She Informs

Category: Women in Power

  • From Corporate to CEO: Women Entrepreneurs Who Bet on Themselves

    From Corporate to CEO: Women Entrepreneurs Who Bet on Themselves

    The Rise of the Self-Made CEO

    For decades, the corporate ladder was sold as the ultimate path to success…steady paychecks, job security, and a clear trajectory. But for many women entrepreneurs, that promise came with burnout, limited growth, and ceilings that felt impossible to break.

    Today, a growing number of women are choosing a different route. They’re walking away from corporate titles and betting on themselves to transform ideas, side hustles, and passions into full-fledged businesses. The journey from corporate to CEO isn’t easy, but for these women, it’s been worth the risk.

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    Why More Women Are Leaving Corporate Careers

    The shift from employee to entrepreneur isn’t impulsive; it’s intentional. Typical motivations include:

    • Lack of advancement opportunities despite strong performance
    • Desire for flexibility and autonomy over time and income
    • Burnout and misalignment with corporate culture
    • A vision bigger than their job description

    For many women, entrepreneurship isn’t about escaping work; it’s about building work that aligns with their values.

    The Leap of Faith: Betting on Yourself

    Leaving a stable paycheck can feel terrifying. Many women who make the leap spend months or years preparing:

    • Saving emergency funds
    • Building businesses on the side
    • Acquiring new skills through courses or mentorship
    • Testing ideas before fully committing

    What separates those who leap from those who don’t? Belief. A belief that their skills are transferable, their ideas are valuable, and their success doesn’t need corporate validation.

    Lessons Learned on the Road to CEO

    Women who’ve transitioned from corporate to entrepreneurship often share similar lessons:

    1. Your Corporate Skills Are an Asset

    Leadership, project management, communication, and strategy don’t disappear when you leave corporate; however, they become your competitive advantage.

    2. Fear Doesn’t Go Away—You Move With It

    Confidence isn’t the absence of fear; it’s taking action despite it.

    3. Community Is Non-Negotiable

    Mentors, peer groups, and networks matter. Entrepreneurship can be lonely without support.

    4. Success Is Redefined

    It’s no longer just about titles or salaries—it’s about impact, freedom, and fulfillment.

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    What Success Looks Like Now

    For many women CEOs, success means:

    • Choosing clients and projects intentionally
    • Creating generational wealth
    • Having time flexibility for family and personal goals
    • Building brands that reflect who they truly are

    The corporate badge may be gone, but the influence is stronger than ever.

    Permission to Bet on Yourself

    The move from corporate to CEO isn’t about rejecting stability, but about redefining it. Women who bet on themselves prove that security can come from ownership, confidence, and clarity of purpose.

    If you’ve been waiting for a sign, this is it: your experience matters, your ideas are valid, and you don’t need permission to build something of your own.

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    Here are well-known women entrepreneurs who transitioned from corporate careers to building their own companies and clearly bet on themselves.

    Women Who Went From Corporate to CEO

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    Bozoma Saint John
    Before becoming a globally recognized branding powerhouse, Bozoma held executive roles at PepsiCo, Beats by Dre, Apple Music, Uber, and Netflix. She later stepped into entrepreneurship, building her own brand rooted in culture, storytelling, and influence—on her own terms.

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    Sara Blakely
    Sara worked in sales before launching Spanx with just $5,000 in savings. No investors. No corporate safety net. Today, she’s one of the most iconic self-made women entrepreneurs in the world.

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    Mellody Hobson
    Mellody rose through the ranks of corporate finance before becoming Co-CEO of Ariel Investments. She’s since used her leadership platform to advocate for financial literacy, diversity, and economic empowerment.

    Kathryn Finney
    After working in government and finance, Kathryn founded DigitalUndivided to support and fund Black and Latinx women founders. Her leap from corporate to CEO reshaped access to capital for underrepresented entrepreneurs.

    Lisa Price
    Lisa started Carol’s Daughter while working in television production. What began as a side hustle became a multimillion-dollar beauty brand—long before “clean beauty” and “Black-owned” were trending buzzwords.

