Women We Admire is pleased to announce the Top 100 Women CEOs of 2021. This year’s awardees represent an elite group of leaders, who have used their insight into market trends, deep knowledge of customers, and ability to develop innovative products and services to drive business across a range of industries. In addition to leading some of the biggest organizations in their respective fields, these women have also played significant roles in their companies’ transformations. From Jane Fraser, who just this year became the first female CEO of financial services giant Citigroup; to Susan Wojcicki, who strategically led Google to acquire YouTube in 2006 and went on to lead the platform through its meteoric growth; and to Mary Barra, who has ushered General Motors into driverless and electric-powered vehicle technology, these awardees have broken down countless barriers to confidently lead their companies to success.
Amid their own professional achievements, they have also served as fierce advocates for women in business, serving as part of organizations and initiatives that are working diligently to open doors for women and other minorities to achieve in their fields. Coming from varied professional backgrounds, they have worked to produce workplaces that are as diverse as they are productive, working tirelessly to ensure that their employees, their companies, and their products are of the highest caliber. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of the Top 100 Women CEOs of 2021.
1. Jane Fraser
Company: Citigroup
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
Jane Fraser is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Citigroup. She was previously head of Global Consumer Banking and president of Citigroup Latin America, as well as CEO of Citi’s Global Private Bank and CitiMortgage. She is a board member of the Touch Foundation in New York, which runs a medical college and hospital, and works to improve the healthcare system in Tanzania, Africa. Fraser received her Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School and her Master of Arts degree in economics from Cambridge University.
2. Safra Catz
Company: Oracle
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Safra Catz is Chief Executive Officer of Oracle Corporation and a member of the company’s board of directors. Before being named CEO, she served as Oracle’s president, chief financial officer, executive vice president, and senior vice president. She has served on the board of directors for HSBC Holdings, one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organizations, since 2008. Catz received her undergraduate degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
3. Carol Tomé
Company: UPS
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Carol Tomé is the Chief Executive Officer of United Parcel Service (UPS), a multinational package delivery and supply chain management company. She also sits on the UPS board of directors. Tomé worked at Home Depot from 1995 to 2019, serving as vice president and treasurer, and later as executive vice president and chief financial officer. In her earlier roles, she worked as a commercial lender at United Bank of Denver, was director of banking at Johns-Manville Corp, and was vice president and treasurer of Riverwood International Corp of Atlanta. Tomé received her Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Denver and her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wyoming.
4. Mary Barra
Company: General Motors
Title: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Mary Barra is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the General Motors Company (GM). Under Barra’s leadership, GM is working to lead the transformation of personal mobility through advanced technologies such as connectivity, electrification, and autonomous driving. Barra began her career with GM in 1980 as a General Motors Institute co-op student at the Pontiac Motor Division before rising through the ranks as an engineer, serving as executive vice president of Global Product Development, Purchasing, and Supply Chain before being named CEO. She is also a member of the General Dynamics Board of Directors. Barra received her Master of Business Administration degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business after receiving a GM fellowship in 1988 and her Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Kettering University.
5. Susan Wojcicki
Company: YouTube
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Susan Wojcicki is the Chief Executive Officer of YouTube. Previously, she was the senior vice president of advertising and commerce at Google. Her career at Google began in 1999 as the company’s first marketing manager. She oversaw the design, innovation, and engineering of Google’s advertising, commerce, and measurement platform products, including AdWords, AdSense, DoubleClick, Offers, and Google Analytics. She also led the initial development of several key successful consumer products including Google Images and Google Books. She received her Master of Science degree in economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and her Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
6. Corie Barry
Company: Best Buy
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Corie Barry is Chief Executive Officer of Best Buy, the leading provider of consumer technology products and services, with approximately 125,000 employees in North America and nearly $44 billion in annual revenue. She also serves on the company’s board of directors. Barry joined Best Buy in 1999 and has held a variety of roles across the organization, becoming chief financial officer in 2016 and, prior to that, serving as chief strategic growth officer. Barry serves on the board of trustees of the College of St. Benedict and the board of directors for Domino’s Pizza. Barry received her undergraduate degree in accounting and business management from the College of St. Benedict.
7. Sonia Syngal
Company: The Gap, Inc.
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
Sonia Syngal is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Gap, Inc. She joined Gap, Inc. in 2004, later becoming president of Old Navy, one of Gap’s brands. She led Old Navy from $7 billion to $8 billion in sales in just three years, expanding its North American presence to more than 1,200 stores, scaling its e-commerce site to the fourth-largest apparel site in the U.S. and building competitive omni-channel capabilities. Prior to joining Gap, Inc., Syngal had a successful career in Fortune 500 product companies such as Sun Microsystems and Ford Motor Co. She is on the Board of Governors of the Boys & Girls Club of America. Syngal received her Master of Science degree in manufacturing systems engineering from Stanford University and her Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University.
8. Gail Koziara Boudreaux
Company: Anthem
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
Gail K. Boudreaux is President and Chief Executive Officer of Anthem, a leading health benefits provider serving nearly 41 million insured members through its affiliated health plans. In total, Anthem serves over 79 million people across 27 states through its broad portfolio of health insurance and services subsidiaries. Before joining Anthem, Boudreaux was CEO of UnitedHealthcare, leading the largest business division of UnitedHealth Group. In 2018 and again in 2019, she was named #5 on Fortune’s list of Most Powerful Women. Boudreaux received her Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University and her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Dartmouth College.
9. Penny Pennington
Company: Edward Jones
Title: Managing Partner
Penny Pennington is the Managing Partner of Edward Jones Investments, a Fortune 500 financial services firm. She recently was named as one of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business, her second appearance on the list. Pennington is an active member of the St. Louis community, serving on the boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, United Way of Greater St. Louis, the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Washington University in St. Louis Board of Trustees, the Whitaker Foundation and Executive Committee of the Chair's Council for Greater St. Louis, Inc. She received her Master of Business Administration degree from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and her Bachelor of Arts degree in commerce from the University of Virginia.
10. Mary Dillon
Company: Ulta Beauty
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Mary Dillon is the Chief Executive Officer of Ulta Beauty, a beauty retail company. She and her team have more than doubled the company’s revenues and vaulted Ulta Beauty to the Fortune 500. Dillon leads an associate base that is 92% women, and, under her leadership, the board of directors has become one of the most gender diverse of any large public company in the nation. Dillon also serves on the board of directors for Starbucks Corporation and KKR, Inc.; is the chairperson for the Retail Industry Leaders Association; and is an executive committee member of The Business Council. Dillon received her Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
11. Cindy Mi
Company: VIPKid
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Cindy Mi is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of VIPKid, an educational technology company that connects Chinese students with English-speaking teachers in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2013, the connections made by VIPKid facilitate an immersive English learning experience for students. VIPKid was named to Fast Company’s list for Most Innovative Company in the World 2018 and Most Innovative Company in China 2018. Prior to founding VIPKid, Mi co-founded ABC English, a successful tutoring company. She earned her Master of Business Administration degree in finance and general management from the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business.
