Making a final list of the “top 20 inspiring women to look out for in 2025” is hard because what makes someone influential and well-known can change over time and be different for everyone. But here are some of the most important and inspiring women who are making a big difference, based on recent awards, reports, and their ongoing work in many areas.
Reshma Kewalramani
Reshma Kewalramani, the CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, has made history as the only Indian-origin woman on Fortune’s “100 Most Powerful People in Business 2025” list this year. Kewalramani is known for her visionary leadership and is still changing the way the biopharmaceutical industry thinks about innovation.
Under her leadership, Vertex reached a historic milestone when Journavx, a revolutionary non-opioid pain treatment, was approved. This treatment addresses one of the most important global health issues: the opioid crisis. Not only does this accomplishment put Vertex at the forefront of medical innovation, it also gives millions of patients looking for safer ways to manage their pain new hope.
Kewalramani’s rise to the top shows how dedicated, strong, and passionate she is about science-based solutions. As a doctor, she has successfully combined her clinical knowledge with her business sense to guide Vertex toward long-term growth while putting patient outcomes first.
Melanie Perkins
Melanie Perkins is a pioneer in the tech world. As the co-founder and CEO of Canva, she has changed the way millions of people think about design. Perkins was born in Perth, Australia, in 1987. She started her business career early by selling handmade scarves at local markets. While she was a student at the University of Western Australia, she saw how hard it was for students to use traditional design tools, which gave her the idea for a simpler, easier-to-use platform.
That thought turned into Canva, which was started in 2013 by Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams. Canva went from a small business to a global design powerhouse under Perkins’ leadership. It now has over 220 million users and is worth $25 billion. It was clear what she wanted to do: make design accessible to everyone, no matter how skilled they were at technology.
Not only is Perkins a leader in technology, but he is also a leader in giving. She and Obrecht promised to give away most of their money through the Canva Foundation, putting impact ahead of profit. She went from tutoring students to running one of the most popular design platforms in the world. This has made her a role model for women in tech and other aspiring business owners. Perkins is pushing the limits of what’s possible in digital creativity as AI integration and global expansion are on the way.
Lisa Su
Lisa Su is a game-changer in the semiconductor industry as the Chair and CEO of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). Su was born in Taiwan and grew up in the U.S. She got her Ph.D. in electrical engineering from MIT, where she was one of the first people to work on silicon-on-insulator technology. She has held leadership positions at Texas Instruments, IBM, and Freescale Semiconductor. In 2012, she joined AMD and became CEO in 2014.
At the time, AMD was having a hard time, but Su’s strategic vision and technical skill led to one of the most amazing turnarounds in tech history. She brought the company back to high-performance computing, led the creation of the Zen architecture, and made AMD’s presence in data centers and AI bigger with EPYC processors and Instinct accelerators. AMD’s market value went from less than $3 billion to more than $200 billion under her leadership, beating Intel for the first time.
Su is also a strong supporter of responsible AI development, saying that it could boost productivity and change industries like healthcare without taking jobs away from people. She has won awards like TIME’s CEO of the Year and the IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal for her leadership style, which combines strict engineering with bold strategic moves.
Janet Schijns
Janet Schijns, the CEO of the JS Group, is a powerful figure in the tech world and a strong supporter of women’s leadership. CIO VIEWS named Schijns one of the “Top Inspiring Women Leaders to Watch in 2025.” She has built her career on empowering others and driving innovation across the technology channel landscape. Setting high goals for women in tech is not just a nice thing to say; it’s something she does every day as a mentor to female entrepreneurs and an advocate for inclusive business practices.
Schijns has worked for companies like Office Depot and Verizon for decades. He has a rare combination of strategic insight and operational excellence. She started the JS Group to help tech companies grow faster by using smarter channel strategies. Her work has changed the way partners and vendors work together in the digital age. Her style of leadership is bold, based on data, and very human. She wants to help people and organizations reach their full potential.
