With the increasing awareness towards women empowerment and the contribution of women in the business world, there has been a visible surge in female entrepreneurs. As an instrument to women empowerment, female entrepreneurship development plays an integral part in inspiring women through development programs in the emerging economy. The industry is constantly amazed by the presence and emergence of inspirational women entrepreneurs who are setting an example for women everywhere.
With this article, we are presenting a list of 30 such inspirational personalities in the business world who are transforming the industry for the better.
Marcella Vanessa Tjahyanto
Cella Vanessa is the CMO of Azarine cosmetic by PT. Wahana Kosmetika Indonesia. Azarine is a skincare brand that uses only premium natural ingredients with modern technology to make high-end skincare accessible at an affordable cost. With always a step ahead in innovation, Azarine focuses on product development and trends with its own R&D team.
Ever since Cella took over the company and modified its marketing strategies, Azarine witnessed tremendous growth even during the pandemic. In 2021, the sales of the company increased by 650%. The efforts of the R&D team combined with Cella’s determination made their product, Hydrasoothe Sunscreen Gel go viral and it became the No. 1 Best Seller Sunscreen in Indonesia. In just four months, it dominated the market share by 11.9% and now they are selling 500,000 sunscreens every month.
By collaborating with local and international brands, Cella was able to create brand awareness and made it famous among celebs and influencers. Azarine is currently expanding its operations to online channels across the globe and is also available in over 1000 stockists.
Sol Spier
Sol Spier is a digital marketer, entrepreneur, and digital nomad who helps others build freedom-filled businesses.
Sol discovered her purpose and forged her path in digital marketing while on a 6-month post-grad sabbatical. During this backpacking trip through Europe, Sol decided to ditch the plan to climb the corporate ladder and instead chose to build a digital marketing business that allows her the freedom to travel while making an income online.
Sol traveled as a digital nomad to 30+ countries while building her company, Dawning Digital. Sol and her company are now based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, but the company and the entire team continue to be remote. With team members in 4 continents, clients across the globe, and a founder that travels far too often, Dawning Digital truly is a location-independent company.
Sol has doubled her company’s revenue year over year since 2019 and has big plans for 2022, including publishing a book: an interactive business branding and social media workbook that will help people start and grow their businesses by harnessing the power of branding and social media.
Kate Mogylevska
Cindy Maram
Cindy Maram, Producer and Global Entertainment Film & Media Executive, grew up with people indulged in acting careers and professional sports. Cindy also unveiled her admiration for the entertainment industry and, soon channelled her creative urge to develop celebrity news and entertainment publication and called it Dig IN Magazine. Launched in 2008, this magazine successfully made it to the industry when digital magazines was an obscure concept. While she pioneered multiple roles in past, Cindy still dons many hats. IN Close Entertainment, a creative and production agency is another brainchild of Cindy that has won countless hearts and rescued numerous brands in the entertainment industry. Her ceaseless knowledge and experience have led her to some of the incredible red carpets. She has also interviewed A-list celebrities, inspired numerous newbies and continues to add her expertise to steer filmmakers and their films to great success.
Krystl Fabella
Krystl Fabella is the founder of Filipina on the Rise, a media company and leading podcast spotlighting impactful Filipino women around the world, with over 30,000+ listeners and ranked multiple times in the Top 100 of Apple categories.
Immigrating to the U.S. at the age of 7, Krystl grew up noticing the lack of women of her background in media and various industries. In 2019, while working in San Francisco tech, she launched a podcast from her walk-in closet, not knowing it would amass a following of tens of thousands around the world. Krystl recently launched the Filipina Soul Sisterhood, a global membership that brings Filipinas together for culture-reconnection and empowerment, through workshops, mentorships, discussion circles, and more.
Krystl has spoken at national conferences, panels, and hosted over 80 workshops and classes, and even spearheaded statewide policy for women’s rights. It is her mission to help women of underrepresented backgrounds see greatness through their stories, step into their power, and “Stay Rising.”