12. Phebe Novakovic
Company: General Dynamics
Title: Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer
Phebe Novakovic is the Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of General Dynamics, a major aerospace and defense corporation. She is one of the only female executives in the military-industrial space. Novakovic is a former operative of the Central Intelligence Agency and has experience at the Defense Department. In 2018, Forbes named her the world’s 25th most powerful woman in business. Novakovic received her Bachelor of Arts degree in government and German from Smith College and her Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
13. Laura Alber
Company: Williams-Sonoma, Inc.
Title: President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director
Laura Alber is the President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Williams-Sonoma, Inc., the premier specialty retailer of high-quality products for the home. The family of brands includes Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, PBteen, West Elm, Williams-Sonoma Home, Rejuvenation, and Mark and Graham. Alber joined WSI in 1995 as a senior buyer at Pottery Barn, eventually becoming Pottery Barn’s president in 2002, during which time she created and launched Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen. She became president of WSI in 2006 and has served as CEO since 2010. Alber currently serves on the board of directors for Fitbit and the board of overseers for the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Arts and Sciences. Alber received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
14. Cher Wang
Company: HTC
Title: Co-founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer
Cher Wang is the co-founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of HTC, a global technology company specializing in virtual reality and smart mobile devices. HTC has designed numerous award-winning products, including a line of smartphones. Wang’s work is acclaimed, including placement on both Forbes’ and Fortune’s annual Most Powerful Women lists in 2011. She is also active in the international business community, as well as an avid philanthropist, often donating to organizations that make education available to low-income students. Wang earned her Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the University of California, Berkley.
15. Michele Buck
Company: The Hershey Company
Title: Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer
Michele Buck is Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of The Hershey Company, a food manufacturing company best known for its eponymous chocolate bars. She had previous roles at Kraft/Nabisco and the Frito-Lay division of PepsiCo, with a successful track record of building brands, developing high-performing teams, and creating sustainable businesses. She sits on the board of directors at New York Life, a Fortune 100 Company. Buck received her Master of Business Administration degree in marketing from the Kenan-Flager Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.
16. Katrina Lake
Company: Stitch Fix
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Katrina Lake is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Stitch Fix, a personalized clothing subscription box. She is passionate about helping women achieve everyday confidence and founded Stitch Fix to help women everywhere discover and explore their style through a truly client-focused shopping experience. Prior to founding Stitch Fix, Lake managed the blogger platform at venture-backed social commerce company Polyvore and consulted with a variety of e-commerce and traditional retailers during her time at the Parthenon Group. Additionally, she has invested in and worked with dozens of entrepreneurs and startups at Leader Ventures. Lake received a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School and a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from Stanford University.
17. Beth Ford
Company: Land O’Lakes
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
Beth Ford is President and Chief Executive Officer of Land O’Lakes, Inc., a Fortune 200 food production and agribusiness company that is also a nearly 100-year-old farmer-owned cooperative. Since joining Land O’Lakes in 2011, she has held a variety of roles leading the company’s farmer-to-fork business offerings. Ford is a passionate advocate on behalf of farmers and rural America with the goal of connecting people, particularly in urban areas, to the farmers and rural communities who grow their food. In 2020, she was named to Fortune’s Most Powerful Women List for the third year in a row. Ford received her Master of Business Administration degree in finance from Columbia University and her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Iowa State University.
18. Lily Sarafan
Company: Home Care Assistance
Title: Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer
Lily Sarafan is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Home Care Assistance (HCA), consistently recognized as a best-in-class healthcare company. Sarafan has been a featured expert on digital health and the future of aging at the White House and at global conferences. She is a board member, investor, and advisor for innovative companies and serves on the Stanford Alumni Association Board of Directors, the Freeman Spogli Institute Council, the Stanford Undergraduate Education Cabinet, and the Berkeley-Haas Center for Innovation Economies, where she is board chair. Sarafan received her Master of Science degree in management science and engineering from Stanford University.
19. Lori Ryerkerk
Company: Celanese
Title: Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer
Lori Ryerkerk is the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Celanese Corporation, a Fortune 500 global chemical and specialty materials company based in Dallas, Texas. Celanese is a leader in the development and production of materials used in most major industrial and consumer applications. Ryerkerk was named as CEO, as well as a member of the board of directors, in 2019 and was appointed Chairman in 2020. Prior to joining Celanese, she was executive vice president of Global Manufacturing at Shell Downstream, Inc. Ryerkerk received her Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Iowa State University.
20. Demet Suzan Mutlu
Company: Trendyol Group
Founder: Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Demet Mutlu is the Founder of Trendyol, the biggest e-commerce company in Turkey, which sold majority to Alibaba in 2018 as the first tech unicorn in Turkey. She is also co-founder and investor of Peak Games, which sold to Zynga in 2020. She has been named on lists such as Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs, Fortune’s 40 Under 40, BOF 500 Award - Top 500 Shaping Fashion Industry, 50 Most Inspiring Women in Tech, Fortune’s Powerful Top 50 Women, 100 Tech in EU, Entrepreneur of the Year from the Economist, and Young Global Leader from the World Economic Forum. Mutlu received her Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from New York University.
21. Julie Wainwright
Company: The RealReal
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Julie Wainwright is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of The RealReal, the premier online luxury consignment site that is transforming both the luxury resale marketplace and the buying habits of luxury shoppers. An e-commerce pioneer, Wainright was CEO of Reel.com in 1997 and then Pets.com in 1999. In 2013 she was recognized as a top female entrepreneur by the San Francisco Business Times and received the FashInvest Innovation Award. The following year, she was named one of Tech Crunch’s 40 Over 40 Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and was again recognized by the San Francisco Business Times as one of the most admired CEOs of the year. Wainwright received her Bachelor of Science degree in general management from Purdue University.
22. Melanie Perkins
Company: Canva
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Melanie Perkins is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Canva, an online design and publishing tool. Founded in 2012, this Australian-based company makes graphic design tools accessible to millions of people via both free and subscription offerings. Perkins previously founded Fusion Books, an online yearbook design platform that has now expanded into multiple countries. In 2020, Perkins was named to Forbes’ Top Under 30 tech founders of the decade. Perkins earned her Bachelor of Arts and Commerce degree in communications, psychology, marketing, and management from the University of Western Australia.
23. Adi Tatarko
Company: Houzz
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Adi Tatarko is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Houzz, an online platform for home remodeling and design. Founded in 2009, Houzz is the leading place for homeowners and professional contractors to connect and share photos, advice, and recommendations. It is currently one of the United States’ highest-valued businesses run by a female founder. Tatarko was named one of Forbes’ Top Self-Made Women in 2020 and received the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s Great Immigrants award in 2019. Tatarko earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
24. Christine Tsai
Company: 500 Startups
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Founding Partner
Christine Tsai is the Chief Executive Officer and Founding Partner of 500 Startups. Since the firm’s inception in 2010, she grew 500 Startups to over $600 million in committed capital, 2,400+ portfolio investments, 140+ team members, 26 accelerator batches, and a vibrant community of founders spanning 77 countries around the world. Tsai has spent her entire professional career building and investing in Silicon Valley. Prior to her current position, she worked at Google, where she led the annual Google I / O company event focused on software developers, directed the marketing product for YouTube, and worked in the AdSense and Google Analytics units. Tsai received her Bachelor of Arts degree in cognitive science from the University of California, Berkeley.
