcare benefits industry.

Tricia Griffith

Tricia Griffith was appointed to serve as the President and Chief Executive Officer at the Progressive Corporation in July 2016. She joined the company in 1988 and has risen through the ranks, serving in various managerial positions in the claims division, the human resource department, and the finance sector. Tricia's visionary management in the company has seen significant improvements in terms of claims processing, customer management, and general service provision in the insurance sector.

The company has, under her leadership, grown to become one of the prominent players in the insurance industry in the automobile, property, and health divisions. In her over 30 years of service at the Progressive Corporation, she has served as a major inspiration to many upcoming women targeting making a difference in their workplaces.

Barbara Rentler

Barbara Rentler has served as Ross Stores Inc’s Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors since June 2014. Prior her promotion to the current position, she served as the President and Chief Merchandising Officer and the Executive Vice President for the company. Since joining the company in 1986, Barbara has made significant contributions to the growth of Rose Stores to become one of the trusted textile and cosmetic products companies in the United States. She has, since appointment, steered the company into successful financial operations, leading to increased revenue, operating income, assets, and equity; a growth that few Chief Executive Officers ever achieve. Barbara is, therefore, a role model for many young women eyeing the beauty and cosmetics industry.

Kathy Warden

Kathy Warden is the current Chief Executive Officer and President of the Northrop Grumman Corporation, a major player in the global aerospace and defense technology industry. She joined the Northrop Grumman Corporation in 2008 before which she had served in various managerial and leadership positions in the General Electric Company and the General Dynamics and Viridian Corporation. Her expertise in aerospace management has enabled her to oversee the development of various mission-critical systems and large-scale complex hardware and software items.

She has also forged good working relations and partnerships with government agencies such as NASA and other international bodies in the aerospace industry. Kathy has dared to venture in an industry that very few women dream of. Her successful career in the aerospace industry in senior managerial positions is a major inspiration for upcoming and aspiring women aerospace engineers and managers.

Indra Nooyi

Indra Nooyi is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the PepsiCo Company, a position she has served in since 2007. While at the helm of the second largest beverage company in the world, Indra Nooyi has focused on delivering sustainable growth in helping the company establish a global footprint and delivery of nutritious beverage products. Before becoming the Chief Executive Officer, Indra served in various other senior management capacities such as the Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President in charge of Corporate Strategy and Development. Her prowess in corporate management has seen the PepsiCo Company expand its emphasis on innovation and product development.


the female lead

Margaret Keane

Margaret Keane serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Synchrony Financial Company. She is one of the few women in the world today serving the CEO of a major financial services company. Margaret has served in the top position since 2011. Under her leadership, Synchrony Financial has achieved significant growth in national and regional markets in partnership with other strategic industry players in the financial services sector. She has overseen the company's growth to the current position where it is the largest provider of private label credit cards in the US market. Margaret’s contribution to the financial management sector serves as an inspiration to upcoming women interested in the professional financial services industry.

Adena Friedman

Adena Friedman became the President of Nasdaq in January 2017. She also serves in the institution’s Board of Directors. With over 20 years of experience in strategic management, Adena brings on board valuable managerial skills essential to spearhead Nasdaq to become the second largest stock market globally. She joined the company in 1993 and has since served in various junior positions where she has risen through the ranks to senior managerial positions. She has also been instrumental to the growth of Nasdaq through the acquisition of the Boston and Philadelphia stock markets, OMX, and INET. Her role in the expansion of the Nasdaq through proper strategizing is a great motivation to many other women who aspire to venture into the stocks exchange sector.

Conclusion

The above list of prominent women CEOs is derived from virtually every possible industry in the market. From the financial industry to the food, manufacturing, cosmetics, and aerospace industries, these CEOs have proven that women can deliver professional results. The incredible contributions that these women have made in their areas of investment are a testament to the concept of women empowerment. Their successful managerial skills have not only positively steered their companies but also inspired upcoming women with managerial aspirations.   

Written by Dan Escriba.  For more information, please contact us at STRONG FEMALE LEADERS.

As 2019 approaches, so do our goals and resolutions.  And if you are like any of the inspiring and motivating female leaders we write about at Strong Female Leaders, you are actively seeking examples to look up to.

Today, we have assembled five rags-to-riches stories of famous women entrepreneurs who faced hardship, took a chance at their dreams, and succeeded.  We hope their stories inspire YOU to be brave, stand up for what you believe in, and turn your dream into reality.

 Happy New Year to you!


