In celebration of International Women’s Day, we’re putting the spotlight on some of the most powerful and successful women in business. These inspiring women have overcome obstacles and shattered glass ceilings to achieve success in their respective fields.
From CEOs to entrepreneurs, these women are an inspiration to us all. They have shown us that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, let us take a moment to celebrate the accomplishments of these powerful women in business!
Caterina Fake
Caterina Fake is an American entrepreneur and businesswoman who co-founded websites such as Flickr and Hunch. After leaving Yahoo in 2008, she went on to found the internet art collective known as thenmozillagallery.org in 2010. She has also been an early investor in products such as Twitter and Kickstarter. In 2012, she founded Findery, a location-based note-sharing service. Fake is an advocate for the empowerment of women, diversity, and women in technology. Fake is passionate about creating new experiences and products that will enable others to make better decisions and enjoy the best of what the web and software has to offer. She has been credited with creating new ways of understanding how the web can be organized, and for helping hundreds of thousands of people post and share their passions online. She is a mentor to many entrepreneurs, and has been recognized with awards such as TechCrunch’s “Crunchies” People’s Choice Winner, and the “Women Who C.R.E.A.T.E” award.
Marissa Mayer
Marissa Mayer is a businesswoman, investor, and former CEO of Yahoo. In her 13-year tenure, Mayer transformed Yahoo from a dying internet company to a multi-billion dollar business. Throughout her career, Mayer has worked to advance the technology industry by promoting diversity in tech. Her commitment to uplifting women in tech is evident in her work, and has led to countless opportunities for female entrepreneurs and executives. Mayer’s impact on the industry has been monumental. She has been instrumental in shaping Yahoo’s product strategy, and has served as a mentor and advisor to up-and-coming entrepreneurs. Under Mayer’s leadership, Yahoo acquired numerous companies such as Tumblr, Flickr, and Polyvore. Her business acumen has astounded many in the tech industry and she was named one of the world’s 25 Most Promising Entrepreneurs by Fortune Magazine. Mayer is a great example of how powerful and successful women can be when they fearlessly pursue their dreams.
Whitney Wolfe
Whitney Wolfe is an entrepreneur and businesswoman who is best known for co-founding mobile dating app Tinder. Wolfe’s story is an inspiring one, as she has singlehandedly disrupted the online dating scene. In 2014, Wolfe made history by becoming the youngest ever female-founder Fortune 500 company. Wolfe has emerged as one of the most prominent voices in the tech industry. She has used her newfound platform to speak out against sexism in tech, and to promote the representation of women in the industry. Wolfe has also been actively involved in pushing the envelope in terms of innovation, as she has been behind many other successful projects such as Bumble, a dating app designed to empower women.
Julie Wainwright
Julie Wainwright is a businesswoman and investor with a career spanning over thirty years. She is the CEO of the RealReal, an online marketplace for pre-owned luxury goods. Wainwright’s intent is to provide an e-commerce platform where people can buy and sell high-end items such as clothing, jewelry, and art. She has experienced incredible success with the RealReal, and in 2015 the company raised over 140 million dollars in Series D funding. Apart from the RealReal, Wainwright has also been involved in a number of other businesses and initiatives. She is the founder of Pets.com and the former CEO of Reel.com. Wainwright has also been an active investor and mentor for the venture capital industry. She is a board member of TechCrunch and continues to invest in innovative tech startups. Wainwright’s journey has been a remarkable one and she serves as an inspiration to budding entrepreneurs across the globe.
Sheryl Sandberg
Sheryl Sandberg is a businesswoman, philanthropist, and the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook. Her book, Lean In, explains the steps women need to take to further their career and make their voices heard. Sandberg is an advocate for the empowerment and advancement of women in the workplace and actively promotes the “confidence gap” between men and women. Sandberg’s efforts have been nothing short of groundbreaking. Before joining Facebook, she was the vice president of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google. At Facebook, she expanded the company’s portfolio of products and services, and she also founded Lean In, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping women achieve their ambitions. Her efforts have earned her the 2017 Fortune Most Power Women, the 2017 Thurgood Marshall Award for Corporate Citizenship, and the Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media executive, philanthropist, actress, and talk show host. She is widely considered one of the most influential women in the world. She started her career as a news anchor and talk show host and eventually became the CEO of her own production company called Harpo Productions. Winfrey has also co-founded the Oprah Winfrey Network, which is a 24-hour satellite TV network. Throughout her career, Winfrey has been an advocate for many social causes, such as female empowerment and education. She has used her platform to shine a light on important issues, and has given millions of dollars to a wide range of charities. Time Magazine has named Winfrey the greatest black philanthropist in American history. In 2013, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Winfrey is a true champion of causes and works tirelessly to make an impactful change.
There are plenty of inspirational stories out there about successful women. But it’s easy to get lost in the sea of articles, tweets and posts that come out every day. It’s nice to be able to find the standouts and think about what they did right—and what we can do to be more like them.
The women we’ve featured here were all successful at their jobs in different ways, but they all had one thing in common: They were passionate about what they did, and that passion showed through in their work. They pushed ahead when everyone else was telling them to give up or slow down. Their stories of success are worth celebrating, so let’s make sure we don’t get lost in the masses of other inspiring women out there.