The Most Inspiring Women in Business – WWD

“Being in the hair care industry, Jen Atkin is someone I’ve been inspired by, from pitching her brand to Sephora before it even launched (which is what inspired me to do so with Bread), to how she completely upended the category with Ouai. She brought a fresh perspective that has helped to change how both the industry and consumers view hair care, showing it can be fun and modern in a way that doesn’t read like old school ‘glamour.’ Beyond that, Jen has built Ouai’s brand equity to stand on its own outside of her as a stylist and personality which is something we’re hoping to replicate with Bread.” — Maeva Heim, chief executive officer and founder, Bread

“It’s tough to say, there are so many amazing women that I admire across so many industries. The thing that makes me go crazy and cheer like crazy for another woman is her believing in herself. That’s all it takes for me to say, “wow, the world better watch out for her. A woman who believes she can WILL.” —Cashmere Nicole, president, CEO and founder, Beauty Bakerie

“Anita Roddick, the founder of Body Shop, believed in something revolutionary: that business can be a force for good. She was an activist and environmentalist. She believed in transparency and inclusivity before they were buzzwords. She filled the campaigns in her stores with her passion for empowerment and equality for all women. Her love for her products and her business was infused with a deep responsibility to do good, when and where you can. Through the rituals of true beauty and betterment for all — taking care of our business can now mean we are taking care of ourselves.” — Anisa Telwar Kaicker, founder and CEO, Anisa International and Anisa Beauty

“I’ve been fortunate to meet and have a working relationship with Arianna Huffington, who I’ve come to greatly admire over the years. She is the former editor in chief of ‘The Huffington Post,’ which she launched in 2005 and is now the CEO of health and wellness start-up ‘Thrive Global,’ which (even before the pandemic) was helping people find solutions for mental health and stress issues globally. It’s extremely exciting to watch such a warm and endearing female in power transition and branch out into other industries and opportunities, bringing her valuable insights and knowledge to help build and grow these ventures. I’m awestruck by the way Arianna is impacting the world by anchoring her new company with a sense of purpose and identity.” — Ilaria Resta, president, perfumery, Firmenich

“While I have taken my love of storytelling to the business world via marketing in beauty, Shonda Rhimes has taken her love of storytelling to the world of entertainment — a massive platform where she has touched many millions of fans globally. She has created so much personal success, while also giving a voice and a platform to other individuals. She has used her work to entertain and touch people emotionally, while simultaneously making statements about women’s intelligence, power and humanity as well as to honor and showcase diversity. Her success has also earned her the creative freedom to have more latitude in the types of project she is involved in. That creative freedom and ability to have the independence to shape your work and determine the specific message you want to convey is the ultimate professional goal — where personal beliefs and conviction coincide with your professional world and work.” — Elana Drell-Szyfer, CEO, RéVive

“Just to name a few, I greatly admire Michelle Obama for her poise, grace, intelligence and enthusiasm she has for our country and women’s education. As a female entrepreneur, I admire Jamie Kern Lima, founder of It Cosmetics. She is a true visionary and problem solver, especially in the world of beauty. Growing her business from her kitchen table to what it is today is beyond inspiring. And then, of course, there’s Marlo Thomas…where do I even begin? This woman is such an inspiration between her incredible talent on-screen to her tireless philanthropic efforts with St. Jude, she’s one in a million and I truly look up to her.” — Alicia Grande, founder and CEO, Grande Cosmetics

“I most admire Thai Lee, founder and CEO of SHI International, which is the number-one largest woman-owned business in the U.S. according to Forbes. I deeply respect that she immigrated to the U.S. as a teenager, and despite initial language barriers, she set out a clear, focused vision to be an entrepreneur early-on in her career and tenaciously and relentlessly built an incredible business generating $11 billion in revenue per annum in a field she had to learn from scratch. Her grit, determination, leadership and vision are awe-inspiring, all while she remains incredibly humble and customer and team-centric.” — Alicia Yoon, CEO and founder, Peach and Lily

“My top list includes Christie Hefner (our chairman at Hatchbeauty Brands), Sallie Krawcheck (what she has done to make women millionaires), Katherine Power (her multiple companies and her new SPAC as well as a mom to a young kiddo) and Richelle Parham (former CMO of EBay, board member at companies such as ELF and Best Buy). Each of these women exemplify stories of breaking barriers, changing the status quo and redefining norms. My recent podcast launch, From Potential to Powerhouse underwrites a premise: it doesn’t matter where a woman is on her journey, she should be celebrated every step of the way, and she has the support of female business giants who have forged the path for her to build her own empire.” —Tracy Holland, founder and executive chairman, HatchBeauty Brands