1. Zhou Qunfei - CEO Lens Technology 

A Chinese entrepreneur named Zhou Qunfei is the founder of Lens Technology. Her business became a major hit and produces millions of lenses for different companies up to this day. Her net worth reached 10 billion USD back in 2015, making her one of the richest women in China.
Qunfei was born in Xiangxiang, Hunan province in China of a family with inadequate and limited means. At the age of five years, her mother died and as her father lost his sight, she decided to quit school and worked in a factory in Shenzhen where she learned the trade of making watch lenses. Despite working for more than 12 hours, she still managed to study accounting and completed some courses from Shenzhen University. 
Qunfei saved each and every hard-earned penny at the age of 22. After years of hard work, she set up a silk-screen printing unit with the help of some relatives in 1993 with an investment of approximately 20,000 Yuan.
Winning her contract from TCL Corporation was her first breakthrough. Motorola reached out to Qunfei back in 2003 and asked her to design a scratch-proof glass for the Razr V3 phone. Afterward, mobile companies such as HTC, Nokia, Apple, and Samsung called her to produce phone lens at the Hunan-headquartered Lens Technology. Apple and Samsung brought around seventy percent of her company’s revenue.
Lens Technologies employs more than 75,000 people. She is from a very few self-made richest women the world has ever seen and is one of the top female entrepreneurs. As of 2018, her net worth is 3.5 billion USD.

2. Olivia Lum - CEO Hyflux 

A woman of talent and determination, Olivia Lum was raised in poverty with an adopted family, yet managed to work while attending school. 
After birth, Lum never knew her biological parents. She spent her childhood living in a shack selling several fruits on the streets and this became her source of income. Lum moved to Singapore and started to earn by tutoring children while pursuing her studies. She started her first job at Glaxo Pharmaceuticals after graduating with honors in Chemistry. 
Lum's ambition became her key to success. Eventually, she has decided to start her own business by selling her possessions to gather money. With $20,000, she started a water treatment company called Hyflux. With enough support from her lecturers at the National University of Singapore, Lum has built a membrane-based pilot water plant back in 1992.
Singapore’s first water desalination plant in 2005 was because of Lum's company. Hyflux was awarded the "Water Company of the Year" at the UK Global Water Awards last 2006, and as of 2007, Hyflux was worth $1 billion SGD.
Lum has been awarded as the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Of The Year 2011, Financial Times ArcelorMittal Boldness in Business Award 2011 for Entrepreneurship, and Nikkei Asia Prize for Regional Growth 2006. Lum earned her place on Forbes' Southeast Asia Rich List and had a net worth of over $240 million US as of 2015. 
Considered as one of the successful women entrepreneurs, Lum is one of the richest people in Singapore with a net worth of over $325 million dollars. The revenue of Hyflux is more than S$445 million and increases every single day.

3. Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel - Founder of Chanel

Born in 1883, Chanel was raised at an orphanage in France. At the age of 12, her mother died and her father abandoned her by sending her to the Aubazine convent in central France. The nuns from the orphanage taught her how to sew, and she was able to use her skills as a seamstress which eventually changed her life.
Chanel moved out of the convent at the age of 18 and worked as a seamstress and a singer at a bar for income. She dreamed of becoming a professional singer. It was during this time that she met the wealthy man named Etienne Balsan at the bar. At the age of 23, she began living with him and this helped her learn how to speak and act like a woman in high society. However, they did not end up together and she met an English man named Arthur "Boy" Capel. 
Boy Capel helped her finance her first boutique in 1910. Chanel opened her first shop at 21 Rue Cambon in Paris creating simple and elegant styles that were intimidated by all of Paris. Chanel was able to reimburse Capel's initial investment within the first year.
Women wore corsets and heavy fabrics back in the 1900s. Chanel began creating hats that were favored by famous French actresses. On the other hand, Chanel was the first woman to introduce casual wear to women’s fashion.
By using men’s fabric, Chanel popularized comfortable sportswear, woman's pants, and simple dresses that became a total hit. She opened more boutiques using her own money after establishing a firm reputation. Her designs in Paris greatly influenced the fashion industry for Chanel is a woman who changed the face of women’s fashion.
Today, the current owners of Chanel are worth $19 billion and Chanel continues to be a symbol of total luxury.
One of the famous women entrepreneurs and French fashion designer like Coco Chanel had a net worth of $100 million.

