The current digital landscape is welcoming more and more women to the entrepreneurial world to show off their skills and create a lucrative business opportunity for themselves and it’s no surprise that women entrepreneurs are grabbing that opportunity with both hands. What was earlier presumed to be a male-dominated industry is now witnessing women taking over more and more leadership roles and bringing a new wave of transformation in the business world.
With that being said, these female entrepreneurs are ready to become the catalyst of change in 2022.
Gabriella Maria
Mehtap Leyla Turanalp Uysal
Leylâ is the founder and CEO of Bajêr and a social entrepreneur who brings the artisanal culture of her rural roots with contemporary designs to create a watch brand that makes every day an occasion for something extraordinary.
Growing up in a small town on the border Turkey shares with Syria, Bajêr founder Leylâ experienced the traditional, conservative culture that often limits Kurdish women’s expression, suppressing their hopes, fears, and opinions from reaching the public sphere.
Yet, while culturally silenced, these incredible women have woven their story into rugs by combining symbols, expressing complex feelings – the desire to have a family, anger at injustice, challenges in life. Bajêr takes its unique designs in decoding the secret language of Kurdish women from this tradition. Leylâ believes in social impact as much as good design. Therefore, Bajêr supports the NGOs that help women and children through educational assistance, financial independence, and the community’s overall well-being in the Kurdish region.
Michelle Vernon
Seeing an untapped market in her home country of Jamaica, Michelle Vernon founded Body Studio Skincare in 2015. The company currently has two locations within Jamaica that offer a range of body and skincare treatments. Soon after building Body Studio Skincare Michelle launched Body Studio Cosmeceuticals which is her adjacent brand focused on creating result-oriented products which are all-natural and safe for clients.
As a renowned skincare expert, Michelle has written articles for The Observer where she addressed the many concerns associated with body, skin, and aesthetic related matters. Michelle has achieved unprecedented success and has made appearances as an expert in aesthetics on the TVJ program, Entertainment Report, Business Access TV, Career Moves, she was also a guest on CVM at Sunrise, The Love Zone, and was featured as an inspiration for Young People in Business by Loop Magazine. With a reservoir of knowledge in the field of aesthetics, she inspired many to follow their passion in skincare, beauty, and wellness.
As a busy single mother and world traveler she balances and crowns it all with her two daughters. Makeda and Malika. Skies the limit for this trailblazer.
Elena Kaminskiy
Nikita Gupta
Nikita helps job seekers around the world to land job offers in FAANG+ companies. She started FAANGPath in 2020 in COVID time with the goal to help folks land their dream jobs. Nikita is currently also working as Senior Technical Recruiter with Uber, also worked with Amazon with 3+ years of recruiting and hiring experience. Nikita is a serial entrepreneur, mentor, and philanthropist.
She has 61k+ followers on LinkedIn, 21K+ on Clubhouse, and 5K+ on Twitter with more than 2.5 Million views on recent posts. Her articles have been printed in the Hollywood Times, Business Insider. She believed in the motto “If she can do it, anyone can do it”. Additionally, she gives unlimited support to these women to gain confidence, security, and financial freedom during such a trying time.
She has grown her initiative exponentially by helping 900+ job seekers to get interview calls and job offers from FAANG+ Companies. She has been nominated in various Women Entrepreneur Awards. Has been a TEDx speaker and has conducted 50+ Webinars globally with various universities and clubs.
Alexandria Gomez
Alexandria Gomez is a six-time Certified Lash Artist, Lash New York Salon Owner, Business Coach, Lash Product Creator, Online Training Academy Mentor, and Entrepreneur. Lexie has been lashing in the industry for seven years and has found herself in the community by helping others look, feel and be beautiful – while helping other young lash artists build the same empire.
Lexie created her book, “Habits of a Successful Lash Artist” which gives all the in’s and out’s of a “Classic Lash Extension” Manual that every lash artist needs. Lexie hopes to inspire young women to able to achieve the same dreams. As her motto is to “Dream Big!” Lexie’s salon Lash New York has won two awards: Pittsburgh Best Lashes and Is in the Business Hall of Fame. Lash New York has made a name for itself in Pittsburgh, PA.