Juliette Karaman- van Schaardenburg
Suzanne Jones
Suzanne Jones is a wife to CJ and mother to 4 children ranging from 5-18. From childhood, she has been creating with her grandmother. An entrepreneur at heart, Suzanne stumbled into the jewelry world, truly by accident. She got out her frying pan and tried out some metal stamps she bought at a craft store. Soon she was hand stamping for her local and very supportive community. They moved off their dining room table to a studio and expanded their line into wholesale from stores from Seaside to Michigan. They kicked off fundraisers and hope the jewelry is much more than just another piece for your collection, but a piece that is a reminder of something bigger that holds a story that is meaningful to you.
Fall 2021, they were honored to have their line on the runway with “Ones to Watch” with Flying Solo at NYFW and they have just been picked for “Ones to Watch” for Fall 22 for the Paris Fashion Week. Suzanne loves to empower women through her own story and encouragement to do what they love and chase their dreams. Owning a couple of Airbnb’s, an antique booth, and now a brick and mortar selling locally and even internationally…she truly loves connecting people in whatever line of work she is doing at the time.
Manouk de Vries
Manouk’s story began when she was working as an eyebrow stylist in a brow bar in Amsterdam (the Netherlands). She realized that by doing brows, she could bring confidence, one woman at a time. Her personal mission was born. But she wanted to reach more women and faster. Manouk started Supercilium, the one-stop-brow-shop for brow professionals. 4 years later, she has reached over 10M women in 75 countries through her skilled community of eyebrow professionals.
The beauty standards of today are unrealistic and the only way to beat this is by accepting your true self. The eyebrow is the perfect tool of expression to show your unique character. Early 2022 Supercilium will launch the first consumer products. From the leadership position in the professional eyebrow industry, she developed a technique that is applicable on every brow. The straightforward range of brow make-up will give women all the tools to feel confident.
Yvette Jain
Yvette helps individuals to believe in themselves, their abilities, and self-worth and to bring forth their inner confidence. Her philosophy: be true to yourself, do your best, and have fun! As a teacher, coach, and entrepreneur, Yvette empowers clients in their physical and personal evolution through the practice of yoga, handstands, and meditation. She is the founder and creator of the fitness program, HANDSTAND CONFIDENTLY, where she believes that one can achieve great things when one applies discipline, focus, and courage in their actions.
She has been teaching for over 10 years for various yoga studios and gyms in NYC and, in recent years, online. She’s worked with a number of corporate clients, including the NBA. She’s taught for SELF Magazine Workout in Central Park a number of times and has been featured in Mantra Magazine, Origins Magazine, and Ashtanga Daily. She contributes to blogs including MindBodyGreen, Red Tricycle, and K-Deer. Yvette gives back and supports causes, especially for women, children, and minorities.
Solange Blanchard
Solange is the founder and CEO of CUMUL, a business she launched in 2013. She brings her 15+ years of entrepreneurship building businesses, to focus on helping passionate female entrepreneurs fulfill their dreams of success. She does this by providing the right strategy to start their projects, launch their business, and grow with their success. She delivers this through her proprietary offerings, THE BUSINESS FACTORY and THE WEBSITE FACTORY. These contain her customized coaching, insightful and thought-provoking blogs, and online courses she’s designed to address the specific needs of entrepreneurs in each phase of their growth. Graduated from Harvard University in Management, Solange has lived, studied, and worked in Canada, Germany, and the United States. Her travels have taken her to 16 countries, and it is from this varied experience, Solange provides a transformational coaching experience to entrepreneurs around the globe.
Orla Roisin Abrahams
Orla hails from Irish and South African descent. She is now an American Entrepreneur and philanthropist. Chairman of the Board for the D6 foundation 501(C)(3), President of the Chandelier Club and CEO of Abrahams Industrial Minerals, Inc. a global minerals and mining company.
Born in London, England, she grew up splitting her childhood between the UK, South Africa and Ireland. Her inspiration for the D6 Foundation stems from her father who was raised under apartheid in Cape Town, S.A (District 6). Orla has lived in eight countries including, Italy, France, Russia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa and now the United States.