4. Sara Blakely - CEO Spanx



The founder of Spanx was born in 1971 and raised in Florida.
Blakely graduated with a degree in communication studies at the Florida State University back in 1993. She wanted to become a lawyer, however, she failed the LSAT twice. After scoring poorly on the LSAT, she ended up becoming a fax machine salesperson for 7 years and auditioned for jobs at Walt Disney World.
While working in sales back in 1998, Blakely came up with a new business idea. 
She came up with the idea while wearing a pair of white trousers, however, she was not satisfied with any undergarment that she would wear under them. Blakely then created her own solution. With only $5,000 in her life savings, she took the risk of starting up her own business.
Successful women entrepreneurs like Blakely had no background in creating a product yet she was able to create a design concept, packaging, and other materials using her vision and goals.
Before selling the product, Blakely asked help from owners of different garment mills, but they all turned her away. Until one of the mill owners agreed to help her for they thought the concept of Blakely was outstanding. In order to get her product in stores, she contacted Neiman Marcus. Shapewear brand known as Spanx started on the sales floor at various Neiman Marcus stores.
After spending two years working on her new business venture, Spanx is now a multi-million dollar undergarment company. She built Spanx entirely on her own through the use of her savings. 
As of today, her net worth is $1 Billion USD. Sara Blakely is considered as the World's Youngest Self-Made Female Billionaire.

5. Indra Nooyi - CEO PepsiCo

Nooyi was born in Madras, India back in 1955. 
In 1976, she graduated from Madras Christian College with a degree in Chemistry. She also earned her master's degree in business administration from the Indian Institute of Management. She was able to pay her college tuition by working in night shifts.
Nooyi also received an additional master’s degree in public and private management from the Yale School of Management in 1980 after moving to the United States. Nooyi worked at Johnson and Johnson after graduating, she also worked as a consultant for the Boston Consulting Group for six years and held an executive position at Motorola. In 1994, she joined PepsiCo.
It is very inspiring that she was held among many top companies. Because of her dedication to her work, she finally became the CEO of PepsiCo, one of the largest food and drink company worldwide.
Top female entrepreneurs like Indra Nooyi has a net worth of $80 million dollars. 
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By Steph W.

For more information, please contact us at STRONG FEMALE LEADERS CONTACT PAGE.



Empowered Women and Their Powerful Leadership
Women have no limits.
They have the authority, tenacity and power to influence the world, and especially the younger generation. Thousands of inspiring female leaders are now rising above the rest, to motivate and empower millions of people around the world, using various platforms like TED Talks and TEDx, now easily accessible through the internet.
As the popularity of TED Talks increase, Ted Talks women's leadership unceasingly rises too. This month, we summed the latest and the best of must-see TED Talks about strong women leaders in their industries. We hope their experiences and passion inspire the leader in you.

Top 10 Ted Talks about Women's Leadership That You Need to Watch

by Sheryl Sandberg

In this powerful TED Talk about women's leadership, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg examines the reasons why a smaller percentage of women than men reach the top of their careers, and offers three impactful pieces of advice to women, and especially young women, aiming for a position in the C-suite.

Watch below.


by Inés Hercovich

Zain Asher is a Nigerian British news anchor at CNN International who is based in New York City.

"When I first heard this phrase, I thought it was such a cliché, I heard it so many times while growing up, and that is: success comes when opportunity meets preparation."

Zain struggled to work her way up in CNN. She wanted to become better than others and while she was working at a local news, she decided to study and educate herself in local news. She believed that a bigger opportunity will come and look at her now.

"I truly believe in trusting your struggle, knowing that, the hardships you go through will somehow end up being for your own benefit. I also believe in turning a blind eye to competition. I believe in giving, I believe in trusting and knowing that your opportunity will one day come, you just have to be ready."

The main lesson that she learned in life is to prepare for every opportunity when it comes.

Watch below.



3. Know Your Worth by Casey Brown
by Inés Hercovich

Casey Brown is a pricing consultant and greatly supports that people should be paid based on their excellence. She uses her expertise to help clients discover their pricing power.

"Being properly valued is so important. Define your value and communicate your value. These are two elements to realizing our full earning potential."

Watch below.



by Inés Hercovich

Teresa Njoroge is the CEO of Clean Start Kenya. She is a criminal and social justice reform advocate.

Miscarriage of justice happens when an innocent person is found guilty or wrongfully accused of a crime.

"I had finally gotten the freedom that I longed for. I come as one, but I stand as ten thousand. Encouraged by the hope that thousands of us have come together to reform and transform the criminal justice system. Encouraged that we are doing our jobs as we are meant to do them, and let us keep doing them with no apology."

Njorge was convicted along with millions of people in prisons today, yearning for freedom. Strong female leaders like Njorge was convicted for three years and eventually got cleared by the court of appeal.

Watch below.



New York Times best-selling author Tasha Eurich is an organizational psychologist and researcher.

She is an advocate of self-awareness. Self-awareness is the ability to see ourselves clearly, to understand who we are, how others see us and how we fit into the world.