Lexie takes great pride in her technique and training and you will be comfortable in knowing that Lexie will not only inspire you to achieve great results but to become the Best Lash Artist you can be. Lexie is a futurist leader and she plans on having a Podcast and her online course launching very soon to inspire all women to pursue their dreams.
Awa Mballo Tall
Awa Mballo Tall, the founder of AMFA Beauty, hails from Senegal west Africa. After a baccalaureate degree, Awa decided to embark on law studies with the aim of becoming a notary. In 2015, she decided to do a semester at Bordeaux Montesquieu University to discover French Law. At the end of 2018, she decided to launch her E-commerce site www.amfabeauty.com specializing in cosmetics and lifestyle. Since, AMFA Corporation as grown to include AMFA beauty house, a beauty institute in Senegal.
According to her, beauty is about how you are putting yourself forward in the world and the confidence of embracing your own skin. Her products are known for their sustainable properties and aim to adorn the natural charm of ‘queens’ out there. Awa is a woman with her hands full and thriving. A mother, wife, and entrepreneur, her disruption has taken over the industry by storm. Known for her steely determination and resilience, she has put in all her experience to launch uncompromising beauty for unstoppable women.
Heather Metcalfe
Heather helps women all over the world achieve profound, empowering mindset, health, and lifestyle shifts through specialist groups and private coaching programs. A natural energy healer and emotional intuitive, with a love of helping people to access greater levels of self-worth and fulfillment, Heather also brings immense skills and experience to help her clients, gained from over two decades as a top boardroom executive running multi-million dollar global companies and partnering with some of the most inspirational people in business such as the former CEO of Simon Cowell’s Syco.
Heather is the founder of The Islay Diet, a revolutionary program that cures long-term dieting and emotional eating by focussing on the top-level reasons for obesity, which are caused by energetics, and not just food or exercise. She also uses her deep insights about energy dynamics to provide specialist support in self-kindness, relationship challenges, inner happiness, and personal money management.
Dr. Erin Helle
Erin is a self-made millionaire who achieved financial freedom through real estate investing in less than four years. To date, she has helped over 200 other investors to build cash-flowing real estate portfolios.
A U.S. Army Veteran, Erin understands what it’s like to work for “the man” and be limited by a schedule and fixed income. Erin created a system to allow her to live a life by design and now has the time and resources to give back and focus on her family. Erin’s real estate portfolio includes 94 rental units. She helps other investors find deals as a realtor, fund them as mortgage brokers, and analyze them as a coach. Erin’s course and mentorship empower investors to dream big and ruthlessly pursue their goals! She has a personal goal of creating a million millionaires!
Heather Simpson
When the rest of the world is closing up shop, Heather Simpson is opening doors. As the Business Strategist to brilliant female brands, Heather has seen how the power of knowledge, connection, and community can provide the best foundation for women on the move. She has recently opened the doors of Her Connection Hub, a coworking space for women to connect, collaborate and come together during this time of disconnect for so many. Heather knows that the future of coworking spaces is here to stay.
In 2022 she is bringing top-level, original content to help women build sustainable, long-lasting, legacy building businesses while also bringing them together (safely) in person. Her signature training, VIP Strategy Days, and iconic retreats have helped hundreds of women grow towards financial freedom, success, and phenomenal futures.
Rachel Harned
Rachel Harned is the founder of Bombshell Blow Dry Bar, a salon company in Holland, Michigan. As a small business owner, she is passionate about coaching her staff to reach their highest potential and become wildly successful. Her business has grown to become a million-dollar industry leader and is a platinum member of the High-Performance Salon Academy, winning the Velocity, Momentum, and Industry Shifter. Her school has been honored as a Redken Diamond Academy for 5 years consequently.
As a salon coach, beauty school owner, and mom of two active boys she works every day to make sure life is lived to its fullest. 10 years ago, she also started an organization to provide gifts for pediatric heart patients and their families during the holidays. With her husband, Scott, Rachel has also opened a cosmetology school named The Salon Academy of Holland.
Rachel’s dream is to mentor other salon owners by helping them create a solid salon culture just as Bombshell Blow Dry Bar has done over the past 8 years. Her company has increased capacity and revenue exponentially in the last year even after a 3-month shutdown threatened to damage her salon business.