She has advanced the concept of “Green Mining” to reform traditional mining methods into environmentally friendly best practices. Specifically, her goal of integrating women into this basic industry faced challenges. As a result, the idea to form the chandelier club was born, she created the business incubator and support organization to show other women that no matter where they started, they have unlimited potential to grow.
Nimi Ekere
Nimi Ekere has over 15 years of experience in medical practice. She is a Consultant Family Physician, passionate leader in child advocacy, a wide speaker, author of four books, personality coach, and far-reaching humanitarian who breaks through social lines to serve indigent children in Africa.
Nimi is the founder of Smileandshine Children’s Foundation, a non-profit organization that is deliberate about the sexual and mental wellbeing of children. In rural communities of sub-Saharan Africa, Dr. Nimi’s campaign against child abuse has inspired social security and hope for many children with unbelievable realities. Nimi’s child advocacy has been featured multiple times on various mainstream media outlets, including the BBC.
All four of her books are in different academic curricula of government-run primary, junior and secondary schools in Nigeria. She is a strong proponent of effective and intentional parenting. Dr. Nimi convenes different programs and conferences that promote child rights protection, as well as parental education on the safety of children and young adults. Nimi has also featured in many panels and conferences across the globe.
Dr. Mozhgan Sayyad
Sharon Bolt
Sharon is an invaluable resource for people worldwide to connect to their true Soul’s calling and run successful heart-led businesses. As a spiritual business and creativity mentor, she assists others with weaving powerful ancient wisdom into their offerings. Sharon trains workshop leaders, facilitators, therapists, and healers in the art of Sacred Space Holding and Shamanic ceremonies.
Sharon is a skilled Shamanic Magician, Ceremonialist, and Educator with over 25 years of experience. Sharon co-founded Shamanic Energy Training® over a decade ago – an immersive, multifaceted academy that offers a unique 3 year accredited Shamanic Magician program. A prolific content creator, Sharon also runs The Temple of Shamanic Magick® which offers powerful new teachings.
Sharon shows people how to ignite the magic that runs in their blood in an integral, authentic, and grounded manner. Graduates have enjoyed amazing personal transformations and have been able to catapult their businesses to new heights.
Rain Jarrett and Sky Jarrett
Soul Sisters, Rain and Sky Jarrett of Transcend Global help parent leaders stress less and live more! Combining their expertise in brain-science, mindfulness, leadership maturity, and social & emotional development, these powerhouse sisters provide the life skills that unlock deep, life-changing personal transformation. Their parent leader clients are committed to living, leading, and parenting with a #RelaxedHustle, achieving greatness with more calm, joy, and ease.
Having traveled the world supporting and speaking to parents and corporate leaders across Europe, Asia, North America, the Caribbean, and Latin America for clients like Google, Enterprise, Carnival Cruise Line, hp, Adobe, and others, Rain and Sky have made it their life work to continue spreading their gifts, through speaking, executive coaching, training, online programs, and retreats.
The Soul Sisters of Transcend Global believe in living a life of meaning…one that leaves an imprint in the hearts, minds, and souls of their clients.
Jo Pickard
Jo Pickard is an English, award-winning voice actor, whose talent has been charming audiences worldwide for the past 20 years. Her versatile voice has the power to move and amuse in equal measure – it has seen her present for the very best in the business, from the Olympic Games to National Campaigns.
Her inventiveness and effervescent nature flow out, helping to creating characters galore for both animation and gaming projects. Jo has presented over 200 live major events, television shows, and commercials, she is recognized as the voice of narration for many channels. Her loyalty is second to none and is much appreciated by her colleagues – alongside her natural vivaciousness and professionalism.
Currently, you will find Jo on most major Television channels and is proud to be the face and voice of ‘The Omaze Million Pound House”. Helping to change lives and raise much-needed money and awareness for charities.