25. Falguni Nayar
Company: Nykaa
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Falguni Nayar is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nykaa, a multi-brand, beauty-focused retailer. Founded in 2012, Nykaa is India’s leading beauty retailer, with more than 1600 employees and a portfolio of more than 1500 brands sold online and in stores. Nayar has received several awards, including Woman of the Year from the Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence in 2019. She was previously the managing director at Kotak Investment Banking and the director and head of institutional equities business at Kotak Securities. Nayar earned her Bachelor of Commerce degree in accounting and business management from Sydenham College, and her Master of Business Administration degree in finance from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
26. Ho Ching
Company: Temasek Holdings
Title: Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer
Ho Ching is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings and was named the 30th most powerful woman in the world in 2020 by Forbes. Temasek is a major Singaporean sovereign wealth fund owned by the Government of Singapore; it was one of the main investors in a $14 billion dollar fundraising round by Ant Financial, an affiliate of Alibaba. Ho opened international offices in San Francisco in 2018 and poured over a quarter of Temasek’s money into sectors like life sciences, tech, and agribusiness. An engineer by training, she was the president and CEO of Singapore Technologies Group prior to joining Temasek. She received a Master of Science degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in electrical engineering from the National University of Singapore.
27. Whitney Wolfe Herd
Company: Bumble
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Whitney Wolfe Herd is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bumble, the company behind the dating and social networking apps Badoo, Bumble, and Bumble BFF. Bumble was the first dating app where the woman controls the interaction by indicating interest; Bumble BFF operates under a similar concept as a networking app to find friends. Wolfe Herd has been praised for her work, including landing a spot on Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list and Forbes’ prestigious 30 Under 30 list. Her previous work includes co-founding the dating app Tinder. Wolfe Herd earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies from Southern Methodist University.
28. Arianna Huffington
Company: Thrive Global
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Arianna Huffington is the founder and CEO of Thrive Global, the founder of The Huffington Post, and the author of 15 books, including Thrive and The Sleep Revolution. In 2016, she launched Thrive Global, a leading behavior change tech company with the mission of changing the way we work and live by ending the collective delusion that burnout is the price we must pay for success.
She has been named to Time Magazine's list of the world’s 100 most influential people and the Forbes Most Powerful Women list. Originally from Greece, she moved to England when she was 16 and graduated from Cambridge University with an M.A. in economics. At 21, she became president of the famed debating society, the Cambridge Union.
She serves on numerous boards, including Onex and The B Team.
Her last two books, Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder and The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night At A Time, both became instant international bestsellers. Most recently, she wrote the foreword to Thrive Global's first book Your Time to Thrive: End Burnout, Increase Well-being, and Unlock Your Full Potential with the New Science of Microsteps.
29. Oprah Winfrey
Company: Oprah Winfrey Network
Title: Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer
Oprah Winfrey is the Chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of the Oprah Winfrey Network. She is a world-famous talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist best known for hosting her self-named talk show for more than 25 years, during which time she won 47 Daytime Emmy Awards. She published a magazine, O, that had over two million subscribers until its print run ended in 2020. Her performance in the 1985 film The Color Purple earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Winfrey was the first Black woman to become a billionaire in 2003, and, as of 2014, was the wealthiest self-made woman in the United States. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013 by President Obama. Winfrey has donated more than $400 million to support educational causes.
30. Reshma Saujani
Company: Girls Who Code
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Reshma Saujani is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Girls Who Code, a national non-profit organization working to close the gender gap in technology. Through its summer immersion programs and clubs, Girls Who Code is leading the movement to inspire, educate, and equip young women with the computing skills to pursue 21st-century opportunities. Reshma began her career as an attorney and activist and surged onto the political scene in 2010 as the first Indian-American woman to run for U.S. Congress. She is also the author of the groundbreaking new book Women Who Don’t Wait in Line. Saujani received her Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.
31. Rachel Carlson
Company: Guild Education
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Rachel Carlson is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Guild Education, which helps employers design and offer education and upskilling programs that provide employees with individualized pathways to a degree and earn credit for on-the-job training. Denver-based Guild Education is a certified B-Corp, supporting working learners from all 50 states, including 54% whom are students of color and 56% female. She was also the founder and CEO of Student Blueprint, an education technology startup providing college students and institutions with academic and career planning tools. She was selected as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for Education. Carlson received her Master of Business Administration degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, a Master of Arts in innovation in higher education from the Stanford Graduate School of Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Stanford University.
32. Anne Boden
Company: Starling Bank
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Anne Boden is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Starling Bank, a digital bank based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 2014, the bank offers personal and business accounts with award-winning online experiences. Boden was previously the chief operating officer of Allied Irish Banks. She was awarded a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2018, as well as an honorary doctorate degree from Middlesex University. Boden earned her Master of Business Administration degree from Middlesex University and her Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and chemistry from Swansea University.
33. Sarah Friar
Company: Nextdoor
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Sarah Friar is the Chief Executive Officer of Nextdoor, a neighborhood-focused social network. Prior to her current role, she was CFO of Square. under her leadership, Square launched its initial public offering in 2015 and added $30 billion in market cap. Friar previously served as senior vice president of finance and strategy at Salesforce and held executive roles at Goldman Sachs, as well as leadership positions at McKinsey. She sits on the boards of Walmart and Slack and is currently the Board Vice-Chair of Spark, a nonprofit serving at-risk middle school students through mentorship. Brown received her Master of Engineering degree in metallurgy, economics, and management from the University of Oxford and her Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
34. Anne Wojcicki
Company: 23andMe
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Anne Wojcicki is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of 23andMe, one of the world’s largest databases of individual genetic information. Its novel, web-based research approach allows for the rapid recruitment of participants to many genome-wide association studies at once, reducing the time and money needed to make new discoveries, and the company has created a proven and standardized resource for finding new genetic associations and confirming genetic loci discovered by others. Under her leadership, 23andMe has made significant advances in bringing personalized medicine directly to the public. Wojcicki received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Yale University.
35. Hayden Brown
Company: Upwork
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
Hayden Brown is President and Chief Executive Officer of Upwork. Before being named CEO in 2020, Brown was Upwork’s chief marketing and product officer. An Upwork employee since 2011, she is known for bold leadership and her passion for the company’s mission to connect agencies and businesses with freelance professionals. Brown began her career as an analyst at McKinsey and Company before working in corporate development for LivePerson and Microsoft. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in politics from Princeton University.
