“I’m not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I’m the first Simon Biles.” ~ Simone Biles, Olympic Gymnast Summary: Simone Biles has become one of America’s top gymnasts. After dominating at the junior elite level, she won her first U.S. and world all-around titles in 2013. In 2015, she claimed a record third straight world all-around title. She went…
“There are thousands of inspirational stories waiting to be told about young women who yearn for a great education. They are stories of struggle and stories of success, and they will inspire others to take action and work to change lives.” ~ Soledad O’Brien, Broadcast Journalist Summary: Soledad O’Brien is an anchor and special correspondent for CNN. Since joining the network…
“Leadership requires having a good head on your shoulders, knowing how to bring out the best in others, and being open to new ideas.” ~ Sonia Gardner, Cofounder and President of Avenue Capital Summary: Sonia is co-founder and president of investment firm Avenue Capital. Gardner founded the company with her brother Marc Lasry in 1995 and run it with him for…
“There are thousands of inspirational stories waiting to be told about young women who yearn for a great education. They are stories of struggle and stories of success, and they will inspire others to take action and work to change lives.” ~ Stephanie “Missharvey” Harvey, Video Game Developer For Counter Logic Gaming Summary: Stephanie Harvey is a Canadian video game developer…
“My inspiration has always come from my failures.” ~ Sudha Chandran, Bharatanatyam Dancer Summary: Sudha Chandran is the true dancing diva. She is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer learning the form since the age of 3 years. Unfortunately, she lost her leg due to gangrene after having met with a bus accident. Her struggle to dance with a prosthetic leg is…
“I have tried to be a leader. I have tried in my role of being one of the first women at Google, let alone the first woman to have a baby, to really try to set the tone that this is a great place to work for diversity reasons.” ~ Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube Summary: Women CEOs are few…
“I knew that if I wanted to gain anything of value I must remember that it was not mine alone to keep.” ~ Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche, Financial Educator Summary: Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche is an award-winning teacher of financial empowerment and is quickly becoming America’s favorite, personal financial educator. The Budgetnista specializes in the delivery of financial literacy and…
“To do what you love can sometimes be stressful.” ~ Toni Braxton, Singer/Songwriter, Ambassador for Lupus & Artism Summary: Toni Braxton is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, actress, television personality, and philanthropist. Rising to fame in the early 1990s, Braxton quickly established herself as an R&B icon and became one of the best-selling female artists of the 1990s…
“You can’t be hesitant about who you are.” ~Viola Davis, Actress & Humanitarian Summary: Viola Davis is an American actress and producer. She is the only black woman to be nominated for three Academy Awards, winning one, and is the only black actor to win the Triple Crown of Acting. In 2012 and 2017, she was listed by Time Magazine as…
“For a long time, girls have been disenfranchised, facing early marriages, dropping out of school, gender violence, little access to economic empowerment or to capital for businesses. We are not disempowering men by empowering women, we are trying to create an inclusive society where each and every person has an opportunity to maximize on their potential.” ~ Vivian Onano, Women’s Rights Activist…