Dr. Maryellen Brucato
Ashley Mangone
Ashley’s goal is simple: To help others improve their quality of life through nutrition, movement, & lifestyle changes. Ashley is the sole owner of Renegade Training, a CrossFit gym in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Hustle at Home, an accessible home workout program. Both programs focus on training functional movements that strengthen and enhance natural abilities. Ashley believes the foundation of a healthy lifestyle not only includes activity, but a solid nutrition plan as well. Clients develop a positive relationship with food by learning about macronutrient tracking through her nutrition services, offered in-person and online.
As a Kindergarten teacher for Pittsburgh Public Schools, Ashley is a firm believer in building healthy habits at a young age. She incorporates physical activity and healthy, kid-friendly snacks into her lessons to engage and educate. Ashley is very passionate about teaching others about health and fitness, regardless of their age. As a model for fitness equipment brand Ethos and a Legionnaire for supplement company 1St Phorm, she will continue to help others restructure their lifestyles and become happier and healthier individuals.
Diana Jenner
The international beauty therapist of the year and award-winning beauty expert Diana Jenner is the proprietor of the award-winning Orchids Retreat Beauty Salon and Wellness Clinic. Diana founded Orchids Retreat with one goal in mind: the wellbeing of clients.
Maximizing on 20 years of experience, Diana expanded her business from solopreneur to a team of 12 professionals. Committed to investing in the next generation of beauty industry leaders, Diana shares her passion by teaching students and offering apprenticeships to cultivate newly qualified professionals. Diana’s goal is to expand the reach and have beauty and wellbeing clinics across the globe.
A Dermalogica Brand Ambassador and Skin Expert, Diana is a certified aromatherapist to custom blend beauty products, offering her own curated line named Aurum D. Additionally, Signature D’s consulting services teach entrepreneurs how to grow and scale their businesses. Diana champions philanthropic causes, personally raising funds for over a decade to support charities.
Anne-Marie Marzetti
Anne-Marie Marzetti is the extremely charismatic chef at La Dolce Vita. (As seen on Food Network’s “Guy’s Grocery Games”). Anne-Marie is also the President, General Manager, and Owner of JAM Foods INC. In 2010, at just 23 years old she had the tenacity to open the restaurant La Dolce Vita, with her mother, Barbara. She made quite the splash on the Outer Banks, NC restaurant scene with her quality ingredients, big flavors, appealing plates and authentic Italian cooking. She learned early on that success takes hard work, determination, sacrifices, and committing yourself fully to your goals! She found something she was good at and went with it! It was a good choice. The restaurant stays busy. In 2017 they took the opportunity to expand into the adjacent space and double in size! It takes a lot of dedication to make a restaurant successful and continue to stay relevant year after year. A big part is getting the staff to catch the passion and it starts at the top. A self-proclaimed people pleaser, it makes her happy to make people happy via food. Her food reflects her personality: It’s joyous!
Kelly Cantwell
Kelly Cantwell has devoted 17 years of her career to building the most impressive real estate systems. Known as one of the most trustworthy and top-selling agents with Keller Williams Classic Properties Realty, Kelly has created long-lasting professional relationships with her clients. As a Realtor®, her goal is to bring joy to new homeowners. While her extensive experience and knowledge make her a top-notch negotiator, her cutting-edge marketing skills have led her to a premium roster of clientele in the industry. With her ceaseless passion for buying and selling, she strives to achieve the highest level of integrity, commitment, personalization, and a little fun to every real estate transaction. Today, Kelly serves as one of the top agents in the real estate community and thrives on one belief: Happiness begins with the right home. She is also a member of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing and former President of the Northwest Area Realty Association and Chairperson for Columbus Realtors® Realtor Care Day. Kelly also enjoys serving her community through a number of non-profit organizations.
Chloe Gray
Chloe Gray helps people fall in love. She’s responsible for a few marriages, several engagements, and hundreds of relationships. In 2019, Chloe was a grad student who took advantage of her unique skillset and offered to help people on Reddit improve their dating profiles. She quickly went viral and that’s how Advice by Chloe was born.
