In today's world, women are making significant strides and transforming society. Despite the challenges they face, some women are showing remarkable resilience, creativity, and unwavering commitment to their cause. As we move further into 2024, these women stand out as trailblazers, entrepreneurs, and visionary leaders, breaking down barriers and challenging societal norms. We invite you to join us on a journey to discover the top 20 inspiring women to watch out for in 2024. Their stories are not just tales of success but beacons of hope, illuminating paths for future generations. Let their achievements serve as a testament to the immense potential within every woman, encouraging us all to strive for greatness and reach for the stars, and beyond
Bernadine Marconi
Bernadine Marconi is the founder of Insuritek LLC and a published artist. She began her career cold-calling for an agent knowing nothing about insurance. Miles outside of Chicago (pop. approx.. 1,000), she scheduled 5-7 appointments a week for business owners. She educated herself so she could respond to inquiries. After spending many years ‘assisting’ brokers, her knowledge and experience grew. She took a chance giving up a high paying salary to produce her own book of business. She canvassed the streets, cold called prospects, serviced her own accounts for others until she realized since she was going to do it all, it was time to start her own business. That was when Insuritek was born. So what makes her different? Her hands on, consultative approach with the knowledge of understanding all aspects of insurance. Brokers she worked for were ‘salesmen’. She’s more than that. Bernadine is also a published artist specializing in fine art.
Sarah Choudhary
Sarah Choudhary is heralded as one of the 'Top 20 Women to Watch in 2024' for her innovative leadership in technology. As the CEO of Aridian Technologies and Founder/CEO of ICE Innovations, she's set to debut groundbreaking apps like ICEride, iChef, and Sprawberry in Q4 2024, pioneering artificial intelligence use in everyday life. Notably, with ICEride, she's the first woman to launch a ride-hailing service, symbolizing a leap in tech entrepreneurship and urban mobility. Her expertise is solidified by a Ph.D. in Data Science and certifications from MIT and Harvard, alongside a notable track record at Ernst & Young and Accenture, driving advancements and robust AI cybersecurity measures.
Beyond her corporate success, Sarah is deeply committed to nurturing the next tech generation, actively participating in technical training and summits, and inspiring through motivational speaking. Her vision marries common sense with automation, aiming to simplify tasks through user-friendly technology. Sarah's leadership not only propels ICE Innovations but also promises a future where technology enhances everyday life, making her a significant figure in the tech evolution.
Jaclyn Abagael Cummins (Abbey Cummins)
Abbey Cummins is the CEO and Founder of Everything Cincy, a digital platform that promotes local businesses. After being in the media and marketing industry for 13+ years, she realized there was a need for an affordable marketing program for small businesses outside of their own websites and social media.
She launched the Everything brand with one goal in mind, support local and create a user friendly and organized resource for the community. Everything Cincy allows locals and those visiting the area the opportunity to access information all in one place without having to do any research.
Born into an entrepreneur family, Abbey has always had the desire and will to succeed and exemplifies that go-getter mentality. She is excited to take the Everything brand to more cities in the near future!
Anastasia Romensky
Anastasia Romensky is a visionary entrepreneur dedicated to redefining industries and improving lives. From modest beginnings with just $100, she has risen to lead multinational ventures, showcasing resilience and ambition.
At the forefront of innovation, Anastasia's IT company pioneers neural networks and e-commerce, serving clients across 20 countries. As a global healthcare trailblazer, she connects over 10,000 individuals to life-saving medical treatments through medical tourism. Anastasia's influence extends to the beauty industry, where her company and academy inspire a new generation of professionals. Her strategic real estate investments drive groundbreaking developments, fostering sustainable community value.
Driven by a belief in potential, Anastasia sees every challenge as an opportunity for growth. Passionate about impactful solutions, she invites others to shape an innovative, equitable future. Follow Anastasia's journey as she challenges the status quo and enacts transformative change. Join her network and be part of the journey to a better tomorrow.
Cherizar Walker
Cherizar Walker is a researcher and storyteller at heart, who lives a life of multi-faceted pursuits. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, where she began a successful career in aerospace engineering. In 2013, she decided to follow her heart to Montreal, where her passion for the integrative nature of writing and the healing arts ignited. This led her to receiving her shamanic healing certification from the Andean Masters in 2019, and to discovering her higher purpose in life.
Her first novel, The Conception of Utopia, will be released later this year on Turning Stone Press – an imprint of Hierophant Publishing. It is the story of her journey to healing and transformation. Within its pages are the never-before-recorded teachings of the colorful cast of shamans and healers she studied with. Her hope is that with her words, and their wisdom, her book will bridge the spirituality of old, to the new shamanism of the future.
