"…no one has the right to define me but me." — Linda Descano
Founder, I-ELLA
A: I’d like to think I’m living that moment now. Entrepreneurship is not easy. At all. The highs and lows are incredibly close. Perseverance for me stems from an unfettered belief in the potential of I-ELLA. READ MORE »
CEO & Designer, Tory Burch
A: There was a lot of skepticism when I decided to start the company; I wasn’t a designer and didn’t have a retail background. People also questioned the wisdom of creating a business with a foundation and social responsibility in mind. My parents gave me great advice, which was to think of negativity as noise, and believe in yourself. I took ... READ MORE »
Founder and CEO, MissRepresentation
A: I made this film despite early naysayers. Friends and family questioned the film concept. Long time feminists and women’s rights supporters were skeptical. Many said Miss Representation had been done before and questioned who I was to be making this film. People even told me I was wasting my time as things had gotten better for women. Well, we proved ... READ MORE »
Executive Director, Zimele Community
A: Being a child of the racial segregation era of South Africa, my family and friends did not understand my passion to work with the black people of South Africa. They also did not understand the need for my non-profit efforts. But I knew that my responsibility to live out my destiny came with the great cost of keeping a healthy ... READ MORE »
President & CEO, Vital Voices Global Partnership
A: In the last year, we have seen women in the Middle East and North Africa advocate for phenomenal, unprecedented shifts — shifts in civic engagement, in politics, in cultural perception and social interaction — shifts in the very language and means we use to communicate. While we all know that change takes time, these women and the movements that they ... READ MORE »
Founder & CEO, Sheila Kelley S Factor
A: You're talking to the woman who founded pole dance fitness! I most certainly did. That little eviction warning I found attached to my front door when I was teaching S Factor out of my home, was the result of queries from my neighbors. What can I say? At that time (and today to some extent), the definition of "pole dancing" ... READ MORE »