Successful Women Entrepreneurs
10 Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs
By Kristina Zucchi
Updated August 22, 2023
Reviewed by JeFreda R. Brown
Fact checked by Pete Rathburn
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Most entrepreneurs and executives still tend to be men, but more and more women are becoming business leaders and innovators.
- While there are a handful of woman founders from the past, such as Estée Lauder, the last few decades have marked a great upsurge in self-made women in business.
- Women entrepreneurs are historically most known for running fashion houses or cosmetic companies, but more recently, many have made their mark in other industries, such as real estate and biopharma.
Women have been paving the path for entrepreneurs in every industry for many decades. From Estée Lauder, who launched her cosmetics company in the 1940s, to Ruth Fertel, who aspired to have the best steak restaurant (Ruth’s Chris Steak House), women entrepreneurs have been able to withstand economic and business pressures to be the best.12
Today, the list of women entrepreneurs spans many industries. Below is a list of the 10 most successful women entrepreneurs who have made a significant mark in different industries in recent decades. This list is in no particular order and by no means exhaustive, but it strives to recognize women who have built a world-renowned brand through their own hard work and strong drive.
Real Estate
Zhang Xin
Zhang Xin is co-founder of SOHO China, a real estate development firm in China that went public in 2007.3 Known as “the woman who built Beijing,” she was once a factory worker, later graduating from Cambridge University with a master’s degree in economic development. Zhang worked for Goldman Sachs before launching her company; she has since amassed a $2.8 billion fortune.
Biotechnology
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is the founder of Biocon, a global biopharmaceutical company. She began Biocon out of a rented shed and grew it into India’s largest listed biopharma firm in terms of revenue. Biocon went public in 2004 and became only the second Indian company to reach $1 billion on its first trading day. Mazumdar-Shaw is India’s second wealthiest self-made woman (behind Nykaa founder Falguni Nayar), with a net worth of $2.1 billion as of February 2023, according to Forbes.
Workforce Management
Janice Bryant Howroyd
Janice Bryant Howroyd is the founder and CEO of ActOne Group, the first Black female-led company to bring in more than $1 billion in annual revenue.8ActOne is primarily an employment agency and consultancy based in Los Angeles with more than 17,000 clients in 33 countries.9 Like many of her counterparts on this list, Howroyd started from very humble beginnings, launching her company with just $1,500 in 1978.9 She is listed in Forbes’ America’s Richest Self-Made Women for 2022…[MORE]
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To read the entire article by Kristina Zucchi at the Investopedia website, visit: 10 Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs