This month we are celebrating all the women who make the world run! From past generations who laid the foundation to future-shaping firecrackers setting the pace for the next era of female leaders, we have much to be thankful for.
Over on social media, we are highlighting some inspirational heavy-hitters who shaped history. On the blog today, we want to shout out everyday women carving out HERstory right now through leadership, advocacy, and entrepreneurship.
LUVVIE AJAYI
A recent guest on Liz Bohannon’s Plucking Up podcast, Luvvie Ajayi is a world-renowned speaker, advocate, author, podcaster, comedian, and TEDTalker extraordinaire. Her voice is one that is literally creating a culture in real-time. Her keen and comedic examination of the world we’re living in has attracted the likes of Oprah, Google, and Bank of America for speaking events. Her own podcast, Professional Troublemaker, is a must-listen and her view on the current issues in our world today will broaden your perspective, make you smile, and make you wonder. Anyone who can make you laugh, cry and ponder is making the history books.
Listen to her interview with Liz here.
MAI NGUYEN
The history books don’t tend to spend a ton of time on farmers, but we think the next generation may find female heroes coming from the fields. And people like Mai Nguyen will be leading the way. When we embarked on our Together Coffee journey, it was out of a desire to see small farmers supported and celebrated for their craft. The more we learn, the more we’re wowed by how essential sustainable, biodiverse, environmentally conscious agriculture effort is. For Mai, she had a dream to bring Asian crops of heirloom grains to California. And, despite the naysayers, that’s exactly what she did. Her mission supports families wanting to help diabetic loved ones with nutrition, parents wanting to provide their kids with whole foods as well as her local economy. But no one describes her grain-growing endeavor better than Mai herself:
“Local food, anti-capitalist, delicious, womxn-led, food sovereignty effort.”
HAYLEY SUDBURY
It’s not exactly a secret that women, POC, the LGBTQ+ community, and people with disabilities have had an unequal role in the workforce. Particularly in the STEM areas of business, women can be a scarce resource many of the world’s largest companies lack. Hayley Sudbury is leading the charge to bring diversity to workplaces across the country. As a gay woman in the finance industry, she was grateful for her own role and opportunities but saw a real gap in mentorship and leaders who represented her. So she and User Experience Expert Angella Newell founded Werkin, a platform that “democratizes access to mentorship at global organizations with sponsorship, supporting the LGBTQ+ community, people of color, women, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups.” Hayley is the embodiment of the philosophy: when you don’t see what you need in the world, make it.
KHRISTI LAUREN ADAMS
Khristi Lauren Adams is a speaker, author, youth advocate, and ordained Baptist minister. She understands that the hope for the future lies in today’s children and young adults. In her conversation with Liz on the Plucking Up podcast, Khristi shares about the wisdom of young Black women — we all leaned forward listening to her distinct take on how an often overlooked subsect of the female society might hold the key to the future. Her book Parable of the Brown Girl takes marginalized stories and puts them center stage in a way that will change anyone who reads it.
SADIE LINCOLN
The movers and shakers of the world, past, present, and future are those who take their own potential and empower everyone around them with it. In a time of uncertainty, fear, and frustration, few things are as valuable as personal wellness. It’s hard to help others if you aren’t first caring for yourself. Sadie Lincoln, the founder of barre3, started with a single fitness studio. Now she has 140 women-owned franchises across the country. She creates opportunity and prosperity both for her employees and her clients. You can hear her talk to Liz about being a better leader, motherhood, and the struggles of success on the podcast!
JACQUELINE CAMACHO-RUIZ
This multi-passionate entrepreneur started with a simple desire: to leave a legacy behind for her kids through books. In doing so, Jacqueline Camacho-Ruiz spawned an empire of inspirational businesses including a publishing company, a book marketing company, a foundation and more. The Mexican author has 22 books out including a series entitled Today’s Inspired Latina that tells stories of Latinas overcoming obstacles and succeeding in their endeavors in order to inspire the next generation. Her foundation, The Fig Foundation, provides experience, mentorship, and education platforms to young Latina women aged 15 – 25 to encourage and inspire the future female leaders of the world.
In the comments, make sure you share the women who inspire you whether they are in the history books or currently writing their own story.