Sonja Pototzki-Raymond
Sonja Pototzki-Raymond, MSc, Visionary CEO, Google Search Expert, Fertility Empowerment Advocate and Keynote Speaker, Sonja epitomises Google's expertise and resilience. As CEO of The Search Republic, sonja has elevated her agency to a Google-accredited agency, achieving over $700 million in sales for her clients across Australia and New Zealand within five years. With her blend of ethical practices and innovative Google Search strategies, and 19 years experience with global markets and major brands, Sonja's work ethic is unparalleled.
Sonja’s personal journey through a three-year fertility battle has not only made her a deeply passionate advocate for women's fertility challenges, but also inspired her upcoming book, showcasing how adversity has fueled her professional drive.
Holding a postgraduate degree in marketing, Sonja’s career reflects the synergy of professional success and a deep commitment to helping women overcome fertility challenges, establishing her as a transformative figure and a beacon of hope and leadership.
Adriana Mot
Adriana Mot is the founder of Land of Dochia, a wellbeing-centered group of companies focused on Interior Design and Lifestyle enhancement, based on a neurodesign method she created called Selftropy™.
Selftropy, at its core, is a spatial philosophy that uses the emotional connections between people and their immediate surroundings to boost wellbeing. In turn, these connections alter two key factors that boost longevity: positive moods and healthy energy levels.
During the past ten years Selftropy evolved from a theoretical hypothesis into a holistic design method which is now successfully applied and recognized through awards and publications. The Selftropy aesthetic is characterized by sensibility toward detail, visual complexity, and attention to human scale, and it can be weaved into any design style.
Land of Dochia specializes in hotels, restaurants, multi-unit residential, and private homes. What’s next? Democratizing Design: a new series of accessible DIY recipes, set to launch in 2025.
Michele Kline
Michele Kline is a high-performance coach, international bestselling author, and speaker. With a background in the hospitality industry, in 2010, she founded Kline Hospitality. A boutique Coaching and Consulting firm aiming to develop professionals to lead strong teams, while improving the customer experience. Since then, her impact has been global across all industries. She coaches individuals, and facilitates workshops and mastermind groups, helping people reach breakthrough performance and personal growth. She believes that connecting high performance, impactful leadership, and the joy of well-being is possible.
Committed to advocating for DEIB, and involved with several philanthropic organizations, she prepares professionals with the tools to embrace all dimensions of diversity. Her new book titled “360 IMPACT” is scheduled to publish in July of 2024 with the mission to help leaders find passion, ignite transformation, and inspire them to grow. Her message consistently drives focus on the power of connecting with people on a human level.
Viji Venkataguru
Viji Venkataguru is a DOT art Mandala creator, practicing and advocating the healing power of this meditative art form since 2021. She is also pursuing art therapy certification, to promote mental health awareness, that is much needed for the world, especially for the future generations. She also works in a highly mission oriented company, in a leadership role and strongly believes that women must value their mental health along with their physical well-being. Her art always has a positive inspiration,with personal healing experiences. She is a novice poetry writer, who aims to convert her emotions to words and beautiful dot art patterns.Mandala art is an ancient art form, proven to aid individuals as a therapeutic tool.Hence she conducts simple workshops for others to benefit from it. Anyone with no prior experience can work on dots, to calm the mind and dot art helps with fine motor skills .
Chloe Gray
Chloe Gray helps people fall in love. Responsible for several marriages, hundreds of relationships, and countless dates, she is the driving force behind Advice by Chloe. Originally born from a viral Reddit post, she has single-handedly transformed Advice by Chloe from a side project into a premium dating consultancy service.
With a master’s degree in clinical social work, Chloe used her therapeutic background to create services that range from crafting online dating profiles to comprehensive courses on effective communication and flirtation.
Advice by Chloe takes a research-based approach which sets it apart from the plague of pseudoscience, fostered dependence, and pickup artistry prevalent in the industry. Chloe prides herself on creating actionable solutions to the complexities of modern dating. With a 100% satisfaction rating and a trail of accolades from radio shows, articles, podcasts, and blogs, she continues to make her mark in the realm of love and relationships.