"The search for self-awareness never ever stops, life goes on. Its up to us to choose to learn and grow from our mistakes and tragedies, and our successes. We need to change our 'why' to 'what'. Learn to be focused on the relationships that mean the most to you and understand the life that you want to lead."

Watch below.



6. How to motivate yourself to change your behavior by Tali Sharot (TEDxCambridge)
Do you have a behavior that you want to change about yourself?

Tali Sharot was born in Israel and is a professor of cognitive neuroscience in the department of Experimental Psychology at University College London.

"If we want to motivate change, we might want to rethink how we do it. Because fear: the fear of losing your health, the fear of losing money, induces inaction. While the thrill of a gain, induces reaction."

Try positive strategies rather than threats and seek progress. There is always an opportunity for progress.

Watch below.



7. What one skill = an awesome life? by Dr. Shimi Kang (TEDxKelowna)
Dr. Shimi Kang is from British, Columbia. She is a Harvard-trained medical doctor for seventeen years and has worked with thousands of people. She is also a successful writer and a researcher.

Kang emphasizes how humans are in a state of bizarre paradox or negative evolution.

"I changed and I adapted. Bring balance back into your lives, bring play, connection and downtime back into your lives. We humans, we are perfect instruments of adaptation. We humans are built and meant to thrive. And we humans, every single one of you can have an awesome life."

She continues to bring awareness and reduces the stigma of mental health and continues to educate kids and their parents.

Watch below.


Dr. Leila Hoteit was named Businesswoman of the Year at the Arab Woman Awards in 2016 and named Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum in 2014.

She is based in Dubai and is a core member of the BCG's Public Sector and People Organization. During her TED talk she spoke about three lessons for thriving in the modern world.

"Our culture emphasized at the time, that it was sons, not daughters, who should be professionally motivated. Women continue to advance in the world, not fast enough, but we are moving. The Arab will to making progress despite many setbacks. This is the result of strong Arab women not giving up, and continuously pushing boundaries."

Hoteit firmly believes that success teaches us about tenacity. Having a controlling mindset is crucial to your success.

Watch below.


9. An interview with the founders of Black Lives Matter by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi
"When black people are free, everyone is free."

Four strong female leaders talk about the Black Lives Matter movement. It is a discussion about race, and inequality all over the world. Black Lives Matter is a human rights movement for black girls to have a vision that they deserve to be fought for.

"We have to invest in black leadership, that is what I have learned the most in the past few years. I believe that the movement for black lives is not just for us, but for everybody. " - Patrisse Cullors

"Practice stepping back as well as also sometimes stepping in. And what I learned in this process was that we need to acknowledge that different people contribute different strengths. In order for our entire team to flourish, we have to allow them to share and to shine." - Opal Tometi

"I think another way that we can support leaders is to struggle with us, but struglle with us politically, not personally. We can have disagreements without being disagreeable, but it's important for us to sharpen each other, so that we all can rise." - Alicia Garza

Watch below.


10. How Africa can keep rising by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
"When black people are free, everyone is free."

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a Nigerian economist and the first female Minister of Finance of Nigeria.

"And our women, and our girls: we have to recognize that girls and women are a gift. They have strength, and we have to unleash that strength so that they can contribute to the continent."

She strongly believes in unleashing the youth, engaging all the young people especially women, is how Africa will rise. It is important to support women to create, innovate, and lead the way.

TED Talks women's leadership help us recognize and give credit to thousands of inspiring female leaders who have greatly contributed in our society.

Watch below.


This post was written by Steph W.  For more information, please contact us at STRONG FEMALE LEADERS CONTACT FORM.




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1) Becoming Michelle Obama

An intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States

"In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. As First Lady of the United States of America—the first African American to serve in that role—she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history, while also establishing herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. Along the way, she showed us a few dance moves, crushed Carpool Karaoke, and raised two down-to-earth daughters under an unforgiving media glare."

"In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same."



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2) I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World

The bestselling memoir by Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai.

I Am Malala. This is my story.

"Malala Yousafzai was only ten years old when the Taliban took control of her region. They said music was a crime. They said women weren't allowed to go to the market. They said girls couldn't go to school."

"Raised in a once-peaceful area of Pakistan transformed by terrorism, Malala was taught to stand up for what she believes. So she fought for her right to be educated. And on October 9, 2012, she nearly lost her life for the cause: She was shot point-blank while riding the bus on her way home from school."

"No one expected her to survive."

"Now Malala is an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner. In this Young Readers Edition of her bestselling memoir, which has been reimagined specifically for a younger audience and includes exclusive photos and material, we hear firsthand the remarkable story of a girl who knew from a young age that she wanted to change the world -- and did."