36. Stephanie Tilenius
Company: Vida Health
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Stephanie Tilenius is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Vida Health, an innovative health company that aims to treat chronic conditions in a holistic way through the use of coaching, therapy, and technology. Clients are matched up with health coaches and therapists, use a mobile app to track their progress, and receive personalized tips and education. Tilenius is also an active member on the board of directors for several companies, including Wish, Seagate Technology, and BloomReach. She earned her Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
37. Jennifer Fitzgerald
Company: Policygenius
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Jennifer Fitzgerald is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Policygenius, an online insurance marketplace offering a wide range of policies, including health, life, home, and auto. Founded in 2014, the independent insurance brokerage company has helped more than 30 million people compare and shop for insurance coverage. Fitzgerald was named Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 New York. She was previously an associate principal of financial services for McKinsey and Company. Fitzgerald earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in international affairs and political science from Florida State University and her Juris Doctorate degree from Columbia Law School.
38. Mariam Naficy
Company: Minted
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Mariam Naficy is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Minted, a pioneer in e-commerce and crowdsourcing that provides a marketplace of independent designers with the mission of bringing the best in independent design to consumers everywhere. Today, Minted sells wall art, stationery, and home goods designed by independent designers and artists to consumers. It also serves as a platform for sourcing design for other retailers and brands. Naficy is also the co-founder of Eve.com, the first online cosmetics retailer. Naficy received her Master of Business Administration degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and her Bachelor of Arts degree in political economy from Williams College.
39. Adena Hefets
Company: Divvy Homes
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Adena Hefets is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Divvy Homes, a home-buying company with a rent-to-own strategy for buyers. Divvy purchases the home on behalf of the customer and then rents to them while educating and encouraging them to build the wealth needed to purchase the home. Prior to founding Divvy Homes, Hefets worked as a venture capital investor with DFJ and was a product manager at Square. She earned her Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford University and her Bachelor of Science degree in policy analysis and management from Cornell University.
40. Emily Weiss
Company: Glossier
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Emily Weiss is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Glossier, a direct-to-consumer beauty company that leverages content and community to power a superior shopping experience. She is heavily involved in product development and creative and brand marketing, ensuring that all products and content are created with the signature Glossier voice. The company won Women’s Wear Daily’s 2015 Digital Innovator of the Year award and was named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2017. Weiss has been included in Forbes’ 30 Under 30, Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business 2015, and AdWeek’s Top 20 Content Creators 2016. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in studio art from New York University.
41. Daniela Braga
Company: DefinedCrowd
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Daniela Braga is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of DefinedCrowd, one of the fastest-growing startups in the AI space. With 18 years of experience working in speech technology both in academia and industry, Braga has deep expertise in speech science and is one of the world leaders of crowdsourcing adoption in large enterprises. While working at Microsoft, she worked on shipping 26 languages for Exchange 14, 10 TTS voices in Windows 8, and was involved in developing Cortana. At Voicebox Technologies, she created the data science team and shipped voice-enabled products for clients like Samsung and Toyota, introduced crowdsourcing for big data solutions, and restructured the engineering infrastructure around data collection, processing, ingestion, instrumentation, and discoverability. Braga received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in speech technology from the University of La Coruña.
42. Shivani Siroya
Company: Tala
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Shivani Siroya is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tala, a mobile technology and data science company that is working to deliver financial access, choice, and control to underserved people and communities around the world. Tala’s smartphone app instantly evaluates customers for credit using only the data on their devices and delivers customized loans in minutes. Prior to founding Tala, Siroya held a variety of positions in global health, microfinance, and investment banking, including with the United Nations Population Fund, Health Net, Citigroup, and UBS. She was a 2016 Aspen Institute Finance Leader Fellow, 2016 WEF Young Global Leader, 2015 Senior TED Fellow, and 2013 Ashoka Fellow, and serves on the board of Stellar.org. Siroya received her Master of Public Health degree from Columbia University and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Wesleyan University.
43. Alyson Watson
Company: Modern Health
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Alyson Watson is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Modern Health, a mental health platform that focuses on preventive care for mental health. Modern Health helps employers destigmatize the topic of mental health care and provide a digital solution for employees to connect with therapists, as well as providing information on topics ranging from everyday stress to chronic depression. Fortune named Modern Health a Best Place to Work in the Bay Area 2021. Watson earned her undergraduate degrees in global environmental change and sustainability from the Johns Hopkins University.
44. Allison Robinson
Company: The Mom Project
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Allison Robinson is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Mom Project. After having her son Asher in 2015, she identified the challenges American mothers face in juggling the demands of motherhood with a full-time career and decided to tackle the issue. The Mom Project helps women reenter the workforce after taking time off to raise their children as well as providing support for working moms to grow and thrive personally and professionally. Robinson previously spent eight years at Procter & Gamble working on go-to-market strategies for leading household brands, with a special focus on moms during her tenure on the Pampers brand. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the University of Dayton.
45. Julia Cheek
Company: EverlyWell
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Julia Cheek is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of EverlyWell, an at-home lab testing company enabling consumers to take control of their health. EverlyWell offers more than 30 test options with simple instructions and professionally reviewed results. Cheek was named CIO Magazine’s number one female entrepreneur to watch in 2017 and was formerly the vice president of corporate strategy at MoneyGram International. Cheek earned her Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School and her Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and psychology from Vanderbilt University.
46. Rachel Drori
Company: Daily Harvest
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Rachel Drori is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Daily Harvest, a subscription-based frozen foods company. Founded in 2015, Daily Harvest is one of the fastest growing consumer brands in the U.S., making it simple for busy people to eat nutrient-packed food in a hurry. Before starting Daily Harvest, Drori co-founded the Sunday Fare and worked in marketing manager positions at Jetsetter and American Express. She earned her Master of Business Administration degree in marketing and management from Columbia University and her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Pennsylvania.
47. Mathilde Collin
Company: Front
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Mathilde Collin is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Front, a software platform that helps customer service teams manage group email inboxes and social media apps. Founded in 2013, their innovative software is used by over 6,000 businesses worldwide to ensure that their internal customer service process runs smoothly and provides a good experience for customers. Front was a Glassdoor Best Places to Work winner in 2020, as voted by employees. Collin earned her Master of Science degree in entrepreneurship from the HEC School of Management in Paris.
48. Shan-Lyn Ma
Company: Zola
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Shan-Lyn Ma is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Zola, the company that’s reinventing the wedding planning and registry experience by combining compassionate customer service with modern tools and technology. The company’s suite of tools includes the premier all-in-one wedding registry, free wedding websites, a guest list manager, customizable checklist, and beautiful save the dates and wedding invitations. Before starting her company, Ma was the chief product officer of Chloe + Isabel. Prior to that, she was Gilt Groupe’s first product lead, where she headed key new business launches, including their successful foray into mobile. Ma received her Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford University and her Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of New South Wales.