Sylvia Beckerman
Sylvia Beckerman is the Founder and CEO of Life Après® and host of the podcast series 'Sylvia & Me'. A single mother of two boys since 1988, Sylvia's journey from insurance executive to founder began after her second divorce in 2015. With little more than her clothes, shoes, and aspirations, she decided to start anew. Sylvia set up a post-divorce gift registry and threw herself a party. This marked the beginning of a new chapter, one that would eventually lead to the founding of Après Divorce and Life Après, platforms for women to share experiences and learn from each other.
2019 saw the launch of her podcast series ‘Sylvia & Me’. What Sylvia built is more than just a podcast; it's a community for women from diverse backgrounds and experiences. The podcast's wide reach allows it to touch the lives of women from all over the world. The diversity of the topics discussed, and the women featured on the podcast make Life Après unique in its industry.
Renee Basham
Renee Basham stands as the Executive Director and Founder of Hope’s Embrace, a nonprofit community doula program. She embodies the spirit of communal care and empowerment, spearheading a movement that revolutionizes maternal and infant healthcare alongside other women. Through collaborative leadership, she fosters a network of support, bringing together women from diverse backgrounds to uplift and empower each other through pregnancy, childbirth, and beyond.
With her dedicated birth workers, she cultivates a nurturing environment where every woman feels seen, heard, and supported. Through community-centered initiatives, they provide essential resources, education, and advocacy, bridging gaps in access to maternal healthcare. These efforts not only improve birth outcomes but also foster a sense of belonging and solidarity among mothers.
Emphasizing the power of community, she inspires others to join the cause, sparking a ripple effect of support and empowerment. Her work exemplifies the transformative impact of collective action, demonstrating that when women unite, they can create profound and lasting change in their communities.
Pascale Ghantous
Pascale Ghantous, the Founder of THE Social Tales, built a thriving digital agency in the heart of Lebanon despite the economic crisis, facing challenges head-on. With experience in web development and SEO, Pascale gained over 5 clients within the first month of launching her agency.
Motherhood became her most powerful story, but the entrepreneurial fire never dimmed. Her journey, juggling motherhood and ambition, proves you can achieve anything. Remember the magic of bedtime stories? They sparked her love for crafting tales that capture hearts.
At THE Social Tales, her mission is to empower women with a dream, to turn their whispers into a captivating chorus. Just like on International Women's Day, where they offered an e-commerce website to a woman whose business deserved to be online! Let THE Social Tales craft your brand's website, reaching the hearts of your audience and propelling you to success. Ready to tell your story?
Sylvie Dufour
During her PhD thesis at the University of Mons (Belgium) in the field of plastics recycling, Sylvie Dufour founded her company Pelote de Maille in January 2024. She offers one-off handmade crochet creations. But what sets her apart from other crocheters is that she offers an electronic certificate of authenticity to accompany each of her creations, in the form of a Non-Fungible-Token (NFT). Like cryptocurrencies, NFTs are written to a blockchain, making them tamper-proof forever. Thanks to this ultra-modern certificate format, her customers have the proof of owning a totally unique coin, ensuring that the creation does not lose value over time.
Sylvie Dufour has won the challenge of combining high technology and the traditional art of crochet by offering an ultra-simple method of acquiring an NFT to all her customers, with no need to provide any personal or banking details.
Bunny Terry
Bunny Terry, a proud New Mexican raised on a northeastern farm, discovered her passion for storytelling at six, typing tales on her family's Underwood. From crayon sketches in Jack and Jill Magazine to blogging about her beloved state, Bunny's journey led her through journalism and social media consultancy.
In 2012, Bunny's life took an unexpected turn with a stage IV colon cancer diagnosis. Despite setbacks, she chronicled her battle, culminating in "Life Saving Gratitude," a testament to resilience and positivity. Today, Bunny advocates for cancer patients, serving as Board Chair for the Cancer Foundation for New Mexico.
Alongside her advocacy, Bunny thrives as a marketing expert and Keller Williams broker in Santa Fe. Family-centric and community-driven, Bunny channels her experiences into coaching and speaking engagements, empowering others with the transformative power of gratitude.
Currently, Bunny crafts her second book, "Where I Come From," and designs "365 Days of Life Saving Gratitude." Whether coaching, speaking, or inspiring through storytelling, Bunny Terry is dedicated to enriching lives with gratitude and resilience.
Parmida Kate Zand
Parmida K. Zand started her carrier at the age of 21 in the financial field when she starts realizing how much she enjoy helping people who don’t have knowledge in Credit Repair. Parmida is the founder of Unlimited Credit Repair in 2019 with the intention of bringing a new method to the Credit repair industry to help people with their financial needs.