Since then, Chloe has perfected her methods. With a master’s degree in clinical social work, she uses her experience as a therapist to create a premium dating consultancy service. Chloe takes a research-based approach which sets her apart from the plague of pseudoscience, fostered dependence, and pickup artistry usually found in the industry. Chloe prides herself on actionable advice and ethical business practices. She boasts a 100% satisfaction rating, was listed as a top dating consultant in Business Blurb, and has been featured in a plethora of radio shows, podcasts, and blog posts.
Amanda Machowicz
Innovative Businesswoman Amanda Machowicz is a trailblazer that inspires others by sharing her hard-hitting life experiences to gain perspective and persevere with a “life is tough, be tougher” mentality through her lifestyle brand Not Dead Can’t Quit. Encouraging others is her passion.
Raised in the construction industry, Amanda was determined to be the first in her family to earn a college degree. After college, she went on to marry a US Navy SEAL, co-founding the lifestyle brand Not Dead Can’t Quit, and have two daughters. After the tragic loss of both parents and shortly thereafter her husband to brain cancer, Amanda went back to her roots and began investing in real estate and flipping homes which led to her creating her company NDCQ Designs.
Amanda also serves as President of Texas TEAM Foundation which serves Military Veterans, First Responders, and their families in any unexpected time of need.
Andrea Sasha Ortiz
Andrea Sasha Ortiz empowers women through community service, advocacy, and the promotion of mind-body-spirit health, wellness, and beauty.
As a strategic consultant, serial entrepreneur, and beauty mogul Andrea Sasha supports clients amid their most important life events using bespoke coaching, consulting, and counseling strategies. She is the Chief Beauty Officer of Golden G!ddess Beauty Co., and founder of both a successful non-profit and private holding company AMOR Enterprises.
As an International Pageant Queen, Beauty Mogul, NYFW model, author, film producer, and TEDx speaker, Andrea Sasha believes that every woman has a unique beauty and deserves to harness it in any way desired. She is the reigning International Ms. Texas 21-22 and serves as a spokesmodel and ambassador for economic freedom, mental health, civic engagement, and leadership. Andrea Sasha endeavors to rejuvenate the global beauty industry by implementing innovative health and wellness techniques and tools, while making them accessible to women worldwide.
Izabela Kvesic
Izabela is revolutionizing the client-coach relationship. A sought-after business strategist and mindfulness coach, she is obsessed with empowering her clients to achieve their big goals, while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Izabela is the Co-Founder of Bluewater Performance Ltd., where she helps entrepreneurs achieve success in their personal & business lives.
Izabela’s superpower is harnessing the power of purpose and unleashing confidence in those she works with. A client described her as a “Rockstar in energizing and enabling women to live their best lives”. When she is not working, she is either in her lavender garden or on a stand-up paddleboard adventure with her three kids.
Izabela is also a recognized thought leader and speaker who loves empowering women and youth to chase their dreams. Her message is simple: Identify your purpose, develop a plan, and commit to massive, decisive action. Her power phrase? “YOU GOT THIS!”
Rina Tan
Rina Tan lives for beautiful living-spaces. In that passion, she founded Blk56 (read “Block 56”) – a Co-living and property investment company. Her Co-Living spaces are a mix of modern-chic and homeliness. The company manages 50 fully-furnished condominium accommodations in Singapore. For eighteen years, Rina ran an award-winning advertising agency, where she developed an eye for practical aesthetics. She believes that beautiful spaces allow for better creativity and interpersonal collaboration. She plans to expand into Co-Working spaces, with the increasing demands from solo-entrepreneurs and aspiring startups for a more conducive working environment.
Rina is also a professional Realtor, specializing in residential buying and selling, and emphasizes consulting for investing. Rina’s core philosophy is that creating something of value begins first with integrity, which then creates a solid foundation for collaboration. She feels blessed to be working with clients and tenants with whom she went on to become friends. These friendships form a large part of her extended network in her real estate and Co-living business. Off work, Rina enjoys cruising around town in her Red Porsche 911. She also serves as the Treasurer for P9 Porsche Club, a local Porsche Club in Singapore.