DeeAnn Tracy
DeeAnn Tracy is the founder and CEO of Peak Scents Plant-Based Skincare and a pioneer of toxic-free beauty in the USA. Before creating her signature Peaks Scents skincare line in 1993, she apprenticed as a herbalist in her mother’s apothecary and formally studied botanical medicine at the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine. DeeAnn is a second-generation herbalist who blends ancient traditions with innovations in science to develop nourishing, plant-based products. Peak Scents sells online and to specialty shops and natural food stores around the world. They opened their first retail store in Flagstaff Arizona in 2021 and have big plans for 2022 which we are excited to see unfold. As well as having a passion for innovating skincare formulas she is an avid outdoorswoman who spends her time hiking, river rafting, and mountain biking in Flagstaff, Arizona where she lives with her husband and son.
Cadie Maganga
Cadie, is a six-figure Braider and beauty supply owner. She helps and teaches Braider how to improve their craft and manage their business.
While braiding hair, she realized a huge gap in the beauty industry. The gap was that out of the $8-15 billion dollars a year being spent on Black Hair Care Products, there were not that many Black-Owned Beauty Supply stores. For Cadie, it matters to be a leading supplier in her industry as it boosts her standing as a business owner and allows her customers to take advantage of buying their hair supplies at the same location where they get their hair done!
Cadie is setting out to be a beauty supply mogul and franchiser of her amazing brand, LaBelle Braids, and Beauty Supply, and creating a client-centric, engaging environment with her salons! Cadie wishes to continue inspiring others to be the change they also wish to see, through business and entrepreneurship!
Beverly K. Johnson
In addition to being an Army veteran, Ms. Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Alabama A&M University and a master’s degree in Management with a concentration in HR Management from Florida Institute of Technology. She currently resides in Huntsville, Alabama.
Donna Means
Donna Means opened Salon DM3 in 2011 with the vision of giving the ultimate client experience while devolving successful stylists. The talent of Salon dm3’s staff, their high morale, and Donna’s ethical approaches have enabled the salon to earn the prestigious induction to The Intercoiffure America/Canada in 2018. Her salon thrives on offering a warm welcome to her clients. Her aim to curate a personalized experience for every client sets her apart in the industry. Donna’s lucrative experience has unveiled some of the iconic and trendsetting hairstyles and helped her accomplish the top spot in the hairstyling arena. While she has been expanding her entrepreneurial footprints in the industry, her determination and resilience have set the highest standards of excellence and bagged impeccable growth in all these years.
Martha Liriano
Normanie McKenzie Ricks
Normanie McKenzie Ricks is a decorated former officer of the United States Navy, motivational speaker, volunteer, published author, and patient advocate. She has spent her career serving the healthcare sector as a Rehabilitation Clinic Manager and Occupational Therapy Clinician.
Currently, Normanie is the owner and operator of Achieve Vision Center where she provides rehabilitation to individuals who are affected by neurological deficits that affect their vision and limit their ability to perform well in school, work, and life in general. Continuing to serve her community in every aspect, she also provides free vision screenings for the school systems in Georgia.
Normanie is an advocate for children with disabilities, both in the United States and abroad. Traveling globally, she has serviced youth communities in Japan, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Zambia. As a global mentor, she continues to volunteer her time and knowledge teaching Occupational Therapy students at various universities.
Diana Gleason
Every business should have someone watching its numbers- Who’s watching yours?
Coined the judgment-free bookkeeper, Diana Gleason launched DG Consulting Services inside of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationally established, Diana, helps creatives in business put organization around their internal bookkeeping and accounting practices. Diana truly believes the numbers tell the story of your business. She works alongside business owners serving as their CFO and finance coach while empowering them with their numbers to help them grow the business of their dreams.
Diana’s consistent work ethic, reliability, and upbeat attitude that anything is possible have made her a sought-out leader within her industry.
Kimberly Hoehing
Melanie McSally
Melanie McSally is a leading authority on optimizing businesses to maximize profits. Melanie has written and delivered courses for top institutions like Harvard University, is the bestselling author of the book Trifecta of Freedom, and runs her own business while traveling, speaking, and competing in triathlons all over the world. She graduated top of her class in engineering school and in her Master of Engineering Management program and holds a number of certifications, including a Lean 6-Sigma Black Belt. She believes seeing the world through different perspectives and experiences allows her to build more effective and inclusive services. Her company, WyzeTribe, teaches entrepreneurs how to optimize their business, maximize their profits, and automate their success.