"Malala's powerful story will open your eyes to another world and will make you believe in hope, truth, miracles and the possibility that one person -- one young person -- can inspire change in her community and beyond."




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3) Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy

By Sheryl Sandberg

#1 New York Times Best Seller

Named a Best Book of 2017 by Barnes & Noble and Amazon

"From Facebook’s COO and Wharton’s top-rated professor, the #1 New York Times best-selling authors of Lean In and Originals: a powerful, inspiring, and practical book about building resilience and moving forward after life’s inevitable setbacks."

"After the sudden death of her husband, Sheryl Sandberg felt certain that she and her children would never feel pure joy again. “I was in ‘the void,’” she writes, “a vast emptiness that fills your heart and lungs and restricts your ability to think or even breathe.” Her friend Adam Grant, a psychologist at Wharton, told her there are concrete steps people can take to recover and rebound from life-shattering experiences. We are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. It is a muscle that everyone can build."

"Option B combines Sheryl’s personal insights with Adam’s eye-opening research on finding strength in the face of adversity. Beginning with the gut-wrenching moment when she finds her husband, Dave Goldberg, collapsed on a gym floor, Sheryl opens up her heart—and her journal—to describe the acute grief and isolation she felt in the wake of his death. But Option B goes beyond Sheryl’s loss to explore how a broad range of people have overcome hardships including illness, job loss, sexual assault, natural disasters, and the violence of war. Their stories reveal the capacity of the human spirit to persevere . . . and to rediscover joy."

"Resilience comes from deep within us and from support outside us. Even after the most devastating events, it is possible to grow by finding deeper meaning and gaining greater appreciation in our lives. Option B illuminates how to help others in crisis, develop compassion for ourselves, raise strong children, and create resilient families, communities, and workplaces. Many of these lessons can be applied to everyday struggles, allowing us to brave whatever lies ahead. Two weeks after losing her husband, Sheryl was preparing for a father-child activity. “I want Dave,” she cried. Her friend replied, “Option A is not available,” and then promised to help her make the most of Option B."

"We all live some form of Option B. This book will help us all make the most of it."



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4) Think, Learn, Succeed: Understanding and Using Your Mind to Thrive at School, the Workplace, and Life

By Dr. Caroline Leaf

"Our thought lives have incredible power over our mental, emotional, and even physical well-being. In fact, our thoughts can either limit us to what we believe we can do or release us to experience abilities well beyond our expectations. When we choose a mindset that extends our abilities rather than placing limits on ourselves, we will experience greater intellectual satisfaction, emotional control, and physical health. The only question is . . . how?"

"Backed by up-to-date scientific research and biblical insight, Dr. Caroline Leaf empowers readers to take control of their thoughts in order to take control of their lives. In this practical book, readers will learn to use"

"- The 5-step Switch on Your Brain Learning Program, to build memory and learn effectively"

"- The Gift Profile, to discover the unique way they process information"

"- The Mindfulness Guide, to optimize their thought life and find their inner resilience"

"Dr. Leaf shows readers how to combine these powerful tools in order to improve memory, learning, cognitive and intellectual performance, work performance, physical performance, relationships, emotional health, and most importantly a meaningful life well lived."

"Each of us has significant psychological resources at our fingertips that we can use in order to improve our overall well-being. Dr. Leaf shows us how to harness those resources to unlock our hidden potential."



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5) Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Do you ever suspect that everyone else has life figured out and you don’t have a clue? If so, Rachel Hollis has something to tell you: that’s a lie."

"As the founder of the lifestyle website TheChicSite.com and CEO of her own media company, Rachel Hollis developed an immense online community by sharing tips for better living while fearlessly revealing the messiness of her own life. Now, in this challenging and inspiring new book, Rachel exposes the twenty lies and misconceptions that too often hold us back from living joyfully and productively, lies we’ve told ourselves so often we don’t even hear them anymore."

"With painful honesty and fearless humor, Rachel unpacks and examines the falsehoods that once left her feeling overwhelmed and unworthy, and reveals the specific practical strategies that helped her move past them. In the process, she encourages, entertains, and even kicks a little butt, all to convince you to do whatever it takes to get real and become the joyous, confident woman you were meant to be."

"With unflinching faith and rock-hard tenacity, Girl, Wash Your Face shows you how to live with passion and hustle--and how to give yourself grace without giving up."

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6) The Go Giver: A Little Story About a Powerful Business Idea

By Bob Burg

“Most people just laugh when they hear that the secret to success is giving. . . . Then again, most people are nowhere near as successful as they wish they were.”