Samantha Cruz
Samantha Cruz is the founder and creator of S.A.M.’s Business Solutions. As a successful small business owner with a Masters’s degree in Business Marketing, she found a need for business coaching in the minority small female entrepreneur industry. After some research, she realized what void she could fill. Sam will help guide and give action plans to help entrepreneurs ensure their businesses grow especially during these trying times.
Samantha has built not one, but four multi-six-figure businesses for herself and her husband. Making her a business coach with experience to help her clients reach their own true potential. Sam is focused on helping women build the life they want while reducing their fear of failure. Statistics show businesses that fail usually do so in the first five years. Sam wanted to be part of the change to reduce those statistics and help more women succeed.
She knows that, female entrepreneurs cannot always find the support they need, so Sam is here with the tools, resources, and community they need. Samantha realizes the importance of building real relationships with customers. Having a brand that provides a one-on-one experience, Sam is focused on networking and having real conversations with real women.
Patty McDonough Kennedy
“Two years ago, a group of middle school students wandered into a makeshift classroom and changed the trajectory of my life,” said Patty Kennedy, Founder, SpeakWell.
Kennedy, a mom and successful 2x entrepreneur, has lived and worked in five countries, started her first business with just $300 in her pocket, and grew it to service clients across the world. In 2019, she founded SpeakWell – youth leadership and public speaking program that helps students build confidence, self-esteem, resilience, find their voice & use their strengths. In addition to the after-school programs, SpeakWell includes high-profile role models – retired NBA player John Wallace and ‘Homeland’ actress, Amy Hargreaves, who teach students high-level basketball and acting skills, and underscore the program’s messages of character, work ethic, self-confidence, communication, and community.
SpeakWell students were the first in the country from a K-8 school to deliver TEDx talks, publish national articles, and speak at international companies including UBS and BT. Demanded by parents and educators alike, the organization quickly grew from nine students to a projected 1,000 students this year, and also provides scholarships for schools in need. Nominated for a Reimagine Education Award by The Wharton School, the program has appeared in Forbes, Fox, and Entrepreneur and has quickly made its mark in the $1.96 trillion education industry.
Veronica Crisafulli
Veronica is a creative mind that focuses on innovation in the digital space and financial inclusion. She took her first step into her entrepreneurial path in 2016 when co-founding MO Technologies, a fintech that developed a patented proprietary credit scoring technology and a digital lending platform based on machine learning, artificial intelligence, and all cloud-based.
Her dream has always been to make credit more accessible to people all around the world. On top of MO, in 2020, she co-founded KEO World: a fintech in the pure lending space. Today, she is CEO and Chairman of the Board of MO Technologies and Board Advisor at KEO.
In the last 2 years, she has been known by renowned sources as one of the most influential businesswomen to watch, make a difference, and positively impact. As a public speaker, she seeks to become a spokesperson for women and young entrepreneurs in the fintech space. Veronica is proud to lead a company of top talents, always trying to achieve the next level.
Brittaney Young
Brittaney Young hails from Alabama and she is the CEO and Founder of BCY Solutions and CEO and Co-Founder of Launch Llama. Paralegal turned Entrepreneur, Brittaney brings over a decade of experience in process implementation and two degrees worth of education in project management to every table. And she takes great pride in transforming each table from frenzied to functional!
Offering proven insight into both public and private sectors, Brit is the go-to girl for promoting positive business growth, creating efficient organization, and reducing negative financial impact. This allows her BCY Solutions, clients, to save time and run smoothly! With her new brand, Launch Llama, Brit, and her team offer an all-in-one website launch service! Their objective is to improve the website creation experience through skilled project management, talented design, and delightful customer support. Brit can currently be found in sunny Florida living the glamorous life of a proud military wife and mother.
Final Thoughts
The role of women in the entrepreneurial world has been revolutionary lately and with their efforts, they are not only transforming the industry but giving hope to every aspiring female entrepreneur out there. With their sheer will and determination, combined with their unrelenting spirits, these inspiring personalities are serving as the pillars for women empowerment.