Tatum Drewes
Tatum Drewes believes the community is at the heart of wellness, and that honesty, love, and support make the community strive. She began her CBD journey long before she started her first CBD company, Higher Healing. Through Higher Healing, she was able to craft her work as an expert and provide assistance to those in need.
Tatum‘s focus changed as she welcomed her daughter through a homebirth. Immersing herself in the world of pregnancy, Tatum realized there was an absence of alternative healing for the expecting and new mama. Out of the desire to fill that void, Khepri maternity was born.
Nothing drives Tatum more than her aspiration to provide a natural path to healing. That desire remains in every company Tatum has founded, including her newest passion, Khepri Maternity. A premium line of CBD products and community platform that helps support mothers. Tatum remains a major influencer in the health-focused and CBD space. Tatum Drewes is one to watch out for in 2022.
Loren Lewin
Loren Lewin is the founder and CEO of Companion Candles, which is on a mission to ensure candles are healthy for all, including our four-legged friends. $1/purchase is donated to an animal welfare organization.
After many hours of quarantine with her pup, Loren realized that her store-bought candles did not live up to their claims (or her standards) and were filled with dirty ingredients that were not only harmful to her but her dog. Loren threw out her store-bought candles and started making her own, clean version. She never looked back; Companion Candles was founded in October 2021.
Under Loren’s leadership, Companion Candles was accepted to Rebecca Minkoff’s prestigious Female Founder Collective, can be found in multiple stores throughout the United States, and has been featured in media outlets including Well + Good and theSkimm. Loren has worked with brands including Lyft, SpotHero, Grubhub, SXSW and Tribeca Film Festival.
Ush Dhanak
Ush Dhanak is one of Australia’s leading experts on emotional intelligence, an EQ coach and trainer, and a popular keynote speaker at events around the world. She’s the founder and CEO of EQ Academy. Ush’s point of difference is using Neuroleadership and EQ to help leaders uncover their true potential. It’s about understanding the brain and using science-based methods to rewire it and create new ways of working and thinking.
Born in the UK, Ush is a lawyer and barrister by trade. After moving to Sydney 16 years ago, she worked as a lawyer for top-tier law firms and then moved into Head of HR roles. Around this time, Ush developed a keen interest in emotional intelligence and began studying and reading about its impact. She studied it at a time when no one was really talking about it. So, Ush decided to pursue it as a career and saw fantastic results in the people she coached. Today, Ush coaches leaders and runs workshops for organizations globally, that recognize the value of offering emotional intelligence training to their people.
Marsha Olderr
Having spent most of her adult working life as an advertising sales executive, Marsha finally had time to spend on her true love, art, in 2015 after the business was sold. Spending most days drawing and painting helped her to hone her art into the style that you see today.
Growing up in Virginia amongst some of the great early historic architecture of that area gave her a love of history. Moving from Virginia to Louisiana opened the door to an even greater house, two-story balconies with their delicate ironwork, and even the historic mansions that still line the Mississippi Rover added a whole new level of subjects!! Trying different styles rather than the same old type of houses portraits seem to hit a chord with people. Adding what she calls a “whimsical skew” gave Marsha the niche that she had been looking for.
Shida Kebriti
Shida Kebriti started her profession in pharmacy after completing a Bachelor of Pharmacy at Sydney University. In 2012 after an injury during a marathon, she saw a gap in the market for topical natural products that helps to relieve the pain. Shida spent the next six years researching and developing a number of natural pain relief creams. She successfully launched Soodox pain relief cream, Soodox for women, and Soodox Active. In 2019 she and her team also introduced Soodox Vytal which includes a large number of hygiene products. During the pandemic, they managed to escalate their manufacturing of hand sanitizer from 10,000 units per month to nearly 2,000,000 units per month.
Their flexibility and their success came from a great background of research and development, staff that raises to the occasion, and family members who were ready to jump in to assist and keep me whole. Shida and her team have gone from strength to strength with their products being sold in Australia, Hong Kong, Kuwait, China, and now Qatar. The main goal is to develop the most innovative health care products that give the customers the best healthcare solution and experiences that are made in Australia.