The unlimited Credit Repair team helped thousands of people all over the United States during the pandemic to avoid all financial crises. She established the First Woman-owned business with all woman staff in Credit repair. Unlimited credit repair won the best customer service award in 2022 in Simi Valley, Los Angeles.
“I’ve never thought of myself as a female business owner or founder. I just think of myself as someone who’s passionate about helping the community and people”, says Parmida
Nicole Rosenzweig
Nicole Rosenzweig is an unstoppable female entrepreneur and the driving force behind extraordinary wedding experiences. As the industry’s premier wedding planner, she seamlessly fuses meticulous detail with deep emotional resonance in every event. Her reputation as the hardest worker stems from an unwavering work ethic, heightened motivation, and disciplined execution.
Late nights refining intricate details and early mornings ensuring flawless execution exemplify her commitment to perfection. Motivated by challenges, she converts them into opportunities, transforming visions into tangible realities with boundless energy. Beyond being a planner, she is a dedicated architect of enchanting experiences.
Her innovative approach, combined with unwavering discipline, positions her as a leader in the competitive world of not only wedding planning, but in business as well. Join her on this extraordinary journey, where each celebration becomes a testament to the beauty of love, fueled by passion and executed with unmatched dedication.
Nerma Linsberger
Nerma is a Vienna based architect, specializing in social housing and urban planning. As a lecturer at the Technical University of Vienna Nerma shared her years of experience with students of architecture, providing a platform for the younger generation. Being a member of the Quality Advisory Board of Upper Austria, her expertise is valued regarding the development of new projects within residential.
As an architect her approach comes from a fine and calm place, bringing clarity and soft poetry into her housing architecture. Born in Sarajevo, her Architecture captivates with a Mediterranean ease being able to conjure an independent language in her buildings. Her housing projects provide great private places and spaces to call home, as well as thought through areas to interact. Nerma’s architecture has been rewarded with many globally renowned architectural prizes and featured on international platforms like Architizer and Dezeen.
Mayuri Mukka
Mayuri is the founder of the Ayurveda inspired luxury wellness brand, THE MANDARA, providing luscious skincare & haircare products, rare teas and spices. Every product is handcrafted, all-natural, chemical-free, heritage and artisanal. The branding is inspired by the various handloom works from India. THE MANDARA lives by the ideology ‘Earth Conscious Wellness’, which is carried forward in the packaging, eco-partnerships, meaningful donations and sustainability efforts. Ayurveda is a time tested, 5000-year-old Indian based holistic science, which translates to ‘Science of Life’. It involves health promotion, disease management and amazing formulations for skin, hair, body, mind that target optimum health.
Mayuri has a Masters in Chemical Engineering from WVU. She also has her Ayurvedic degree from SCU, is NAMA certified & RYT200 Yoga Instructor – which together have given her the expertise to launch products that are ethical, gentle, effective and classical. Mayuri had a deep relationship with botanicals growing up in India & wants to present this gift to the world through her brand. Health primarily starts with daily routine and THE MANDARA is here to change the approach to body care through its authenticity & roots.
Marisa Faircloth
With a 40-year career, Marisa is a seasoned professional in the non-invasive cosmetics space. Known for her ethical approach, she worked with gifted plastic surgeons early in her career. She thought then what she knows today – that less invasive treatments can provide beautiful and natural results. Since opening her own practice 8 years ago, she has not only become a successful businesswoman but also a thought leader.
Marisa is an Allergan trainer, credentialed as a Master Level Injector, and she occupies Top 250 Status, placing her among the top .05% of injectors in the nation. She has been honored 4 times by her peers with the 100 Best Injectors award. She’s a Forbes speaker and last year published her first book, Empowered by Beauty: A Testament for Unleashing Self-confidence. A memoir and commentary on the non-invasive cosmetics industry, it’s available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Final Thoughts
As we draw the curtains on our exploration of the top 20 inspiring women of 2024, one thing becomes abundantly clear: the future is undeniably female. These extraordinary individuals have shattered stereotypes, defied expectations, and rewritten the narrative of what it means to be a woman in today's world. From the boardroom to the battlefield, from science labs to political arenas, they have left an indelible mark on every facet of human endeavor.
But their journey is far from over. As we bid farewell to these luminaries, let us remember that their stories are not just tales of triumph but calls to action. Let us pledge to uplift, support, and amplify the voices of women everywhere, ensuring that the next generation inherits a world where equality, opportunity, and justice reign supreme. For in their stories lies the blueprint for a brighter, more inclusive tomorrow—a tomorrow where every woman has the chance to soar to unprecedented heights.