The top 10 most famous women entrepreneurs in the world in 2023 are listed below.
1. Sara Blakely, Spanx
Sara Blakely is an American businesswoman, philanthropist, and founder of the shapewear company Spanx. She is the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world and the founder of the Sara Blakely Foundation, which focuses on helping women through education and entrepreneurial programs.
Blakely was born in Clearwater, Florida, and attended Clearwater High School. She graduated from Florida State University in 1995 with a degree in communication. She then worked as a door-to-door fax machine salesperson and later became a stand-up comedian.
In 1998, she realized that pantyhose were uncomfortable and unflattering, so she decided to create an alternative product. She cut the feet out of a pair of pantyhose and wore them under white pants, and Spanx was born.
In 2000, Blakely officially launched Spanx with a line of footless body shapers. Spanx quickly grew in popularity and is now a multi-million dollar business.
2. Oprah Winfrey, Harpo Productions
Oprah Winfrey is an American media executive, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which was the highest-rated television program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011.
Winfrey was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, and raised in an inner-city Milwaukee neighborhood. She has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century, the greatest black philanthropist in American history, and is currently North America’s first and only multi-billionaire black person.
Winfrey’s production company, Harpo Productions, produces all of her shows, including Dr. Phil, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Rachael Ray, and many others. Harpo also produces feature films, television movies, and occasional scripted series.
Winfrey serves as chairman and CEO of the company. In addition, Winfrey has launched several business ventures, including a magazine, a radio station, and a book club. She has also established the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa and created the Angel Network, a charity that supports various charitable projects.
3. Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post
Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, an American online news aggregator, and blog. She is a successful businesswoman and entrepreneur who has been featured on the Forbes list of the most powerful women in the world multiple times.
Throughout her career, Arianna has made many headlines for her business acumen. She is known for her innovative yet practical approach to entrepreneurship, often focusing on leveraging the power of existing technology and platforms to reach new audiences. She also has a strong focus on creating a positive workplace culture and ensuring her team is engaged in their work.
Arianna’s entrepreneurial journey began in the early 1990s when she co-founded The Huffington Post. She has since grown the publication into one of the most widely read online news sources, with a presence in over 20 countries.
She has also expanded her portfolio to include other digital media properties such as HuffPost Live, which streams live video content, and HuffPost Global, which provides news and opinion on a global scale.
Arianna is also an active investor, having founded the venture capital firm Thrive Capital in 2010. She has also served as an advisor to numerous startups and technology companies, including Uber and Airbnb.
4. Anita Roddick, The Body Shop
Anita Roddick was a pioneering entrepreneur, environmental activist, and human rights advocate who founded The Body Shop in 1976. Roddick had the vision to create a socially responsible business that would not only be profitable but also make a positive contribution to the world.
She was committed to using natural ingredients and creating products that were not tested on animals. Roddick also championed environmental sustainability, fair trade, and human rights, and she encouraged her customers to join in her mission.
Throughout her career, Roddick received numerous awards and honors, including the Order of the British Empire in 2003 for her services to the beauty industry. She passed away in 2007, but her legacy of social responsibility and environmental stewardship lives on in The Body Shop.
5. Mary Kay Ash, Mary Kay Cosmetics
Mary Kay Ash was born Mary Katherine in Hot Wells, Texas, on May 12, 1918. She was the fourth of five children born to Lula Vember and John Henry Kemp. Ash was an entrepreneur and businesswoman who founded the cosmetics company Mary Kay Cosmetics in 1963.
Ash began her career working as a secretary in various companies, including Stanley Home Products and Prudential Insurance. She then became a salesperson for World Gift Company and was later promoted to national training director. In 1963, with a $5,000 loan, Ash and her son, Richard Rogers, founded Mary Kay Cosmetics, Inc. in Dallas, Texas.
Mary Kay Cosmetics quickly became a leading international cosmetics brand, and Ash became an iconic businesswoman and role model. She was famous for her mantra “God first, family second, career third,” which she applied to her personal and professional life.
She also had a strong commitment to women’s rights, and famously said, “Passion is the difference between having a job and having a career.”
Ash was a pioneer in the cosmetics industry, and she was credited with creating many of the standard practices and strategies that are used in the industry today. She was also a generous philanthropist, donating millions
6. Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook
Sheryl Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook and the founder of LeanIn.org. She is a former vice president of global online sales and operations at Google and was the chief of staff of the United States Treasury Department under President Bill Clinton.
Sandberg has been a champion of women in the workplace and is the author of the book Lean In Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. She is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School. In addition to her role at Facebook, she is a board member of the Walt Disney Company and a member of the Women’s Forum of New York.
7. Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo
1. Indra Nooyi has held the position of President and CEO at PepsiCo since 2006, and she has been on the company’s Board of Directors since 2001.
2. During her tenure, she has focused on improving the nutrition of PepsiCo’s products, diversifying the company’s portfolio, and expanding internationally.
3. She has also been a vocal advocate for gender equality and corporate social responsibility.
4. She has led several initiatives to reduce the environmental impact of PepsiCo’s operations, including the launch of the Performance with Purpose program which focuses on the health of consumers, the environment, and the communities where the company operates.
5. Additionally, she has been a driving force behind PepsiCo’s commitment to empowering 5 million women entrepreneurs by 2020.
6. She has been recognized with numerous awards for her leadership, including Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business, Forbes Most Powerful Women, and Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.
8. Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart Living
Martha Stewart is an American media mogul, author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle guru. She is most known for her television show, Martha Stewart Living, which she created in 1991. She has also authored dozens of books, magazines, and cookbooks and is the founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, an empire that includes websites, magazines, and broadcast media.
Stewart is known for her attention to detail, her commitment to providing quality products, and her ability to create a lifestyle brand. She is known for her use of color and her ability to transform ordinary items into something special.
Her commitment to quality products has led to the creation of her own line of cookware, bedding, and home décor items. She is also a big proponent of sustainable living and is passionate about connecting people to the natural world.
9. Diane von Furstenberg, DVF
Diane von Furstenberg is a Belgian-American fashion designer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and businesswoman best known for inventing the iconic wrap dress in 1972. DVF has become a global lifestyle brand, with a full range of ready-to-wear, accessories, swimwear, fragrances, eyewear and home furnishings.
Diane has been an entrepreneur since she began her fashion career in the 1970s. She has served as the president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), created the DVF Awards to recognize and empower female change-makers, and established the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation to promote education and well-being for girls and women worldwide.
Diane has also been a pioneer in the use of digital media to expand her brand, launching her first e-commerce site in 1999 and a mobile app in 2010. She was named one of the 10 Most Innovative Women in Digital Fashion by the Wall Street Journal in 2012.
In addition, she launched the DVF Academy in 2016, an online platform to provide professional mentorship and resources to aspiring female entrepreneurs.
10. Tory Burch, Tory Burch LLC
Tory Burch is an American fashion designer, businesswoman, and philanthropist. She is the Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of her own lifestyle brand, Tory Burch LLC.
Tory was born in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and grew up in a traditional American family. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in art history. After college, she worked in public relations and then as a buyer for a contemporary boutique.
In 2004, Tory launched her own fashion brand, Tory Burch LLC. She opened her first store in Manhattan and quickly expanded to more than 200 stores worldwide. Under her creative direction, the Tory Burch brand has become a global lifestyle brand that includes ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags, accessories, watches, fragrances, eyewear, home goods, and tech accessories.
Tory has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the CFDA Award for Accessory Designer of the Year and the YMA Fashion Scholarship Fund’s Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015, she was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World.