Jennifer Grigg
Most people aren’t aware of how powerful your body language is in what it conveys to others, how it can allow you to see beneath the surface of a person’s actions and how using it to your advantage can change your life in ways you’d never imagine.
Jennifer Grigg draws her inspiration from a similar ideology. As an introvert, she always struggled with anxiety and social awkwardness. She has gone from hiding in the aisles in department stores to avoid talking to people to making a successful career for herself as a coach, speaker, and body language expert. She used to struggle with a pervasive lack of confidence and it affected how she lived her life and it robbed her of enjoying almost everything. Jennifer went from job to job because every time she reached a level of success, She’d get scared and quit. She honestly thought she would never be truly happy but then Jennifer started studying body language and it changed her life.
Rebecca Featherstone
Rebecca Featherstone saw something missing in the music industry – a platform dedicated to music teachers but friendly enough for children. The founder and CEO of the Musicology App—the first interactive video conferencing app designed specifically to help music teachers—saw clear shortcomings in traditional conferencing apps. Featherstone put together a team of developers who understood the esoteric problems teachers were facing and got to work designing an intuitive app that solved the technical issues, while simultaneously providing all the tools teachers need to teach effectively online and keeping it simple enough for a child to navigate.
Flash forward six months and Featherstone had secured a half-million dollars in funding and was in charge of a major Canadian app company. Her innovative thinking and perseverance for children’s online education have been an inspiration to teachers globally. Musicology is available for iOS and as a web app.
Birgit Barkhoff
Birgit Barkhoff’s career journey started as a dental nurse but she left the job as soon as she got married. She joined hands with her husband to support him in his company and worked in the back office. At the time she was always taking care of her three kids on her own. Birgit used to work from home while trying to balance her personal and professional life, but she always felt something was missing. She wanted to make a name for herself and wanted to be recognized for her talents.
Soon she realized her passion for art and began painting. Her paintings filled in the voids in her life where she felt unappreciated and got her the freedom and reputation she was searching for. During this time, she also moved out of her house and took her kids with her, and began the journey of living as an independent woman. Her paintings gave her the confidence and power to manage her personal and professional life. Her paintings have already been exhibited internationally, such as in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. With her paintings, she aims to inspire others to gain that lost strength and power and achieve their dreams.
Falicia Newsome
Falicia is a thriving founder of Newsome Notary, an experienced licensed Tax Preparer with 500+ clients across the USA, and a business owner since 2015. From professional tax to notary services, today, her company has been benefitting various clients boundlessly. She started off as a Notary Public/ Signing agent and being a math wiz she quickly expanded her skills and business to include Tax Preparation. Driven by her entrepreneurial interests, she started working at the early age of 13 and soon realized how her abilities and knowledge can create a difference in the business world. Known for her expertise and boundless knowledge in the industry, Falicia has successfully completed her Associate Degree in Arts, Leadership Certificate in Organization (Undergraduate), and Bachelor of Science in Communications leading her into the National Society of Leadership and Success. Today, her commitment and passion make her one of the most trustworthy tax preparers in the industry.
Kelly Loftus
Kelly Loftus is the owner and founder of Fit Impressions, a boutique fitness studio in Connecticut. Fit Impressions provides a warm, comfortable atmosphere for women of all sizes, ages, and shapes to train in. Fit Impressions does not take a “cookie-cutter” approach to its clients. Kelly takes each individual’s personality, lifestyle, and goals into consideration when creating a workout plan. Kelly’s dedication and attention to detail are what sets her and her business apart. Training sessions offer a unique combination of barre, pilates equipment, and functional training for improved strength, balance, and flexibility.
One year post-Covid, the studio is thriving. Kelly believes the pandemic has helped her business flourish in that many women are in need of some devoted attention to their health and wellness. Fit Impressions was recently voted 2021’s Best Fitness Center and Best Pilates of Cheshire, CT.
Final Thoughts
These women entrepreneurs with their inspiring career stories and the passion to overcome every obstacle in their life are trying to make the best of each day to stay resourceful in their industry and empower other women to do the same for themselves. With their self-confidence and inner strength, these women are excelling in their respective careers and setting an example for all of us every day.