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  • Women in Sports: How Angel Reese Is Redefining the Game

    Women in Sports: How Angel Reese Is Redefining the Game

    Women’s sports have experienced remarkable growth in visibility, popularity, and commercial success. Athletes like basketball phenomenon Angel Reese are not just participating in sports—they’re dominating them. Breaking records and reshaping what’s possible for female athletes. This rising wave of exceptional women athletes is transforming the landscape of professional sports in profound and lasting ways.

    The Rise of Women’s Basketball and Angel Reese’s Impact

    Angel Reese burst onto the scene during her time at LSU, where her extraordinary performance in the 2023 NCAA Championship game against Iowa captured the nation’s attention. Nicknamed “Bayou Barbie,” Reese’s combination of skill, confidence, and marketability has made her one of the most recognizable faces in women’s basketball.

    After being selected in the first round of the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky, Reese continued as one of the sport’s brightest stars. Her dominant rebounding ability, defensive presence, and competitive spirit have translated seamlessly to the professional level, where she’s established herself as a force to be reckoned with.

    What makes Reese particularly notable is not just her on-court excellence but her business acumen off the court. Through brand partnerships and social media, she’s built a personal brand that resonates with fans and sponsors alike. This combination of athleticism and entrepreneurial spirit exemplifies the new generation of women athletes. Who are also taking control of their narratives and financial futures.

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    Beyond Basketball: Women Excelling Across Sports

    The phenomenon of women in sports, Angel Reese, dominates in her respective sport, but this extends far beyond basketball:

    Tennis: Players like Coco Gauff have picked up the mantle from legends such as Serena Williams. Continuing to elevate women’s tennis through their exceptional play and cultural impact.

    Soccer: The growth of professional women’s soccer leagues worldwide has created platforms for stars like Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman to showcase their talents. Building on the foundation laid by pioneers like Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan.

    Track and Field: Athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson continue to break world records and push the boundaries of human performance. At the same time, it is inspiring the next generation of runners and field competitors.

    Swimming: Katie Ledecky’s dominance in distance events has cemented her legacy as one of the most excellent swimmers of all time, regardless of gender.

    The Commercial Revolution in Women’s Sports

    The increasing dominance of women athletes coincides with—and helps drive—a commercial revolution in women’s sports. Television ratings for women’s sporting events have reached record highs. The 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game drew over 9.9 million viewers, a testament to the growing audience interest.

    Corporate sponsors have taken notice, increasing their investments in women’s leagues, tournaments, and individual athletes. This financial support creates a virtuous cycle: more resources lead to improved training facilities, coaching, and development programs. Which in turn produces even more extraordinary performances that captivate fans.

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    Challenges and the Road Ahead

    Despite the remarkable progress, challenges remain. Pay discrepancies, though narrowing in some sports, persist in many others. Media coverage, although improving, still lags behind that of men’s sports in both quantity and depth. Access to quality coaching and facilities at youth levels remains inconsistent.

    Yet the trajectory is unmistakably positive. Each breakthrough performance, each sponsorship deal, each sold-out arena represents another step toward a sports landscape where women’s achievements are celebrated and compensated on par with men’s.

    The Ripple Effect of Representation

    Perhaps the most significant impact of athletes like Angel Reese is the inspiration they provide to young girls who now have more visible role models than ever before. When young athletes can see women who look like them succeeding at the highest levels of sport, it expands their sense of what’s possible for their futures.

    This representation matters not just for future professional athletes but for all young women. The confidence, resilience, and leadership skills developed through sports participation translate to success in countless other areas of life.

    A New Era in Sports

    The rise of dominant women athletes like Angel Reese signifies more than just individual success stories—it represents a fundamental shift in how women’s sports are perceived, consumed, and valued. As these athletes continue to break barriers and set new standards of excellence, they are not just changing the game—they are changing the culture.