"The Go-Giver tells the story of an ambitious young man named Joe who yearns for success. Joe is a true go-getter, though sometimes he feels as if the harder and faster he works, the further away his goals seem to be. Desperate to land a key sale at the end of a bad quarter, he seeks advice from the enigmatic Pindar, a legendary consultant referred to by his many devotees sim­ply as the Chairman."

"Over the next week, Pindar introduces Joe to a series of “go-givers”: a restaurateur, a CEO, a financial adviser, a real estate broker, and the “Connector” who brought them all together. Pindar’s friends teach Joe the Five Laws of Stratospheric Success and help him open himself up to the power of giving."

"Joe learns that changing his focus from getting to giving—putting others’ interests first and continually adding value to their lives—ultimately leads to unexpected returns."

"Imparted with wit and grace, The Go-Giver is a classic bestseller that brings to life the old proverb “Give and you shall receive.” "

"Nearly a decade since its original publication, the term “go-giver” has become shorthand for a defining set of values embraced by hundreds of thousands of people around the world. Today this timeless story continues to help its readers find fulfillment and greater success in business, in their personal lives and in their communities."

"This expanded edition includes the text of the original business parable, together with a foreword by Arianna Huffington, a new intro­duction, a discussion guide, and a Q&A with the authors."



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7) Own It: The Power of Women at Work

By Sallie Krawcheck

A Wall Street Journal and Washington Post Bestseller, Own It is a new kind of career playbook for a new era of feminism, offering women a new set of rules for professional success: one that plays to their strengths and builds on the power they already have.

"Weren’t women supposed to have “arrived”? Perhaps with the nation’s first female President, equal pay on the horizon, true diversity in the workplace to come thereafter? Or, at least the end of “fat-shaming” and “locker room talk”?"

"Well, we aren’t quite there yet. But does that mean that progress for women in business has come to a screeching halt? It’s true that the old rules didn’t get us as far as we hoped. But we can go the distance, and we can close the gaps that still exist. We just need a new way."

"In fact, there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future, says former Wall Street powerhouse-turned-entrepreneur Sallie Krawcheck. That’s because the business world is changing fast –driven largely by technology - and it’s changing in ways that give us more power and opportunities than ever…and even more than we yet realize."

"Success for professional women will no longer be about trying to compete at the men’s version of the game, she says. And it will no longer be about contorting ourselves to men’s expectations of how powerful people behave. Instead, it’s about embracing and investing in our innate strengths as women - and bringing them proudly and unapologetically, to work."

"When we do, she says, we gain the power to advance in our careers in more natural ways. We gain the power to initiate courageous conversations in the workplace. We gain the power to forge non-traditional career paths; to leave companies that don’t respect our worth, and instead, go start our own. And we gain the power to invest our economic muscle in making our lives, and the world, better."

"Here Krawcheck draws on her experiences at the highest levels of business, both as one of the few women at the top rungs of the biggest boy’s club in the world, and as an entrepreneur, to show women how to seize this seismic shift in power to take their careers to the next level."

"This change is real, and it’s coming fast. It’s time to own it."



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8) Speak with Impact: How to Command the Room and Influence Others

By Allison Shapira

Your voice matters, especially as a leader.

"Every day, you have an opportunity to use your voice to have a positive impact--at work or in your community. You can inspire and persuade your audience--or you can distract and put them to sleep."

"Nervous, rambling robotic--these presentation styles can ruin a talk on even the most critical topics. And with each weak performance, career prospects dim."

"To get ahead and make an impact, you need to deliver well-crafted messages with confidence and authenticity. You must sound as capable as you are."

"Public speaking is a skill, not a talent. With the right guidance, anyone can be a powerful speaker. Learn to conquer fear, capture attention, motivate action, and take charge of your career with Speak with Impact. Written by an opera singer turned CEO, speaker, and executive communication coach, the book unravels the mysteries of commanding attention in any setting, professional or personal."

"Whether it’s speaking up at a meeting, presenting to clients, or talking to large groups, the book’s easy-to-use frameworks, examples, and exercises help you:"

"- Kickstart the creative process"

"- Compose a clear and concise message"

"- Engage your audience through storytelling and humor"

"- Banish filler words and uptalk"

"- Strengthen and project your voice"

"- Use breathing techniques to overcome stage fright"

"- Use effective body language"

"- Build your executive presence"

"- Deliver presentations with confidence and authenticity"

"- When you know what to say and how to say it, people listen. Find your powerful voice… and step into leadership. Speak with impact."



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9) Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.

By Brené Brown

"#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Brené Brown has taught us what it means to dare greatly, rise strong, and brave the wilderness. Now, based on new research conducted with leaders, change makers, and culture shifters, she’s showing us how to put those ideas into practice so we can step up and lead."

