15 Inspiring Women CEOs That Impacted The World In 2015
As technology and globalization continue to become a part of all of our eco-systems, we all begin to share each others’ path. We now have amazing data on poverty, malnutrition, disease, climate, agriculture, and so much more. With this data, we can now see solutions being solved through business and through dedicated organizations. Non-profit organizations are changing, traditional business models are changing, and more and more the business and non-profit world are working together to solve issues, test products, and create new innovative solutions.
Check out the list below and see how these inspiring women CEOs from all walks of life are doing incredible things through technology, manufacturing, finance, design, business, and communications.
1. JESSICA O. MATTHEWS
COMPANY: Uncharted Play, a for-profit social enterprise dedicated to improving lives through play. Their flagship product is the SOCCKET, an energy harnessing soccer ball.
WHY SHE’S AN INSPIRATION: Matthews has over seven years of start-up and small business experience in the software and technology industry. She is the recipient of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Next Generation Award (2013), named as one of Black Enterprise’s “40 Under 40 Next Generation of Women in Power” (2012), named Scientist of the Year by the Harvard Foundation (2012), one of the “10 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs” by Fortune (2011), and Next Generation Breakthrough Innovator by Popular Mechanics (2010). She was also invited by President Obama to the White House to represent small companies for the signing of the America Invents Act.
“Life is too short not to love the way you look and the way you feel.” says @jessomatt in a talk with @lindseyvonn and @JuliaCollins on self care and cultivating a support system. #powerHER pic.twitter.com/1FTu71t6iP
— J.P. Morgan (@jpmorgan) October 7, 2019
2. PATRICIA FOLEY HINNEN
COMPANY: Capital Sisters International, a company that raises loan capital from donations and bond sales to finance tens of thousands of women’s micro businesses in 23 developing countries.
WHY SHE’S AN INSPIRATION: Hinnen served as a microfinance advisor to the State Department where she represented the U.S. in the 21-nation Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) for a decade after 9/11 as head of the Women Leaders Network. Within the U.S., Patricia is the Co-founder of Colorado Microcredit, the Micro Business Development Center, and the Colorado Microfinance Alliance, and is an Advisor to the Rocky Mountain Microfinance Institute. She also serves on the boards of the International Fund of the Colorado Women’s Foundation and the Colorado Alliance of Professional Women. Patricia developed a passion for international affairs early in her career after serving in the Peace Corps in West and Southern Africa.
3. LAUREN BUSH LAUREN
COMPANY: FEED, a social business founded in 2007 whose mission is to “Create Good Products That Help FEED the World.” Since everyproduct sold has a measurable donation attached to it, FEED has been able to donate over $6 million and provide nearly 60 million school meals globally through the United Nations World Food Programme and Feeding America. FEED has also supported nutrition programs around the world, providing vitamin supplements to over 3.5 million children through UNICEF.
WHY SHE’S AN INSPIRATION: In 2004, Lauren became the Honorary Student Spokesperson for the UN World Food Programme. During this time, she traveled to various countries and learned about the issues of hunger and poverty. Lauren was inspired to create a consumer product that would engage people in the seemingly overwhelming fight to end world hunger. In 2005, she envisioned the idea for FEED by designing the initial FEED 1 bag which, when purchased, feeds one child in school for one year.
(s_bukley / Shutterstock.com)
4. AVERY BANG
COMPANY: Bridges to Prosperity, a company that provides isolated communities with access to essential health care, education and economic opportunities by building footbridges over impassable rivers. The mission is to attain long lasting impact through bridge projects that reduce rural poverty due to isolation.
WHY SHE’S AN INSPIRATION: Bang was named Engineering News Record’s Top 25 Newsmakers of 2012, and was selected to ENR Mountain Region’s Top 20 Under 40 list in 2013. In 2011, she was selected as one of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) New Faces, recognizing the top ten Civil Engineers under 30. Avery currently teaches Cable Supported Pedestrian Bridge Design at the University of Colorado in the MC-EDC. She also serves on the University of Iowa College of Engineering Department of Civil Engineering Advisory Board as well as the College of Liberal Arts Young Advisory Board.
