Every girl needs someone to look up to and admire. To our luck, we have multiple successful women who show us that we can achieve our dreams no matter where we come from. Keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive, but it offers a wide range of women who built their names from nothing, to women who come from well-known families yet succeeding in making a name of their own.
- Indra Nooyi
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Indra Nooyi has consistently been ranked as the world’s 100 most powerful women. She is well-known as the former chairman and chief executive officer of PepsiCo. She is from India and excelled in academics by earning degrees in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and an MBA in management. She moved to the USA to attend Yale School of Management to earn a Master’s degree in Public and Private Management. She is inspiring because she managed to achieve a secure spot in one of the leading multinational food and beverage companies, overcoming social, cultural, and gender challenges. She also fights for gender equality, challenges sexism, and empowers women to live their dreams.
- Folorunsha Alakija
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Folorunsho Alakija is the executive vice-chairman of Famfa Oil and the group managing director of The Rose of Sharon Group. She is known to be one of the richest female entrepreneurs in Nigeria and one of the richest Black women in the world. She is also known for her philanthropic work through the Rose of Sharon Foundation. The foundation assists orphans and widows by providing them business grants and scholarships. It is so inspiring to see successful women helping out other women who may not have the same opportunities.
- Madonna
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Madonna is called “the smartest business woman in show business.” She has been a pop icon for over 30 years because she knows how to stay on top of the music business. Also, obviously because of her amazing songs and performances. She moved to New York with $35 to pursue a career in dancing. She ended up being the first female pop star with an image of power, ambition, and fierce independence. She is inspiring because she continually speaks up for women and the LGBTQ+ community.
- Wang Laichun
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Wang Laichun is a self-made Chinese billionaire and is known as the chairman/president at Luxshare Precisions Industry Co. She supplies parts to Apple, so she is the literal root of success at Apple. She is super inspiring because she reached success at a very young age, starting from nothing.
- Kylie Jenner
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At the age of 21, Kylie Jenner became the world’s youngest billionaire. She managed to create her own spotlight, apart from her famous Kardashian family. Kylie owns the makeup company Kylie Cosmetics and became a billionaire from a millionaire within 3 years. She donated to multiple feminist organizations that help mentor young women in low-income areas. Some may argue otherwise, but I think it is inspiring to create an entire company based on an insecurity she had as a kid. She acknowledges her head-start and opportunities, coming from a wealthy family.
While there are many more inspirational business women, these are some of the few that I look up to. Some started from absolutely nothing, while others started from wealth. These women have contributed to empowering female ambitions and have become a role model to many young girls.