"Leadership is not about titles, status, and wielding power. A leader is anyone who takes responsibility for recognizing the potential in people and ideas, and has the courage to develop that potential."

"When we dare to lead, we don’t pretend to have the right answers; we stay curious and ask the right questions. We don’t see power as finite and hoard it; we know that power becomes infinite when we share it with others. We don’t avoid difficult conversations and situations; we lean into vulnerability when it’s necessary to do good work."

"But daring leadership in a culture defined by scarcity, fear, and uncertainty requires skill-building around traits that are deeply and uniquely human. The irony is that we’re choosing not to invest in developing the hearts and minds of leaders at the exact same time as we’re scrambling to figure out what we have to offer that machines and AI can’t do better and faster. What can we do better? Empathy, connection, and courage, to start."

"Four-time #1 New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown has spent the past two decades studying the emotions and experiences that give meaning to our lives, and the past seven years working with transformative leaders and teams spanning the globe. She found that leaders in organizations ranging from small entrepreneurial startups and family-owned businesses to nonprofits, civic organizations, and Fortune 50 companies all ask the same question:"

How do you cultivate braver, more daring leaders, and how do you embed the value of courage in your culture?

"In this new book, Brown uses research, stories, and examples to answer these questions in the no-BS style that millions of readers have come to expect and love."

"Brown writes, “One of the most important findings of my career is that daring leadership is a collection of four skill sets that are 100 percent teachable, observable, and measurable. It’s learning and unlearning that requires brave work, tough conversations, and showing up with your whole heart. Easy? No. Because choosing courage over comfort is not always our default. Worth it? Always. We want to be brave with our lives and our work. It’s why we’re here.” "

"Whether you’ve read Daring Greatly and Rising Strong or you’re new to Brené Brown’s work, this book is for anyone who wants to step up and into brave leadership."



Click here

10) Focus on Them: Become the Manager Your People Need You to Be

by Ryan Changcoco (Editor), Megan Cole (Editor), Jack Harlow (Editor)

Perfect the Skills to Excel as a Manager

"An engagement crisis, a management skill shortage, a retention problem―call it what you will, today's research and workplace insights emphasize that many employees leave managers. . . not companies."

"Good managers know they need to deliver results to be successful. But great ones? They understand the essence of managing encompasses something more: making connections, embodying the right skills, and developing their direct reports. They also realize managing well takes practice. With Focus on Them, you'll get the tools and know-how to excel as a manager."

"Edited by the Association for Talent Development's own management authority Ryan Changcoco, research expert Megan Cole, and content developer Jack Harlow, this book explores ATD's new management framework―the ACCEL model. Each chapter, written by a leader in management and talent development, focuses on one of the five skills all managers need:"

"- Accountability (Timothy Ito)"
"- Communication (Ken O'Quinn)"
"- Collaboration (Winsor Jenkins)"
"- Engagement (Hunter Haines)"
"- Listening and assessing (Michele Nevarez)"


"By investing in your own development―boosting your ACCEL skills―you signal to your employees that you're serious about their development and learning, too."

"Becoming a manager isn't climbing a mountain. By focusing on the basics, you can transform from a results-oriented manager to the super people manager your employees need."




If 30 is the new 20, then these fascinating women entrepreneurs are way ahead of the game.  Still in their 20's, the young women entrepreneurs we have profiled below have achieved business and leadership success that outshines their male counter parts in the same age range, and older.  

 Audacious, hard-working and innovative, these below-30 female entrepreneurs are turning heads in a shark-filled startup world, and penetrating the male-dominated c-suites.

 Glass ceiling, watch out.  A newer generation of female entrepreneur leaders are rising at lightening speed.  And we love that!
Erika Jensen, The Flex Company, 29 

Erika Jensen is a cofounder of The Flex Company, a startup which was backed with more than $4.2 million in venture capital funds. The Flex Company owes its creation to two female entrepreneurs, namely Jensen and Lauren Schulte. Flex manufactures menstrual discs, which reduce pain due to menstrual cramps - in other words, a product which would definitely appeal to a lot of women. Aside from her current venture, Jense is an advocate for body positivity and previously ran an e-commerce site for a high-end sex toy brand. 


Suhani Parekh, Misho, 27 

Suhani Parekh launched Misho as a fashion label in 2016, which has gotten her accolades for being an Indian designer with a global outlook. Parekh was the recipient of the Grazia Young Fashion Award the same year, followed by Elle Graduates and the Elle Style Awards in 2017. Her brand has been featured twice in Vogue Paris and her jewellery found its way onto the cover of Vogue Arabia and onto Rihanna. 

