Many famous entrepreneurs have historically been men. That’s changed over the past few decades. Female entrepreneurs face unique challenges, but many have found success.
Who are examples of female entrepreneurs? This article offers a closer look.
Why Female Entrepreneurs Matter
When women see other women build thriving businesses despite systemic biases, limited access to capital, and other challenges, they may be more likely to start companies of their own.
How does women’s entrepreneurship impact economic growth? In the U.S., companies owned by women are growing more than twice as fast as other companies. Several studies have shown that women-owned businesses both generate more revenue and create more jobs than those owned by men.
25 Inspiring Female Entrepreneurs You Should Know
Here’s a look at 25 standout women in business who might inspire you.
Global Business Leaders and Household Names
Who is the most famous female entrepreneur? Most would probably say Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey grew The Oprah Winfrey Show into a multimedia empire that includes Harpo Productions and the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
Another household name, Martha Stewart founded her popular lifestyle brand in 1997. Even after a 10-month prison sentence for fraud, she was able to stage a successful comeback campaign.
Mary Barra made history as the first female CEO of one of the country’s “Big Three” car manufacturers. Barra started working at General Motors in 1980. In 2014, she became the company’s CEO.
Daniela Amodei is the Co-Founder and President of Anthropic, an AI company best known for its large language model, Claude.
On the other side of the world, Tan Su Shan has been quietly transforming DBS Bank Limited into a global powerhouse. She led a digital-first strategy that’s earned the bank (which has about $637 billion in assets) a reputation for innovation.
Female Founders in Tech, STEM, and Innovation
Whitney Wolfe Herd co-founded Tinder, but after about two years, she left due to sexual harassment and filed a successful lawsuit. She went on to create her own successful venture, the dating app Bumble.
Neha Narkhede is the Co-Founder of Confluent, a data-streaming platform designed for businesses. Narkhede got her start as a software engineer developing real-time data feeds. She soon realized that other businesses could benefit from the technology.
Riya Karumanchi was inspired to create SmartCane as a teen after seeing a friend’s grandmother struggling to walk with a cane. Her company uses assistive technology to help the elderly and disabled better navigate the world.
Elnaz Sarraf is another female entrepreneur using technology to improve people’s lives. She’s the inventor of the ROYBI Robot, a toy designed to teach kids language and STEM skills.
Clean energy is more important than ever. Yajing Zhao is working to help businesses reduce heat transfer in industrial drying and other applications.
Australian entrepreneur Joanne Howarth founded Planet Protector Packaging to develop customized, sustainable packaging for businesses to reduce landfill waste.
May Habib is the Founder of Writer, a generative AI platform designed especially for business use.
Melanie Perkins is the Co-Founder and CEO of the popular graphic design software Canva.
Women Entrepreneurs Creating Social Impact
As a working mom, Allison Robinson saw firsthand why many women leave the workforce after having children. She founded The Mom Project to connect skilled mothers with flexible work opportunities.
Layne Beachley, a seven-time world champion surfer, founded Awake Academy to help individuals and corporate teams unlock the mindset that helped power her success.
Ariel Beck, Founder of Girls Who Start, created a community for young women interested in entrepreneurship to access resources, mentorship, and community.
Elizabeth Scharph founded Sustainable Health Enterprises (SHE) to manufacture affordable menstrual products from banana fibers in Rwanda.
Katherine Lucey founded Solar Sister, a company that trains and hires women in energy-poor areas of Africa to deliver and set up clean energy technology. The women become entrepreneurs themselves, and their communities benefit.
Sara Blakely started Spanx to improve hosiery design and grew it into a company worth over $1 billion.
Rising and Underrecognized Women in Business
Qiana Aviles and her mother Yvette started Vida Hair Growth, which is based on a homemade Puerto Rican remedy.
As a high school student, Sofia Tomov founded Qardian Labs, a company that builds diagnostic software for heart disease.
Anna McMaster, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, created Amie to offer pregnant and postpartum women digital access to specialized care.
Shely Aronov created InnerPlant, which engineers crops that fluoresce when under stress.
Hyojeong Kim of South Korea founded NomadHer, a platform that connects female solo travelers with verified hosts and one another.
Jennifer Hyman co-founded Rent the Runway, a service that rents out luxury wardrobes.
Let These Famous Female Entrepreneurs Inspire You
As these success stories indicate, female entrepreneurs can prevail in the business world. If you have a great business idea yourself, don’t give up before you’ve started.
FAQ
Who Are the Top 10 Female Entrepreneurs?
Who are some successful female entrepreneurs today? Based on Forbes’s list of the richest self-made women in 2026, these are the top 10 successful female entrepreneurs:
- Diane Hendricks (ABC Supply)
- Daniela Amodei (Anthropic)
- Judy Faulkner (Epic Systems)
- Thai Lee (SHI International)
- Marian Ilitch (Little Caesars)
- Elizabeth Uihlein (Uline)
- Jayshree Ullal (Arista Networks)
- Johnelle Hunt (J.B. Hunt)
- Eren Ozmen (Sierra Nevada Corporation)
- Peggy Cherng (Panda Express)
Who is the biggest female entrepreneur on the list? Diane Hendricks. Her net worth is currently about $21.7 billion.
What Challenges Do Women Entrepreneurs Face in Business?
Women entrepreneurs often face obstacles in accessing venture capital, as lenders and mentors are sometimes biased against them.
How Can Female Founders Secure Venture Capital Funding?
Targeting female-focused VC firms is one strategy. A mentor can also help fine-tune pitches before meetings with investors.