49. Yeva Hyusyan
Company: SoloLearn
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Yeva Hyusyan is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of SoloLearn, a multi-million strong community of developers who learn, code, and share their coding experience as they build and advance their professional careers. The platform seeks to break the stereotypes of institutional and instructor-centric learning by creating a student-centric open crowd-learning that provides for a fast, effective, fun, and free learning experience available anytime, anywhere. Hyusyan received her Master of Business Administration degree in corporate strategy and economic policy from Maastricht University and her Master of Science degree in economics and international economics from Yerevan State University.
50. Ashwini Asokan
Company: Mad Street Den
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Ashwini Asokan is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Street Den, a computer vision and artificial intelligence company that promises intelligent retail automation under the brand name Vue.ai. As a product leader working at the intersection of socio-cultural and technological systems, she has been exploring how artificial intelligence can be brought out of the lab, applied meaningfully, and made accessible to billions of people across the globe. She previously led the Mobile Innovation Portfolio as part of Intel Corporation in California, driving research and development of AI and mobile products. Asokan received her Master of Design in interaction design from the Carnegie Mellon School of Design.
51. Kate Wang
Company: RELX Technology
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Kate Wang is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of RELX Technology, an independent e-cigarette brand focusing on product design and technology innovation for adult smokers across the world. It is China’s largest e-cigarette company and recently debuted on the New York Stock Exchange. Wang was motivated to create a high-quality e-cigarette brand when she learned of the negative health effects of traditional cigarettes. Prior to her role at RELX Technology, Wang held leadership roles at DiDi Chuxing and Uber China in the Chinese rideshare space. Wang received her Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University and her undergraduate degree in finance from Xi'an Jiaotong University.
52. Eynat Guez
Company: Papaya Global
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Eynat Guez is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Papaya Global, the first global human resource information system that combines global payroll processes, paperwork, spreadsheets, and non-compliance risk into one automated expert platform by harnessing technologies such as cloud, automation process, artificial intelligence, and business intelligence. She has leadership experience as the CEO of Expert Source and Relocation Source and has also been a longtime mentor at Cracking the Glass Ceiling, an initiative that promotes young women in science education. Guez received her Bachelor of Arts degree in business management and political science from the Open University of Israel.
53. Bindiya Vakil
Company: Resilinc
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Bindiya Vakil is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Resilinc, a leading cloud provider of supply chain resilience and risk management intelligence and analytics deployed at top global companies. Vakil has worked in high-tech supply chain management with companies such as Flextronics, Cisco, and Broadcom. Her concept of “Design for Resiliency” is being widely adopted as a best practice in the industry and she was named a Top Female Supply Chain Executive in 2013 by Supply & Demand Chain Executive. Vakil received her Master in Supply Chain Management degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her Master of Business Administration degree in finance from Sardar Patel University.
54. Sandra Oh Lin
Company: KiwiCo
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Sandra Oh Lin is the founder and Chief Executive officer of KiwiCo, an education company with a subscription model, sending science-focused learning kits to kids of all ages. Their goal is to foster the creative and problem-solving skills of students through curated activity boxes. Prior to founding KiwiCo, Oh Lin was on the advisory board of Poshmark and worked in director-level positions at eBay and PayPal. Oh Lin earned Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School and her Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Case Western Reserve University.
55. Melody McCloskey
Company: StyleSeat
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Melody McCloskey is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of StyleSeat, the largest online marketplace for beauty and wellness services. In 2011, after feeling frustrated that there was no easy way to book online beauty appointments, McCloskey co-founded StyleSeat with Dan Levine. More than 350,000 beauty professionals in nearly 16,000 cities use the platform today, with customers scheduling than 30 million appointments each year. Fast Company named her one of its Most Creative People in Business 2014. McCloskey received a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations and French from the University of California, Davis.
56. Sophie Kim
Company: Market Kurly
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Sophie Kim is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kurly, one of the largest and fastest-growing dedicated online grocers in South Korea. Kurly is most famous for its unique cold chain delivery system called “morning star delivery,” through which customers can order from more than 7,000 SKUs, ranging from artisan cheeses from France to freshly-harvested strawberries, for preparation overnight and delivery early in the morning. Previously, Kim spent 10 years working for Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and Temasek as an investment banker and consultant. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations from Wellesley College.
57. Jessica Rolph
Company: Lovevery
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Jessica Rolph is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lovevery, a child development retailer providing play-based learning and development solutions for infants and toddlers. Lovevery’s goal is to instill confidence in parents that they are making the most of each developmental stage for their child. Rolph also serves on the board of HappyFamily Brands, a leading brand of organic baby, toddler, and children’s food in the U.S., where she was founding partner and chief operating officer until 2016. Rolph earned her Master of Business Administration degree from Cornell University.
58. Morgan DeBaun
Company: Blavity, Inc.
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Morgan DeBaun is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blavity, Inc., the largest media company for Black millennials. Under her leadership, the company has successfully acquired Travel Noire, a travel platform for Black millennials, and Shadow and Act, a Black entertainment news site. DeBaun has also launched several consumer summits, including Summit 21, for Black women creators and entrepreneurs, and AfroTech, the largest tech conference for Black innovators and founders. She is also the founder of M.Roze Essentials and WorkSmart. DeBaun received her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Washington University in St. Louis.
59. Rebeca Minguela
Company: Clarity AI
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Rebeca Minguela is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Clarity AI, a company whose goal is to ensure socially efficient capital allocation by developing tools to understand social and environmental impact by using scientific research and technology. Prior to founding Clarity, Minguela was global head of digital transformation at Banco Santander. She was also the founder and CEO of Blink Booking, which was purchased by Groupon in 2013. Minguela earned her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in telecommunications engineering from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, and her Master of Science degree in information technology from Universität Stuttgart. She also earned her Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School and her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia.
60. Sara Menker
Company: Gro Intelligence
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Sara Menker is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gro Intelligence, a company that gathers, aggregates, and processes data to unlock crucial insights into weather patterns, trade flows, pricing dynamics, and production while providing users with actionable agricultural data to drive higher productivity and greater access to capital. Prior to founding Gro Intelligence in 2012, she was a vice president at Morgan Stanley’s commodities group. Menker is a Trustee of the Mandela Institute for Development Studies, a member of the Global Agenda Council on Africa at the World Economic Forum, and an Advisory Board Member of Shining Hope for Communities. Menker received her Master of Business Administration degree from Columbia University.