I’ve given a number of talks over the years, but have never spent so much time, nor cared so much as for my @TEDTalks #TedWomen2017 pic.twitter.com/ppoX17GNet
— Avery Bang (@AveryBang) November 3, 2017
5. JACQUELINE NOVOGRATZ
COMPANY: Acumen, an organization that raises charitable donations to invest in companies, leaders, and ideas that are changing the way the world tackles poverty.
WHY SHE’S AN INSPIRATION: Prior to Acumen, Novogratz founded and directed The Philanthropy Workshop and The Next Generation Leadership programs at the Rockefeller Foundation. She also co-founded Duterimbere, a micro-finance institution in Rwanda. She began her career in international banking with Chase Manhattan Bank. Jacqueline currently sits on the advisory boards of Sonen Capital and the Harvard Business School Social Enterprise Initiative. She serves on the Aspen Institute Board of Trustees and the board of IDEO.com, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council for Sustainable Development.
What’s the role of moral leadership in building a more equitable and sustainable world? Join us for #SolvingFromAnywhere, an interactive speaker series by @solvemit, with @jnovogratz @acumen & @alexamouyel @solvemit on Tuesday July 7 at 12pm ET. Register: https://t.co/EXF6tQvEZv pic.twitter.com/Rui3yepU6E
— SolveMIT (@SolveMIT) July 1, 2020
6. EMILY NÚÑEZ CAVNESS
COMPANY: Sword & Plough, a socially conscious brand that works with American manufacturers who employ veterans. The company recycles military surplus, incorporates that fabric into stylish bag designs and donates 10% of profits back to veteran organizations.
WHY SHE’S AN INSPIRATION: Inspired by her time and experiences at the U.S. Army Airborne School and childhood growing up in a military family, Emily and her sister Betsy co-founded Sword & Plough in 2012. As a Dell Social Innovation Fellow, Emily gained key insight to grow and sustain Sword & Plough’s three core areas of impact. Emily is the major liaison between the veteran sewers, veteran charities, and communicator of S&P’s mission. Emily leads the S&P team and oversees advocacy projects, veteran relations, and key brand relationships. She holds a B.A. in International Studies from Middlebury College.
7. BARBARA BUSH
COMPANY: Global Health Corps, a non-profit that has deployed 322 fellows from 24 citizenships to work in seven countries, since 2009.
WHY SHE’S AN INSPIRATION: Bush has traveled with the UN World Food Programme, focusing on the importance of nutrition in ARV treatment. Barbara is a member of UNICEF’s Next Generation Steering Committee and the UN Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council and is one of the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Shapers.
8. RACHAEL CHONG
COMPANY: Catchafire, a platform that connects professionals with nonprofits on projects that create positive social impact. Catchafire has become the world’s largest online skills-based volunteer marketplace.
WHY SHE’S AN INSPIRATION: In 2012, Chong was named Fast Company’s Most 100 Creative People in Business and received the NYC Venture Fellowship and the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award.
@Jpmorgan is proud 2 B working w/ @BMAchievement @DoveSoars @CatchafireCEO to strengthen NGOs serving men of color! https://t.co/UfFQRaulNN
— Dalila Wilson Scott (@dalila_says) January 22, 2016
9. AJAITA SHAH
COMPANY: Frontier Markets, a for-profit venture with a social mission to provide low-cost/high quality products to the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) to help improve their quality of life. FM partners with existing Microfinance (MF) distribution networks.
WHY SHE’S AN INSPIRATION: Shah has been a 2006 Clinton Service Corp Fellow, 2012 Echoing Green Fellow, and the 2014 Cordes Fellow. She was named to Business Week’s 30 under 30 award, and most recently, Forbes Magazine’s Top 30 Under 30’s Social Entrepreneur of the Year and Women Entrepreneur of the Year 2015. She is also an active member of the UN Practitioner’s Network and Asian Development Bank’s Energy For All Partnership. She holds a B.A. in International Relations from Tufts University.
We need more role models like @Ajaita_Shah, Founder & CEO of Frontier Markets. Her contribution to India’s rural communities is remarkable; her affordable, solar-powered products helped thousands who suffered due to lack of basic amenities. Read https://t.co/OBIudSQqnc
— Amit Jain (@AJ_WorldBank) March 23, 2020
10. KATHY CALVIN
COMPANY: United Nations Foundation, created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. The UN Foundation’s work is focused on decreasing child mortality, empowering women and girls, creating a clean energy future, protecting diverse cultures and environments, using mobile technology for development, and improving U.S.-UN relations.
