Top 10 most influential female entrepreneurs

If women's employment rates were equal to men's, global annual Gross Domestic Product would increase some 26% by 2025, according to data in a study by McKinsey Group Institute. Meanwhile, the International Labour Organisation agrees that inclusion policies mean businesses are 20% more likely to achieve good results.

Without doubt this all goes to show that, in the business world, stereotypes are alive and well, although the work, dedication and perseverance of many women in business is slowly managing to change this outlook.

The presence of women is actually increasing each year, opening up new leadership opportunities and breaking through the so-called "glass ceiling". This means more and more women in business hold positions of responsibility and run major businesses in the most diverse of industries.

To reach ever further, it helps to have guides and role models to follow. That's why we've chosen 10 powerful business women who have made it in the business world, highlighting their most successful projects.

1. Jimena Flórez

Jimena Flórez, born in Colombia, is one of the best-known Latin American women in business. 

She is the founder of Chaak Healthy Snacks, through which she has helped improve the nutrition of thousands of children in the United States, transforming their habits. At the same time, Jimena supports sustainable agricultural development and the Colombian farmers who practise it. In fact, she even received recognition from Barack Obama for this venture.

2. Linda Franco

Linda Franco is a Mexican entrepreneur and co-founder of the startup Machina, a wearable technology and virtual reality company.

Her most notable product is a futuristic jacket that turns the human body into an interface able to create music through movement sensors. Thanks to her creativity, Linda earned a place on the list of Latin American Innovators under 35 in the 2017 edition.

3. Ana Medina

Ana Medina is a young Spaniard and CEO of Genengine, a company that offers solutions for the diagnosis of genetic diseases. Her company has launched a system that optimises time and resources by facilitating the process for diagnosing Rare Diseases as well as decision-making for their subsequent treatment.

4. Lupina Iturriaga

Lupina Iturriaga is one of the examples of women in business who knows how to exploit an opportunity and come up with an alternative solution. 

Co-founder and director of a personal finance app, the idea arose from her own need to more efficiently manage money. The software streamlines financial management and helps users save money. It also lets them view different banks and cards in a single app, in order to better organise expenses.

5. Michelle Dalzon

Michelle is a marketing specialist who wanted to go one step further and, therefore, founded The Black Owned Market.

This is a marketplace that connects Afro-American entrepreneurs to provide mutual support and thus attract consumers to brands with history. It is a project that's not only successful, but also has a positive social impact.

6. Caterina Fake

Caterina is one of the most powerful women in business when it comes to social media and tech trends, since she is the co-founder of Flickr. She was also involved in Yahoo and created the Hunch platform, a system later acquired by eBay.

She is considered one of the most effective innovative leaders and is also a true all-rounder. In fact, besides business and great tech ideas, she is also an author and artist, who for over 20 years has run her own personal blog where she writes about culture and literature.

7. Carolina Herrera

This Venezuelan powerful businesswoman hardly needs an introduction - she is one of the best-known designers in the world, as well as one of the most successful. 

Although she discovered her passion for fashion at a young age, it wasn’t until she turned 42 that she made her foray into fashion on a professional level, proving that age is irrelevant when it comes to achieving your goals.

8. Melanie Perkins

An expert in digital design, Melanie Perkins' success stems from her ability to identify a need clearly and concisely. 

While she was studying at university, she realised that many people used an over-complicated design program. So, she had the novel idea to create a tool that could be managed by any user without the need for extensive design knowledge, to thus foster intuitive use. For this purpose, she created Canva, which today has more than 10 million users.

9. Leslie Feinzeig

Leslie's mission is key to bridging the gap between men and women in the business world. 

Leslie Feinzeig founded the Female Founders Alliance, a start-up that connects female entrepreneurs with investors. Through this hub, she promotes collaboration between women, helping them to find better opportunities and interact with other professionals who have had similar experiences.

10. Arancha Yánez

With a sharp focus on the environment, Arancha Yáñez set up Feltwood. This is a company which, using a visionary system, converts agricultural waste into environmentally friendly industrial materials, positioning itself as an alternative to plastic, wood and chipboard. The project has a doubly positive impact, as it reuses waste to turn it into biodegradable and compostable materials.

Learn about leadership and achieve your goals

As Anne Sweeney, co-president of Walt Disney said: "Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you're proud to live". To do just that, knowledge is the key to unlocking new opportunities and achieving success for women in the business world. It has become clear that the workplaces of today demand new ways of working and leading, hence the importance of ongoing learning. 

Do you want to develop professional skills that will help you access better job opportunities? Discover Santander Open Academy, the training space you need to keep growing.

Join our global platform for learning and professional development and access courses at zero cost, training content in a wide range of formats and scholarships from leading universities and institutions.

If, like us, you believe that we should never stop learning, sign up here and find out what we have for you!