61. Lisa Shields
Company: FISPAN
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Lisa Shields is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of FISPAN. The goal of FISPAN is to help banks easily connect with their corporate clients. Shields also founded and led Hyperwallet Systems Inc., which is recognized as a leading global payments processor for business-to-consumer mass payouts. She is a member of the Canadian FinPay Committee, was named the EY Regional Entrepreneur of the Year in 2015, and received a Women in Payments Innovation Award in 2016. A firm believer in inclusive commerce, Shields speaks frequently and passionately on the importance of low-cost, compliant payments as well as the unbanked. Shields received her Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
62. Vu Van
Company: ELSA
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Vu Van is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of ELSA, a speech and language recognition platform transforming the way users learn new languages. ELSA stands for “English Language Speech Assistant” and uses AI and machine learning to listen, correct, and coach users on proper pronunciation with the goal of instilling confidence in the student. Van earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in international business and economics from Foreign Trade University, where she graduated as valedictorian. She then earned her Master of Arts degree in education from Stanford Graduate School of Education and her Master of Business Administration degree from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
63. Ooshma Garg
Company: Gobble
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Ooshma Garg is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Gobble, a company delivering an alternative to take-out meals for busy professionals and families. Founded in 2010, Gobble specializes in quick, healthy meal kits that are easy to prepare at home, saving customers both time and stress. Garg is also the founder of Anapata, a job search platform for law students. She has won several awards for her work, including Forbes’ Top 30 Innovators Under 30 in 2012 and Fortune’s Top NextGen Female Entrepreneurs in 2011. Garg earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biomechanical engineering from Stanford University.
64. Caryn Seidman-Becker
Company: CLEAR
Title: Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Caryn Seidman-Becker is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CLEAR, a trusted identity verification platform. She also oversees the customer experience, marketing, business development, and people development of the company. In 2004, Seidman-Becker created the Arience Foundation and the Happy Elephant Foundation, which support charter schools, cancer research, child wellness, and the New York City community. She sits on the Board of Directors of Mt. Sinai Children’s Center and the Young Women’s Leadership Network and is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York City. Seidman-Becker received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Michigan.
65. Noosheen Hashemi
Company: January AI
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Office
Noosheen Hashemi is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of January AI, a platform that predicts diabetic patients’ responses to certain foods. She is also the president and co-founder of the HAND Foundation, a private foundation focusing on child sexual abuse prevention, economic growth, education, and civic participation. In addition, Hashemi serves as a board advisor to the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, investor and advisor to Nautilus Biotechnology, member of the advisory board of CareMessage, Advisory Council member of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and advisory board member of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research. Hashemi received her Master of Science degree in management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
66. Gina Bianchini
Company: Mighty Networks
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Gina Bianchini is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mighty Networks. Founded in 2017, the company is a digital platform enabling entrepreneurs to monetize their creative work by leveraging community connections to sell online courses, materials, and subscription content. Bianchini also founded the startups Mightybell, Ning, and Harmonic Communications. She has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, Wired, Vanity Fair, Bloomberg, and the New York Times. Bianchini earned her Master of Business Administration degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Stanford University.
67. Sue Khim
Company: Brilliant
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Sue Khim is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Brilliant, an education company using its digital platform to teach math, science, and other STEM subjects in new and interesting ways. With courses created by expert educators, Brilliant offers learning opportunities for students of all ages. Prior to starting Brilliant, Khim founded the startup Alltuition, with the goal of assisting college students with financial aid. She was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Education list in 2012. Khim studied mathematics at the University of Chicago.
68. Jasmine Crowe
Company: Goodr
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Jasmine Crowe is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Goodr, a food surplus management company with the goal of reducing food waste and feeding those in need. Goodr uses technology to enable businesses who would otherwise throw away surplus food to donate it instead. Crowe previously founded BlackCelebrityGiving.com, a media platform showcasing goodwill and philanthropy in Black communities. She has a passion for ending hunger and food waste and has given multiple TED Talks on the subject. Crowe earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communication from North Carolina Central University.
69. Isabelle Kenyon
Company: Calibrate
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Isabelle Kenyon is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Calibrate, a weight- and metabolism-management program. Founded in 2019, Calibrate uses lab work, metabolic medication, and coaching to help users change not only their weight but their attitudes about weight loss. Prior to Calibrate, Kenyon led several teams at Capsule and co-founded the retail store Jane. She was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Retail and E-commerce list in 2015. Kenyon began her career as an investment banker in Hong Kong after earning her Bachelor of Arts degree in East Asian studies from the University of Pennsylvania.
70. Catherine Wood
Company: ARK Investment Management
Title: Chief Executive Officer and Chief Information Officer
Catherine Wood is the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Information Officer of ARK Investment Management LLC. In 2016, she received the Women in Finance Outstanding Contribution Award from Market Media. Prior to joining ARK, Wood spent 12 years at AllianceBernstein as chief investment officer of Global Thematic Strategies. She joined AllianceBernstein from Tupelo Capital Management, a hedge fund she co-founded which managed $800 million in global thematic strategies in 2000. She previously worked for 18 years with Jennison Associates as chief economist, equity research analyst, portfolio manager, and director. Wood received her Bachelor of Science degree in finance and economics from the University of Southern California.
71. Pooja Sankar
Company: Piazza
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Pooja Sankar is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Piazza, an online learning platform that connects students with teaching assistants and professors to help foster curiosity and collaboration. Piazza help students get questions answered easily, no matter the time of day—or night. Prior to founding Piazza, Sankar was a software developer at Facebook, Kosmix, and Oracle. Sankar earned her Master of Business Administration degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, her Master of Science degree in computer science from the University of Maryland, and her Bachelor of Science degree in computer science from the Indian Institute of Technology.
72. Michelle Kennedy
Company: Peanut
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Michelle Kennedy is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Peanut, an app connecting women throughout all stages of motherhood. Peanut provides a safe space for mothers, expectant mothers, and those trying to conceive to build friendships, ask questions, and find support. Prior to founding Peanut, Kennedy was the director of Bumble and deputy CEO of Badoo. Earlier in her career, she was a successful corporate lawyer at the leading international law firm Mishcon de Reya before being poached by the firm’s successful biotech client, Quotient Bioscience, to head up their legal team. Kennedy received her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Sheffield.
73. Ara Katz
Company: Seed Health
Title: Co-founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer
Ara Katz is the co-founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Seed Health, a microbial sciences company pioneering the application of bacteria to impact human and planetary health. She previously co-founded and served as CMO of Spring, a mobile commerce marketplace (backed by LMVH, sold to ShopRunner), and was on the founding team of the social commerce company BeachMint (sold to Conde Nast), where she launched six direct-to-consumer influencer subscription brands. Katz is an angel investor and advisor in companies such as mindbodygreen, Stadium Goods (recently sold to FarFetch), RXDefine, and Mahmee, a women’s healthcare startup. She has been a fellow at the MIT Media Lab’s Center for Future Storytelling and CCA’s Design Master of Business Administration program.
74. Angela Sutherland
Company: Yumi
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Angela Sutherland is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer and of Yumi, a baby food startup that brands itself as the definitive source for parents seeking to understand what they are feeding their children and why. The company offers a science-based early childhood meal delivery program that is the most convenient and nutritional option on the market and prides itself on making organic meals with all-natural ingredients. Sutherland was previously a director at Sierra Constellation Partners, a private equity firm, and an investment banker at Goldman Sachs. She received her Bachelor of Arts in mathematics from Brown University.