Parekh didn’t actually start out as a fashion designer, but studied sculpture at Goldsmith’s in London. Fascinated by metals and how they could “activate the space of the body,” she continued making jewellery during her stint as part of architect and interior designer Ashish Shah’s team. Parekh’s jewellery combines traditional silversmithing techniques with modern inspiration from architecture and sculpture. 


Talia Goldberg, Bessemer Venture Partners, 27 

Talia Goldberg stands out as the youngest vice president in the 106-year history of Bessemer Venture Partners. Her accomplishments with Bessemer include co-leading their investments in shipping startup Shippo as well as payments startup Toss, though she actually started there back in 2012. Aside from this, she also tries to spot other startups for Pinterest to partner with or acquire, with its $12.3 billion in wealth. 


Deepanjali Dalmia, Heyday Care, 27 

Deepanjali Dalmia left her job as a financial consultant at Ernst & Young in New York, becoming another amongst female entrepreneurs who left a promising career to stake it out. Dalmia returned to her native India in 2015 and spent several months doing research, before deciding to go into personal hygiene. ,This happened when she learned that nearly 87% of Indian women use disposable sanitary napkins, while being unaware that plastic and other synthetic materials can cause cervical cancer.

Dalmia developed a sanitary napkin using bamboo fiber and corn, using her own funds to develop a product which doesn’t cause any irritation. Heyday care was launched in Delhi and Mumbai in September 2017, and their products are also available online as well. 


Iyore Olaye, Walker & Company, 24 

Walker and Company creates beauty products for people of colour, including Bevel (a men’s grooming line) and FORM (their haircare line). Walker and Company is backed by $33.3 million in funding, including from notable investors such as Magic Johnson and Google Investors among others.

24-year-old Iyore Olaye is their lead product engineer, and is known for her strong marketing and technical skills. Her accomplishments with Walker and Company include creating an 11-product hair care line in just 12 months, making her one of the inspirational female entrepreneurs whom you can look up to. Olaye has been an advocate for women and other underrepresented minorities in STEM fields, with her experience as the only African American woman in Cornell’s 2016 chemical engineering class making this a very personal thing. Olaye has conducted interviews and tours around the US to share her story with others, and she also founded the Iyore Noelle Olaye Scholarship Award to help minority STEM students through their challenging first year. 


Seema Bansal, Venus ET Fleur 

Seema Bansal is the cofounder of the New York-based rose atelier Venus ET Fleur, an internationally recognised brand which has revolutionised the experience of buying flowers online. Her story might not be the most inspirational amongst female entrepreneurs, but it’s definitely an interesting twist: Bansal co-founded her company with her partner, after the latter sent her flowers for Valentine’s Day back in 2015 which frankly weren’t up to the mark. Since then, the duo has taken to changing the way flowers are delivered. 

Qin Yunquan, Kapap Academy, 29 

Women around the world often worry about their safety, and this is what places Qin Yunquan amongst the top female entrepreneurs - she’s one of the cofounders of Singapore’s Kapap Academy. As an instructor and the CEO of Kapap, Qin has trained thousands of underprivileged women and children in the art of self defence - and she’s the only self-defence instructor to have ever received the Queen’s Young Leaders Award. Qin’s inspiration came from the death of her brother in a street fight, making her initiative a very personal venture. 


Kanchan Amatya, Sustainable Fish Farming Initiative, 23 

Kanchan Amatya might not be among the top female entrepreneurs in terms of sheer monetary success, but she’s definitely seeking to make a difference in the world. Amatya is the founder and executive director of the Sustainable Fish Farming Initiative, which is a women-led social enterprise whose purpose is to fight hunger and poverty in Nepal. The SFFI empowers women farmers in rural Nepal to use sustainable fish farming practises, and Amatya has rightly received a lot of recognition for her commendable effort. 


Gigi Gorgeous, YouTube star, 25 

With over 2.7 million YouTube subscribers and nearly as many followers on Instagram, Gigi Gorgeous’s story as a transgender model places her amongst other inspirational female entrepreneurs. Gigi started with YouTube a few years before her transition, but decided to start posting more personal content after loosing her mother to cancer in December 2013. 
Gigi originally found YouTube as a way to connect with other people like her, and has always been honest and forthcoming even if she hasn’t always shown her emotional side. These days, she has a lot of fun online and also has a documentary in the works. 


Lauren Cason, Ustwo Games, 29 

Lauren Cason was one of the senior artists on the award winning Monument Valley 2, which drew inspiration from the work of MC Escher. Prior to this, Cason worked with Funomena, Dim Bulb Games, and Harmonix as an artist. She’s been active inspiring others, having worked on making games with incarcerated youth and speaking at Girls Make Games in order to inspire more young women to join her field.

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