Famous 20th Century Business Women

Indra Nooyi is an Indian-American business executive known for her association with PepsiCo where she served as the chief executive officer from 2006 to 2018. Often ranked among the most powerful women, Nooyi was named in Forbes' World's 100 Most Powerful Women list in 2014. In 2017, she was named in the magazine's 19 Most Powerful Women in Business list.

Coco Chanel was a French fashion designer and founder of the Chanel brand. She is credited with replacing the corseted silhouette as the feminine standard of style with a sporty, casual chic. Her work as a designer redefined the fashionable woman in the era post World War I. She also played a vital role in revolutionizing jewelry, handbags, and fragrance.

The founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Martha Stewart has found success with several business ventures. She is also the publisher of a magazine called Martha Stewart Living and has written many bestselling books. Although she was convicted of charges pertaining to the ImClone stock trading case, she made a comeback and became chairwoman of her company.

Kate Moss, one of the highest-paid supermodels of the 1990s, was one of the pioneers of the “heroin chic” trend. Featured on TIME 100, she was known for her collaboration with Calvin Klein and her size-zero figure. She owns a clothing range and is a fashion editor for British Vogue.

Christie Brinkley is an American actress, model, and entrepreneur. Widely regarded as one of the most attractive women ever, Brinkley has been featured on more than 500 magazine covers and was the face of CoverGirl for 25 years! Apart from being an inspiration to aspiring models worldwide, Christie Brinkley has also touched the lives of many through her philanthropic activities.

Shannon Lee is the daughter of the most popular martial artist of all time, Bruce Lee. She followed in her father's footsteps to become an actress and martial artist. Shannon Lee is credited with upholding her father's legacy by serving as the president of the Bruce Lee Foundation. She is also the executive producer of Warrior, a series based on her father’s idea.

Before she turned her peculiar inventions into a billion-dollar business empire, Joy Mangano had worked as an airline assistant and a waitress. Her best-known invention has been the Miracle Mop, a self-wringing mop made of plastic. She has also penned a memoir and has inspired the 2015 film Joy.

Dany Garcia, founder of The Garcia Companies, is an American media mogul. She offers various services and manages brands, talent and projects on multiple platforms. Her Seven Bucks Productions has produced several successful films like Baywatch, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Jumanji: The Next Level and Rampage. Many of them have been with her ex-husband and action hero Dwayne Johnson.

Carly Fiorina made history by becoming the first female head of a Dow Jones-listed company when she became the CEO of HP. The daughter of a law professor father, she had initially joined law school but then dropped out to study management. She has also been Ted Cruz’s vice-presidential running mate.

The widow of Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs, Laurene Powell Jobs is a businesswoman. Over the years, she has been playing a major role as a philanthropist; in 2019, Inside Philanthropy named her the Least Transparent Mega-Giver. She is the founder of Emerson Collective, an organization focused on health, education, media and journalism, immigration reform, and the environment.

Barbara Corcoran is an American businesswoman, television personality, author, and speaker. She is credited with founding a New York City-based real estate brokerage called The Corcoran Group, which she sold for $66 million in 2001. She is best known for appearing in the popular business reality TV series, Shark Tank, where she was one of the original Shark investors.

Linda McMahon is an American political executive and former professional wrestling executive. She is credited with co-founding Titan Sports, Inc., which is now called as WWE, Inc., along with her husband Vince McMahon. She then left WWE to focus on her political career; from 2017 to 2019, she served as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration under Trump’s presidency.

Adrienne Maloof is an American businesswoman and television personality. As the co-owner of the several business holdings of Maloof Companies, Adrienne Maloof has been playing an important role in controlling the Companies' marketing operations for the past 20 years. Also a well-known philanthropist, Maloof has supported several charity organizations, such as the Good News Foundation and School On Wheels.

Biocon founder and chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is a self-made billionaire entrepreneur who made it to Forbes’s Power Women 2020 list. Though she initially wished to be a brewer like her father, she later drifted to the biochemical industry. Apart from revolutionizing the Indian biopharma market, she also heads a charitable organization.

Tina Sinatra is an American film producer, businesswoman, memoirist, and Hollywood agent. Although she did not aspire to become a singer like her siblings and father, Sinatra wanted to be an actress and studied acting under renowned acting teacher Jeff Corey. However, she did not pursue acting seriously as she thought she lacked the confidence to become an actress.

Businesswoman and TV personality, Tracey Edmonds, is the CEO of Edmonds Entertainment Group Inc. Previously, she hosted the TV show Extra and has created and produced many TV, radio, and music projects. She won an Emmy Award for co-hosting Extra. Currently, she is a  member of the national board of directors for the Producers Guild of America.

Former IBM CEO Ginni Rometty was named to the World's Top 50 Women in Tech by Forbes in 2018. She led IBM through its conversion to a leading data company. The Northwestern University alumna has also earned the Edison Achievement Award. She became part of Time 100 in 2012.

Chinese-born American entrepreneur, investor, and movie producer, Wendi Deng Murdoch, is an alumnus of Yale University. She is a co-founder of the online platform Artsy and was an advisor for MySpace's China operation. She was once married to media mogul Rupert Murdoch. She produced the Netflix documentary Sky Ladder that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016.

Alice Walton is an heiress to the fortune of the popular American multinational retail corporation, Walmart. She is currently the second richest woman in the world. She is credited with founding the now-defunct investment bank The Llama Company. She also played a key role in the establishment of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport by providing $15 million for its construction.

Tina Knowles is an American fashion designer and businesswoman. In 2004, she launched House of Deréon, a now-defunct ready-to-wear fashion line. While her fashion brands, such as Miss Tina and House of Deréon, have been generally regarded as one of her most important contributions, her biggest contribution to the society is letting her daughters, Beyoncé and Solange ,follow their passion.

Arianna Huffington is a Greek-American author, businesswoman, and syndicated columnist. She is credited with co-founding the popular news aggregator and blog, The Huffington Post. She is also the founder of Thrive Global, for which she also serves as the CEO. She has been featured on lists, such as Time magazine's 100 most influential people and Forbes magazine's Most Powerful Women.

Actress Jessica Alba is is known as a successful businesswoman. She acted in films like Honey, Fantastic Four, Valentine’s Day, Little Fockers and the Sin City franchise and while she was appreciated in some, she often received flak for her acting from critics. She hit the jackpot when she founded the company 'Honest', which sells baby care products and household goods.

Ali Hewson is an Irish businesswoman and activist. In the 1990s, Hewson joined the anti-nuclear movement and started working with activists like Adi Roche. In 2002, she played a key role in organizing campaigns against the Sellafield nuclear facility in England. As a businesswoman, Hewson has co-founded a skincare company and a fashion label called Nude skincare and EDUN respectively.

A former actress best known for her appearances in comedy films, Cameron Diaz is the recipient of numerous accolades, including a New York Film Critics Award. She began modeling as a teenager and was soon flooded with acting offers. Over the years, she became a successful actress and has since retired from acting. She is known for her environmental activism.

Cynthia Germanotta is an American activist, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. She is credited with co-founding Born This Way Foundation, for which she also serves as the president. She also plays an important role as an advocate for mental health; in 2019, she served as the World Health Organization's ambassador for mental health.