As collegiettes, we’re stuck somewhere between adolescence and adulthood which makes finding a professional role model not only important but absolutely necessary. It’s no secret that women are often marginalized and underestimated in the workplace as compared to their male counterparts in the same field. The powerful women included in this list are not only inspirational but also deserving of all professional praise for their accomplishments. These women are certainly challenging the social norm and have surpassed the glass ceiling, which, in my opinion, is something to be celebrated. Here are a few of my top picks for Women to Watch in 2014.
For the businesswoman:
Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors
Mary Barra was officially installed as the first ever female Chief Executive Officer of General Motors this January, replacing Dan Akerson. Prior to her appointment, she worked for GM for over 30 years in engineering, communications, and human resources. Although it is almost astonishing to think that GM has never had a female CEO, at the same time it’s not entirely surprising at all. Barra’s ascent to CEO has caused a lot of hype in the media and she was #35 on Forbes’ list of Power Women in 2014.
For universal rights advocates:
Leila Janah, CEO of Samasource
In 2008, Leila Janah founded her company Samasource. Samasource is a non-profit social business that connects people living in poverty to microwork, which helps individuals build skills and generate income. Using her personal skills as a successful entrepreneur, Janah is able to help people across the world. In 2011, she co-founded Samahope which became the first crowd-funding website for medical treatments in developing countries. In 2013, the domestic program SamaUSA was established under the same principles as Samasource. Janah’s career is both inspiring and exciting to observe as she builds her life’s work around social justice issues. You can check out the Samasource website here.
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Salma Hayek Pinault, Cofounder of Chime for Change
You may know Salma Hayek Pinault as an amazing Hollywood actress but she’s been doing more than that recently. In 2012, she partnered with Beyonce Knowles-Carter to co-found Chime for Change. The organization was built around three pillars of education, health, and justice for all women everywhere. Chime for Change campaigns to raise funds via Catapult, the first crowd-funding platform focused on the advancement of girls and women. Pinault’s personal focus is justice where she encourages the empowerment of women and girls internationally. This is a link for the Chime for Change website.
Heba Morayef, Human Rights Watch Egypt Director: Middle East and North Africa Division
Heba Morayef is a human rights lawyer and an advocate of democracy and women’s rights movements in Egypt. She is the Egypt Director of the Human Rights Watch and has been named as one of Foreign Policy’s 2013 Global Thinkers. Morayef investigates human rights issues in Egypt and in spite of danger and conflict, she continues to pursue her passions. She was even considered for a position on Time’s Top 100 in 2013, which helped bring awareness to her recent work in Egypt.
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For the tech savvy chick:
Jane McGonigal, CCO SuperBetter Labs
Jane created Superbetter, an online game that helps users achieve health goals, after a serious concussion. The game, SuperBetter, isn’t about winning but instead involves collaboration with other players and tools to set realistic goals. Through Jane’s games, she is able to relate real world experiences to virtual activities. Her research focuses on the way we learn, work, and problem solve. “My goal for the next decade is to try to make it as easy to save the world in real life as it is to save the world in online games.” You can watch her TED talk “Gaming can make a better world” here.