    For fans, athletes, and industry stakeholders alike, this is an exciting time to witness and participate in the growth of women’s sports. The achievements we’re seeing today are just the beginning of what promises to be a golden era for women athletes across the sporting world.

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  • How VP Kamala Harris is Shaping Leadership for Women all Over

    How VP Kamala Harris is Shaping Leadership for Women all Over

    For the first time in history, Vice President Kamala Harris was the first woman vice president of the United States and the first woman of color. What does this mean for women all over the world?

    Undoubtedly, the rise of women in leadership is at an all-time high. VP Kamala Harris is charting a New Way Forward—to a future where everyone has the opportunity not just to get by but to get ahead. Powerful women like VP Kamala Harris, Congresswoman Jasmine Crocket, Justice Kentaji Brown, and even Hilary Clinton are great examples of women in America who are not afraid to break barriers.

    In July 2024, President Joe Biden endorsed VP Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party’s nominee for the 2024 presidential election. In early August 2024, VP Harris became the official Democratic party nominee following her victorious win in a vote of party delegates.

    More than Just Representation

    As a woman in America, there are laws set in place that affect the everyday woman. It is important to have someone devoted to change in a position that these laws also affect. Kamala Harris is fighting for better lives for women, and the average middle-class American in a tough position.

    Her running alongside President Joe Biden in the 2020 election broke a historical barrier for Black women in U.S. politics, a space where Black women have often been underrepresented. VP Harris’s visibility as a Black woman in such a prominent position inspires many young Black girls and women. Seeing someone who looks like them in a leadership role provides hope and encouragement that they, too, can achieve great things despite systemic obstacles.

    I strongly believe that when God has chosen you to fulfill a purpose, it is your duty to be obedient and try every day to fulfill that purpose. America has been divided for so long; VP Harris is committed to ending this divide.

    More-than-qualified

    VP Harris has spent her entire life breaking barriers; here are a few things you should know about VP Kamala Harris.

    According to BBC, VP Harris began her career as the District Attorney of San Francisco. Her next promotion was as California’s Attorney General, where she became the first woman and black person elected to serve as the top lawyer in America’s most populous state.

    She used that momentum to propel her successful 2016 run as California’s next US Senator, a perch from which she drew buzz with her prosecutorial style in committee hearings. But it doesn’t stop there. On January 20, 2021, Kamala Harris was sworn in as Vice President – the first woman, the first Black American, and the first South Asian American to be elected to this position.

    It has been said that both Harri’s parents were at the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. Her mother made it her duty to make sure Kamala Harris was knowledgeable about the many barriers she was about to break. Unlike many other politicians, VP Harris is for the people.

    Black Women in Leadership Roles

    While we know that women in leadership roles are held to a different standard, the harsh reality for Black women in leadership roles is that they face more systematic issues and barriers than any other race. According to Harvard Business School, black women leaders also often lack the support that white peers have access to. What does this mean for VP Kamala Harris?

    Harris brings a unique perspective informed by her own experiences as a Black woman. This perspective is essential for addressing issues like systemic racism, criminal justice reform, health disparities, and economic inequality—issues that disproportionately affect Black women and communities of color.

    Black women have often been at the forefront of activism and social movements, yet their contributions have been historically overlooked. Harris’s position helps amplify their voices and experiences in mainstream political discourse.

    Here’s what’s on the Harris-Walz agenda:

    1. Cut Taxes for Working People
    2. Lower Food and Grocery Costs
    3. Lower Health Care Costs
    4. Lower Energy Costs
    5. Lower Prescription Drug Costs
    6. Lower Costs by Protecting Consumers from Fees and Fraud
    7. Help Americans Buy a Home and Afford Rent
    8. Invest in the Small Businesses that Drive Growth, Innovation, and Jobs
    9. Invest in American Innovation and Industrial Strength Powered by American Workers
    10. Create Security and Opportunities for Workers and Build a Care Economy
    11. Strengthen Opportunity in Communities Across America
    12. Protect Americans’ Ability to Retire With Dignity
    13. Make Our Tax Code More Fair and Promote Growth