75. Elizabeth Zalman
Company: strongDM
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Elizabeth Zalman is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of strongDM, the definitive data security product. With over 15 years of experience leading data-driven organizations, she is an expert in analytics, data privacy, and security. She was co-founder and CEO of the cross-device profile company Media Armor, later serving as vice president of analytics at Nomi after it acquired Media Armor. She previously led the client analytics and media optimization team at Dotomi (now Conversant), generating an annual $500 million in incremental revenue for 50 of the IR Top 100. Zalman received her Bachelor of Arts degrees in economics and Jewish studies from McGill University.
76. Stephany Kirkpatrick
Company: Orum
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Stephany Kirkpatrick is the founder and Chief Executive Officer at Orum, a digital financial platform designed to enable real-time money movement between institutions and consumers. Orum leverages technology and machine learning to reduce the risk associated with conventional ACH transactions. Kirkpatrick was previously the general manager of digital strategy at SoulCycle and vice president of digital products at Northwestern Mutual. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in international management from Pepperdine University and earned a certificate in personal financial planning from the University of California, Los Angeles.
77. Iman Abuzeid
Company: Incredible Health
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Iman Abuzeid is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Incredible Health, a career marketplace for permanent healthcare workers that enables hospitals to directly recruit nurses rather than the standard application process. As the first and only platform to focus on permanent employees rather than contractors, Incredible Health is used by 250 major hospitals nationwide. A trained medical doctor, Abuzeid is a McKinsey alumnus and led product management at AliveCor, a Khosla-backed health tech startup. She received her Master of Business Administration degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree from the University College London Medical School.
78. Sara LaHayne
Company: Move This World
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Sara LaHayne is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Move This World, the leading provider of social-emotional learning multimedia resources for Pre-K–12 students, educators, and families. Move this World delivers educational content through short interactive lessons grounded in the goal of empowering students to navigate the rapidly changing realities of the world. LaHayne has presented at numerous conferences continents and been featured in Forbes, the Washington Post, the Guardian, ABC7, the Atlantic, Education Week, the Huffington Post, Inc, Education Dive, and EdSurge. She was a Fulbright Scholar in Bogota, Colombia when she authored, implemented, and evaluated the original Move This World curriculum. LaHayne received her Bachelor of Arts degree in foreign affairs and Spanish from the University of Virginia.
79. Xiaoyin Qu
Company: Run The World
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Xiaoyin Qu is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Run The World, a leading virtual events platform for community building. She has been featured in Forbes’ 30 Under 30, LinkedIn Top Voice, and Inc.’s Female Founder 100. Prior to dropping out of Stanford Graduate School of Business to start Run The World, Qu led product management at Facebook and Instagram. Today, she is an active and well-published product writer and tech influencer who runs her own product columns in China with 7000+ paid subscribers. Qu received her Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and computer science from Pomona College.
80. Yunha Kim
Company: Simple Habit
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Yunha Kim is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Simple Habit. A former investment banker on Wall Street, Kim quit her job to found her first startup, raising over $3 million from prominent investors. In order to manage the stress of running a startup, she began meditating for a few minutes a day and saw dramatic improvements in the quality of her work, relationships, and life. Simple Habit was built to help busy people like herself experience the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. Kim received her Bachelor of Science degree from Duke University.
81. Kirin Sinha
Company: Illumix
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Kirin Sinha is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Illumix, a Lightspeed- and Maveron-backed AR gaming and technology company focused on developing adaptive and immersive experiences for mobile phones. Previously, she founded SHINE for Girls, a national nonprofit that encourages middle school girls to pursue the study of mathematics. Kirin is a Marshall Scholar and has master’s degrees from both the University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics, in mathematics and risk and stochastics, respectively. She also received a Master of Business Administration degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree in theoretical math and electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
82. Sima Sistani
Company: Houseparty
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Sima Sistani is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Houseparty, a group video chat app. Prior to launching Houseparty, Sistani worked at Tumblr as head of media and at Yahoo! as director of mobile growth and director of business development and strategy. Sistani was a co-founder of Rogue Paper, Inc., a social TV startup to enhance television interactivity through communal viewing and experiences, and also worked at the Creative Artists Agency and Goldman Sachs. Sistani received her Master of Business Administration degree from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from Duke University.
83. Eugenia Kuyda
Company: Luka
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Eugenia Kuyda is the Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of the AI startup Luka. Its main product is Replika, a virtual companion for mental wellness. Kuyda launched Replika with the idea to create a personal AI that would help the user express and witness oneself by offering a helpful conversation in a space where the user can safely share thoughts, feelings, beliefs, experiences, memories, and dreams in a “private perceptual world.” She received her Master of Business Administration degree in finance from the London Business School and her Master of Arts degree in International Journalism from the Moscow School of International Relations.
84. A.G. Breitenstein
Company: FOLX Health
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
A.G. Breitenstein is founder and Chief Executive Officer of FOLX Health, the first digital-native health platform designed specifically for the queer community. She co-founded the Institute for Health Metrics (IHM) and PrivaSource, which focused on the de-identification of health data. She teaches ethics at the Harvard School of Public Health and was Chair of the Massachusetts Work Group on the Privacy of Medical Records, serving as primary drafter of the Act to Protect the Privacy of Medical Records. Breitenstein received her Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University, her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Connecticut, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Yale University.
85. Liz Young
Company: Realm
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Liz Young is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Realm, a real estate platform that helps homeowners understand the potential value of their home. The New York startup is a free service that can be used to look up a property with the option to purchase more in-depth reports with additional advice. The company’s goal is to help homeowners make smart decisions to update their home and realize the full potential value. Prior to founding Realm, Young worked in sales and marketing leadership positions at Reonomy, Groupon, and Bloomberg. She earned her undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Delaware.
86. Eva Goicochea
Company: Maude
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Eva Goicochea is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Maude, an essentials brand on a mission to make intimacy better for all people through quality, simplicity, and inclusivity. She is also the co-founder of Tinker Watch Co., the founder of Eva Goicochea Studio, and sits on the board of the Peer Health Exchange. She spent more than 10 years in e-commerce and brand strategy working with companies such as ADIDAS Y-3, Squarespace, Steven Alan, and Josie Maran Cosmetics, and was one of the first employees of Everlane. Eva received her Bachelor of Arts degree in organizational communications from California State University, Sacramento.
87. Cashmere Nicole
Company: Beauty Bakerie Cosmetics Brand
Title: Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer
Cashmere Nicole is the founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Beauty Bakerie Cosmetics Brand, a rapidly growing cosmetics firm with products sold globally at locations including Ulta, Nordstrom, Morphe, Target, Selfridges, and BootsUK. She is one of the beauty industry's most notable strategists and visionaries. Nicole is also the president of Sugar Homes, a non-profit aimed at ensuring that orphaned children worldwide have their most basic needs met while also supporting the women and mothers who lead the charge in creating safe spaces for children. Nicole received her Bachelor of General Studies degree from Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis.
