Women have always tried to pave their way in all walks of life. From taking care of their houses to being a successful business woman, there are many inspiring stories that you should know about. So, we bring you the journey of some successful female entrepreneurs in the world, along with their path-breaking struggle stories.
Despite the hurdles of patriarchy and gender discrimination, women have repeatedly broken the glass roof. And they have become the trailblazers for many others out there. Let's explore and celebrate the women you know and add the stories you don't.
List of Top Successful Business Woman and Entrepreneurs
Coco Chanel left us with the life lesson that every female should be two things, that is, who and what she wants. Many women took this seriously and became the symbol of empowerment in their entrepreneurial journey.
Here are a few inspiring stories that might help you reach out for things you want in life. Have a look!!
1. Sudha Murthy
Sudha Murthy is a successful business woman, a social entrepreneur, and the co-founder of a leading IT company. She has been a catalyst for female empowerment and social change. Sudha Murthy is one of the first female engineers in India. And she is also one of the brains behind the success of Infosys.
The Story: Around the 1970s, when women in the West were still trying to make space for feminist ideas, Sudha Murthy broke stereotypes by being the only female student in her engineering batch. After that, she made her space in the male-dominant engineering department of Telco. She continued revolutionizing the world by helping Mr. Narayan Murthy establish the company and was a chief financial investor.
Her inspiring life becomes an even more inspiring weather philosophy on men and women being the strength of one another.
2. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
Who doesn't know Beyoncé or Queen Bey as a singer and songwriter? But there is a strong business woman side to her personality too. This famous singer of colored origin founded Parkwood Entertainment, a top American entertainment and recording label. Beyoncé began as an artist but is now a woman with a net worth of $540 million.
The Story: Beyoncé was born into a very regular family in Houston and became a part of Girl's Tyme in the late 1980s. There were many shifts and torturous practice days in her life before she became the breakthrough singer we know about.
She has a very iconic line that states that women need to reshape the perception of how they see themselves. And then only they can step up and take a lead in their life.
3. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is a successful business woman of Indian origin and the co-founder of the global pharmaceutical giant Biocon. She has been an inspiration for women, particularly because her contribution to building the company as a first-generation entrepreneur has been exceptional.
From studying zoology in Bangalore, India, to becoming a billionaire, the story of this entrepreneur has been the guiding light for many others.
The Story: Kiran started her business venture from a small shed. The venture that began from a shed is now Biocon Limited, a billion-dollar pharmaceutical brand. Even after facing gender, infrastructural, and financial challenges, she believes that entrepreneurship begins with the courage to face failure and succeed after failure.
4. Oprah Winfrey
Orpah Gail Winfrey is a popular American talk show host, actress, author, and successful business woman. She is known for being the founder of Harpo Productions, which produces multimedia for the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). This woman is a pop culture phenomenon and opened one of the first black female anchors in Nashville.
The Story: Oprah's story is path-breaking and heartbreaking. She was born to a single teenage mother in Mississippi amidst poverty. As she grew up, she faced molestation in her childhood and teenage years. As a result, she became pregnant at the age of 14. Growing up, she had a hard time and had to work odd jobs before she got her career breakthrough.
One of her motivational quotes says- she was once afraid of people questioning her existence until she found the courage to stand and own her identity.
5. Rihanna
Ri Ri, or Rihanna, is one of the successful female entrepreneurs and a loved pop star. She is among the richest American musicians who have built a legacy with her mesmerizing voice and upfront feminist personality. She has made it to the Forbes billionaire list with her brands Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty ( lingerie line).
The Story: Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty, this famous woman entrepreneur had a very troubled childhood. She made it out of her chaotic household and the trauma of her parent's troublesome marriage life. At the tender age of 16, Rihanna got a major contract. This pop star leaves her mark on the business and music world with a unique approach.
Rihanna has managed to empower many women with the line. There's something extraordinary about a woman who dominates in a man's world.
6. Lee Boo-jin
Lee Boo-jin is a successful business woman of Korean origin. She began with a career at the renowned Samsung welfare foundation in 1995. Then in 2001, she became the CEO of Hotel Shilla, a member company of the Samsung group. Well, when you look up the Forbes World's 100 Most Powerful Women List, you can easily find Lee Boo-jin featuring it. She is a powerful one, among the top female entrepreneurs.
The Story: Lee Boo-jin did not have to start from scratch as her father was the Samsung patriarch Lee Kun-hee. But like every woman, she struggled to hold on to the empire. Apart from splitting the Samsung group with her family, her life surrounds the controversies of a failed marriage. Lee Boo-jin also made it to the headlines with suspicions of drug abuse.
However, Lee Boo-jin is a chaebol, but her personality has a lot of things that women can imbibe.
7. Huda Kattan
Whenever you hear about Huda Beauty, you are witnessing the success of the most famous business women entrepreneur Huda Kattan. She is an American beauty blogger and makeup artist too. After starting her career at Revlon as a makeup artist, she slowly moved on to launching her cosmetic line in 2013. And that brand is a billion-dollar cosmetic brand.
The Story: Today's toxic beauty standard in social media culture provokes many young women to lose their identity among beauty standards. Huda breaks through some of those standards and paradoxically stands against the narrow ideals of beauty.
Huda Kattan has dealt with workplace inequality and the complex of darker skin. So, she tells women to think limitlessly if they want to be limitless.
8. JK Rowling
The next name among our list of young female entrepreneurs is JK Rowling. Without a doubt, everybody knows about Harry Potter, the masterpiece, and Rowling is its loved creator. She is the founder and president of Lumos Foundation, a charity organization for children. Rowling also gets to guess most of your finances from the Harry Potter franchise books, merchandise, and theme parks.
The Story: JK Rowling did enjoy her success at a young age, but there were many challenges that she had to deal with. She went through emotional lows and challenges as an unemployed single mother. She even went through the gloomy days of depression and survived it. Publishing the successful novel Harry Potter was also one of her challenges in real life.
Because she had seen rejection up close, she believes that understanding is the first step towards acceptance and that only with acceptance can people recover. No wonder she is a business woman with a billion-dollar net worth and lots of wit.
Also Read: How Are Women Treated Differently Than Men In Creative Fields?
Conclusion
By large, women have outdone society's perception of them with their skills and courage. We hope that you take inspiration from any one of the successful business woman stories.
All the women featured in this list belong to different ethnicities and cultures and have other struggles. But one thing that makes them alike is their success, which is left behind every effort.
That's why, The Voice of Woman celebrates the feminine potential and brings you inspiring stories each time. So, check out our other blogs and become a go-getter for things you want in life!