The top 10 female entrepreneurs who defied expectations

There's a gender gap in global GDP (Gross Domestic Product): women are about half the world's population, but only account for around 37% of global GDP.¹ Female entrepreneurship offers a way to address this gap. Not only do women business owners increase female representation in the entrepreneurial sector, but they also employ more women and promote more women to senior positions than in companies run by men, according to a recent World Bank report. This creates more opportunities for women to enter and advance in the workforce, helping bolster economic development worldwide and driving home the fact that female entrepreneurs are a critical factor in driving economic growth.²

Over the years, female entrepreneurs have made a significant impact on the business world, far exceeding any and all expectations and forever changing the workforce for the better. Let's find out a bit more about 10 of these pioneers, including some of their greatest achievements and how they've inspired the next generation of business leaders.

What percentage of entrepreneurs are female?

A 2024 Wells Fargo study found that over 14 million American businesses are owned by women, representing 39.1% of all US businesses.³ There has been an estimated 13.6% rise in women-owned businesses in the US since 2019; women launched more businesses than they closed during the incredible challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.⁴

Ten inspiring female entrepreneurs who led the way

Here are some of the top female entrepreneurs whose talent and determination have helped to open the world's eyes to what can be achieved by women in business.

1. Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey blazed a trail from her local grocery store to talk-show host, then media mogul, and now self-made billionaire.⁵ She is one of the most famous female entrepreneurs on the planet, with a fortune built on a diverse portfolio of ventures ranging from TV and film to publishing and real estate.⁶

2. Sara Blakely

Spanx founder Sara Blakely couldn't find a manufacturer willing to give her concept a try for quite some time. She was a woman struggling to be taken seriously in a male-dominated industry, but she drove from mill to mill, pitching her idea until she found one ready to work with her.⁷ The rest is history. Forbes declared her the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world in 2012.⁸

Blakely has received key endorsements and mentorship from the likes of Oprah Winfrey and Richard Branson throughout her career.⁹ She is committed to giving back, pledging to donate at least half her wealth to charity.¹⁰

3. Whitney Wolfe Herd

Tech billionaire Whitney Wolfe Herd is one of the world's most successful businesswomen. She was a co-founder of dating app Tinder (and is credited with coming up with its name), but quit the company and founded another dating app, Bumble.¹¹ When she took Bumble public in 2021, she was the youngest female CEO to take a company public and the world's youngest female billionaire.¹²

4. Anne Wojcicki

A Yale-educated biologist, Anne Wojcicki left a career in healthcare and biotech consulting to pursue her interest in biological research. In 2006, she co-founded 23andMe, a pioneering effort to make genetic testing more widely accessible.¹³ Forbes declared her a self-made billionaire in 2021.¹⁴

5. Reshma Saujani

Reshma Saujani founded Girls Who Code in 2012 with the goal of addressing the gender gap in tech by driving systemic change through advocacy. Under her leadership, the GWC program generated more than 500,000 alumni in less than 10 years.

Before her shift to tech education and advocacy, Saujani ran for U.S. Congress. While visiting New York City schools during her campaign, she witnessed a dearth of female students in computing classes, and this observation was part of what inspired her towards activism. What was lost by the political world was a big win for women in tech.¹⁵

6. Melanie Perkins

Canva CEO and co-founder Melanie Perkins has revolutionized graphic design for non-designers. The Australian woman entrepreneur was declared a billionaire in 2021. Not bad for an idea born out of helping fellow students with Photoshop in her college dorm.¹⁶

7. Janice Bryant Howroyd

Founder and CEO of the ActOne Group, a staffing agency, Janice Bryant Howroyd is recognized as the first Black woman to build and own a billion-dollar company. Her motto, "doing well while doing good", reflects her lifelong advocacy for economic empowerment.¹⁷

8. Cher Wang

Cher Wang is one of the few famous women entrepreneurs to make her name in hardware tech. As co-founder and chairperson of Taiwanese consumer electronics firm HTC, she has been instrumental in bringing smartphones to the mainstream.¹⁸

9. Tory Burch

Tory Burch founded her eponymous fashion label in 2004. Tory Burch LLC has since grown into a powerhouse global fashion brand, built on a unique aesthetic. Burch paid it forward in the form of support for women entrepreneurs through the Tory Burch Foundation.¹⁹

10. Weili Dai

Weili Dai is unique among women entrepreneurs; she's the only woman founder (to date) of a major semiconductor company. She is one of the more inspiring female entrepreneurs in tech, supporting causes like One Laptop per Child and advocating tirelessly for women in STEM.²⁰

Defy your expectations with an online MBA from KU

At the Kansas University School of Business, the overall cohort of Online MBA students is 33% female, but there's no reason why that percentage couldn't and shouldn't be larger.

KU's comprehensive MBA program prepares students for leadership positions in business. Our Online MBA curriculum includes modules that cover finance and managing people, as well as electives in entrepreneurship and leadership philosophy. These courses equip students with the tools they need to become trailblazers in the business world. With the knowledge and skills KU's Online MBA program imparts, graduates can feel confident in their ability to efficiently manage a team and lead the business of their dreams.

To find out more about how KU's online MBA prepares female students to be entrepreneurs and business leaders, schedule an appointment with one of our admissions outreach advisors. Check out our admission requirements online to learn more about applying.