As an increasing number of strong and savvy women break through the dreaded glass ceiling thanks to their careers in technology, business, and media, we can’t help but feel excited for the future! Looking at this list of rising superstars who have made the cut thanks to their unique talents and entrepreneurial vision, it’s clear that these leading ladies are a great source of motivation. Here is a short list of women of all ages who are inspiring us with their ambitious attitudes, determination, and leadership skills.
1) Cecile Richards, President, Planned Parenthood:
55-year-old Cecile Richards tops our list thanks to her incredible effort to improve reproductive health and well-being for women everywhere. As President of Planned Parenthood, Richards was part of the TIME 100 list in 2011! She’s a dedicated activist who has strongly supported relevant women’s issues such as birth control, sexual education, STD awareness and the fight for abortion rights.
2) Lupita Nyong’o, Academy Award-winning Actress:
Who isn’t slowly falling in love with this 31-year-old exotic beauty? With her graceful charm, killer style, and fabulous smile, Nyong’o made a splash on red carpets over the past season and left audiences dazzled when she walked away with an Oscar for her role as Patsey in 12 Years a Slave. She was recently named People’s Most Beautiful Person of 2014. Not only are we thrilled about her recent gig as the face of Lancôme, we appreciate her confidence, natural appeal, and down-to-earth personality as a rising star.
3) Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook:
As Chief Operating Officer of Facebook and author of Lean In, there is no doubt that 44-year-old Sheryl Sandberg has become a powerful businesswoman. With a net worth of $962.7 million (according to Forbes), this self-made female billionaire was a former Google executive before taking over as COO at the social media superpower.
4) Shahrzad Rafati, CEO of Broadband TV:
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This glamorous 34-year-old tech guru and CEO represents the ultimate success story to us. Despite the fact that Shahrzad Rafati arrived in Vancouver from Tehran, Iran as a teen with limited English skills, she quickly mastered computer science and fell in love with the tech industry. She tells Chatelaine that she started her company in 2005, right after graduating from University of British Columbia with a Bachelors of Computer Science. BroadbandTV now has a staff of 74 employees, and superstar Rafati is the perfect example of an inspiring rags-to-riches tale.
5) Tracy Chou, Software Engineer at Pinterest:
Tracy Chou was an all-star whose promising early career talent become obvious while she was still a student at Stanford University. In fact, Chou did internships at both Facebook and Google before arriving at Pinterest as an up-and-coming tech guru. In 2013, the 26-year-old was mentioned as one of BusinessInsider’s 30 Most Important Women Under 30 In Tech.
6) Tavi Gevinson, Editor-In-Chief and Fashion Blogger at Rookie magazine:
Despite being just 18 years old, Tavi Gevinson has been building her presence as a fashion blogger since the age of 11 when she launched her first website, Style Rookie. Since then, the teenage sensation and proud young feminist has founded online publication Rookie magazine, been a TED speaker, attended countless fashion shows, and been on Forbes’ 2014 list of Top 30 Under 30 in Media at the ripe old age of just 17.
Links to Photos:
1) Time.com
2) People.com
5) Forbes.com
6) Forbes.com
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