88. Padmasree Warrior
Company: Fable
Title: Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer
Padmasree Warrior is the founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Fable, an online platform connecting people through book clubs and discussions. Fable was founded on the premise that reading not only serves as a break from our hectic lives, but that connection through stories can improve mental health. Warrior is the recipient of numerous awards, including Forbes’ World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, the Wall Street Journal’s 50 Women to Watch, and Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business. She serves on the board of directors for Microsoft and Spotify. Warrior earned her Master of Science degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University and her Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology.
89. Tracy Day
Company: World Science Festival
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Tracy Day is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the World Science Festival, overseeing the creative and programmatic offerings of the festival and producing original theatrical, musical, and multimedia works at the intersection of science and art. She is a four-time National News Emmy Award-winning journalist and has produced live and documentary programming for the nation’s preeminent television news divisions for over two decades. At ABC News she was a producer for This Week with David Brinkley, editorial and field producer for Nightline, and story editor for the news magazine Day One. Day has produced documentaries, specials, and live town meeting broadcasts for PBS, The Discovery Channel, CNN, Lifetime, and CNBC.
90. Sarah Neill
Company: Mys Tyler
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Sarah Neill is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mys Tyler, a social-commerce platform whose goal is to reduce returns and waste in the fashion industry by matching women up with the correct clothing size. They champion body positivity and offer encouragement for women of all sizes. Neill is also founder of the startups A Relatively Unique and DOODAD and was previously chief of staff at Ultra Mobile and Mint Mobile. She earned her Master of Business Administration in international business from Griffith University and her Bachelor of Commerce degree in marketing and organizational behavior from Macquarie University.
91. Lindsay Holden
Company: Long Game
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Lindsay Holden is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Long Game, a personal finance app that encourages users to save money while winning cash prizes and that is working to solve the crucial problem of a lack of financial preparedness in America. Before starting Long Game, Holden Co-founded the Applicant Auction, the primary auction for Top Level Domain names which held over $500 million in auctions and over $1 billion in escrow before being acquired. Before that, she helped to launch Formation 8, a venture capital firm with over $1 billion under management. Holden holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
92. Tanya Van Court
Company: Goalsetter
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Tanya Van Court is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Goalsetter, a money app for the whole family. She was inspired to launch Goalsetter by her daughter, Gabrielle, who said that for her ninth birthday she hoped to receive enough money to start an investment account and buy a new bike. Van Court previously worked at Nickelodeon, where she led NickJr.com, Noggin.com, and Nickelodeon’s parenting initiatives. She was also responsible for launching major consumer products in large media companies, including Optimum Voice at Cablevision and ESPN3 at ESPN. Van Court received her Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in industrial engineering from Stanford University.
93. Banu Guler
Company: Co-Star
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Banu Guler is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Co-Star, the hyper-personalized social astrology app bringing astrology into the 21st century. Guler is a fashion industry veteran with experience working with brands such as Diane von Furstenberg, Alex & Ani, Ann Taylor, VFILES, and Michael Kors. She began her career as a graphic designer, but after discovering the power of digital technology in the fashion space she shifted her focus toward creating immersive digital experiences to integrate community and content into commerce. Guler received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from New York University.
94. Ellyette Gheno
Title: BootayBag
Company: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Ellyette Gheno is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of BootayBag, an intimate apparel subscription box for women. What began as store-bought undies repackaged in recycled Amazon boxes with some cute tissue paper and a love note evolved into a unique brand and community of women enjoying a personal treat each month. With BootayBag, Gheno aims to empower women’s confidence, self-love, and body positivity. The platform features a safe space on social media with a community of like-minded women. As a small business owner in the growing world of subscription boxes, Gheno has turned challenges into learning experiences to grow her business and brand.
95. Amanda Gorman
Company: Nest Collaborative
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Amanda Gorman is the founder of Nest Collaborative, a service that seeks to improve maternal-child health by expanding access to payer-reimbursed telelactation support. Nest Collaborative integrates a preventive, value-based model of care and affordable access to board-certified lactation experts who work to improve lactation success and healthy outcomes for mothers and children. Prior to founding Nest Collaborative, Gorman was a nurse in Baltimore and the San Francisco Bay Area. She received her Master of Science in Nursing degree from the University of California, San Francisco; her Bachelor of Science in nursing degree from Columbia University; and her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Fordham University.
96. Meena Ganesh
Company: Portea Medical
Title: Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Managing Director
Meena Ganesh is the co-founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Managing Director of Portea Medical, India’s largest and fastest-growing home healthcare company. Previously, she was the promoter and board member of TutorVista, and CEO and managing director of Pearson Education Services, which includes innovative and successful brands like TutorVista, a leading online tutoring company, and Edurite, a provider of technology-based solutions and digital content. Ganesh has served as the CEO of Tesco’s operations in India as well as on the Global Retail Council of Tesco. She received her postgraduate diploma in management from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, and has a graduate degree in physics from Madras University.
97. Roshawnna Novellus
Company: EnrichHER
Title: Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Roshawnna Novellus is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of EnrichHER, a financial technology platform that helps women get funding to grow ventures. She is an advocate for gender equality who believes in economic empowerment and inclusive economic growth. Novellus has been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, and the Huffington Post. She has also completed the Pipeline Angels Fellowship, a Kauffman program in angel investing. Novellus serves on the Commission on Women for the City of Atlanta and was honored as one of the Women Who Means Business by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and one of the 40 Under 40 by Georgia Trend. Novellus received her Doctor of Philosophy degree in systems engineering from George Washington University.
98. Marguerite deCourcelle
Company: Blockade Games
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Marguerite deCourcelle is the Chief Executive Officer at Blockade Games, a video game development studio focused on combining blockchain and entertainment. Blockade Games’ free-to-play games include the in-game exchange of digital assets. She is also an internationally recognized inventor of “crypto puzzles” and a director at Neon District, a game developed by Blockade Games. DeCourcelle began her career as a visual artist, working her way to fame in the video game industry before transitioning into the hot industry of bitcoin and blockchain.
99. Courtne Smith
Company: NewNew
Title: Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Courtne Smith is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of NewNew, a tech startup whose app is a new kind of social network. NewNew lets users vote in polls to make decisions for other users, as well as create private communities within the app based on topics or shared interests. Launched in mid-2020, the business is backed by several venture capital firms. Smith has founded multiple smaller startups, including a hair product line and a giveaway game app, and was previously a member of rapper Drake’s management team. She studied business marketing at Ryerson University.
100. Joanne Wilson
Company: Gotham Gal Ventures
Title: Chief Executive Officer
Joanne Wilson is the Chief Executive Officer of the investment fund Gotham Gal Ventures. She is an active angel investor with a portfolio of over 90 companies who has also been involved in numerous restaurants, real estate ventures, and education projects. Wilson previously served as chairperson at Hot Bread Kitchen, a non-profit committed to increasing access to the culinary industry for woman and minority entrepreneurs. She also sits on the board of The Highline in New York City. Her popular blog, www.gothamgal.com, has been active for over 11 years, and she recently launched her podcast, “Positively Gotham Gal.” Wilson received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in finance and retail management from Simmons College.