WHY SHE’S AN INSPIRATION: Calvin’s career has spanned the public, private and nonprofit sectors for many years. Before joining the UN Foundation as Chief Operating Officer in 2003, she served as President of the AOL Time Warner Foundation. She previously served in senior positions at AOL, Hill and Knowlton, and U.S. News & World Report. From 1976 through 1984, she was Senator Gary Hart’s press secretary.
11. CYNTHIA KOENIG
COMPANY: Wello, an award winning social venture that designs and delivers affordable innovations that save time and increase opportunities for people who lack access to water.
WHY SHE’S AN INSPIRATION: Koenig spent the last decade living and working on four continents, and has incubated and consulted on the launch of ventures of all shapes and sizes, ranging from community-run businesses in Latin America to a national strategy for sustainable tourism development in Bhutan. She earned MBA/MS degrees from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and School of Natural Resources & Environment and holds a BA in Anthropology from Trinity College.
12. JENSINE LARSEN
COMPANY: World Pulse , an action media network powered by women.
WHY SHE’S AN INSPIRATION: Larsen is an award-winning social media entrepreneur and international journalist and speaker. At age 28, she founded World Pulse , which today connects 50,000 women from 190 countries. Larsen has made it possible for women, previously unknown by the global public, to have their stories picked up from World Pulse by the BBC, CNN, the Canadian Broadcast Corporation, the UN, The Huffington Post and beyond. In addition, by networking through World Pulse’s website grassroots women leaders are finding job opportunities, starting new programs and businesses, launching women’s cybercafés, and finding international speaking opportunities that are changing their lives and lifting their communities.
13. LEILA JANAH
COMPANY: Sama Group, a company that moves people out of poverty by providing training and access to internet-based work that pays a sustainable living wage.
WHY SHE’S AN INSPIRATION: Janah was a a Visiting Scholar with the Stanford Program on Global Justice and Australian National University’s Center for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics. She was a founding Director of Incentives for Global Health, an initiative to increase R&D spending on diseases of the poor, and a management consultant at Katzenbach Partners (now Booz & Co.). She has also worked at the World Bank and as a travel writer for Let’s Go in Mozambique, Brazil, and Borneo. Leila is a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum, a Director of CARE USA, a 2012 TechFellow, recipient of the inaugural Club de Madrid Young Leadership Award, and the youngest person to win a Heinz Award in 2014. She received a BA from Harvard and lives in San Francisco.
14. JEAN CASE
COMPANY: The Case Foundation, a diverse and dynamic institution that creates programs and invests in people and organizations that harness the best impulses of entrepreneurship, innovation, technology and collaboration to drive exponential impact. The Case Foundation has long believed it is better to focus its efforts on a small number of “big ideas” — focusing on a handful of swing-for-the-fences ideas that have transformative potential.
WHY SHE’S AN INSPIRATION: Case is an actively engaged philanthropist who, together with her husband Steve Case, created the Case Foundation in 1997. Jean spent her early days at the Case Foundation doing a deep-dive into philanthropy and seeking the best ways she could make a difference. After having success with some early initiatives (and learning some really valuable lessons!), Jean realized that she and Steve could make the biggest impact by centering the Foundation around many of the same entrepreneurial approaches they cultivated throughout their business careers. As Jean would be quick to tell you, a good investment is a good investment — even if the way you measure a return changes somewhat as you move across sectors.
15. NINA NASHIF
COMPANY: Healthbox, a platform to stimulate early-stage innovation, enabling entrepreneurial success while creating a collaborative global ecosystem to build positive change in the healthcare industry. The goal is to identify high-potential healthcare technology startups that address the meaningful industry challenges and provide them with the resources, support and network to enable rapid development and growth
WHY SHE’S AN INPIRATION: Nashif brings 15 years of experience working within entrepreneurship and healthcare management. She has been named a 2013 Chicago TechWeek 100, as well as 2013 “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, an honor awarded to individuals sparking economic development and change around the world. She also spoke at TEDMED 2013. In 2012, she was also recognized by the Chicago Crain’s as a “40 under 40.”