Schijns is also a popular speaker and thought leader who often talks about the future of work, digital transformation, and how to use AI. Her goal of helping women get ahead in tech isn’t just a mission; it’s a movement.
Sheri Atwood
Sheri Atwood is the founder and CEO of SupportPay. She is a visionary businesswoman who is working to solve one of society’s most emotionally and financially difficult problems: child support. Atwood, a single mother and former executive in Silicon Valley, knows how hard it can be to handle shared expenses after a divorce. Her own experiences led her to make SupportPay, the first automated platform that makes it easier for co-parents to keep track of their child support payments and expenses.
Atwood’s mission goes beyond technology; she wants to help families going through a divorce by making things clearer and reducing conflict. SupportPay gives parents the tools they need to handle their money in a responsible and easy way, so they can focus on what’s most important: their kids. Her leadership style combines empathy with new ideas, which makes her stand out in both fintech and family tech.
Atwood fought back even though she was kicked out of her own company after a big funding round and faced gender bias. She got back SupportPay’s assets and rebuilt the business, showing strength and dedication. She still fights for tech-based solutions to real-world problems, financial literacy, and giving parents more power.
Gita Gopinath
Gita Gopinath is the First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). She is one of the most powerful economists in the world today. Gopinath was born in Kolkata, India, and went to Princeton University. He has had a successful career in international finance and macroeconomics. She was the John Zwaanstra Professor of International Studies and Economics at Harvard University before she joined the IMF.
Gopinath was named the IMF’s Chief Economist in 2019 and then promoted to First Deputy Managing Director in 2022. She has led important projects, such as the highly praised “Pandemic Paper,” which helped shape global vaccine distribution plans during COVID-19. She has also played a big role in shaping IMF policies on climate change, debt sustainability, and inclusive growth by pushing for economic frameworks that put equity and resilience first.
Gopinath will leave the IMF in August 2025 and go back to Harvard to continue her studies. Her legacy includes not only important economic research but also a promise to make global growth more sustainable and open to everyone. As a pioneer for women in economics, she still has a lot of say in how the future of international financial systems will look.
Leena Nair
Leena Nair is the Global CEO of Chanel. She is a trailblazing leader who has broken glass ceilings in the high-end fashion world. Nair was born in Kolhapur, India, and her rise from a small town to the head of one of the world’s most famous brands shows how strong, smart, and visionary she is as a leader. She started her career at Unilever after getting an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur and a degree in electronics engineering. She eventually became the company’s first female, Asian, and youngest-ever Chief Human Resources Officer.
Chanel named Nair its Global CEO in 2021, making her the first Indian-born person to run the French luxury brand. Her hiring was a big change in the luxury industry, which has been mostly male-dominated in the past. It brought a new point of view based on empathy, inclusion, and innovation. Nair has since grown Chanel’s charitable work, raising the Fondation Chanel’s budget to $100 million, and has supported projects that are good for the environment and society.
Nair is known for being a kind leader who cares about fairness and giving everyone a chance, especially women and people from groups that aren’t often represented. Her story still inspires a new generation of leaders who think that doing good and doing well can go hand in hand.
Es Devlin
Es Devlin is a well-known British designer who is known for her innovative work in stagecraft, sculpture, and immersive installations. Her work, which includes concert stages for Beyoncé and Kanye West and theatrical sets for the Royal Shakespeare Company, combines architecture, light, and story in new ways that change how people experience art. Devlin’s art often looks at the connection between art and activism, using design to make people think and motivate them to make changes.
Devlin is the Global Artistic Lead for the Women’s Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. She brings her visionary style to a space that is all about empowerment and fairness. The pavilion has a repurposed facade from Expo 2020 Dubai and an immersive audio experience that Devlin herself designed. It was made in collaboration with Cartier and Japanese architect Yuko Nagayama. The installation uses stories of women from all over the world to make people think about how far we’ve come as a group and how powerful inclusion can be.
Devlin’s work as head of the Women’s Pavilion shows how dedicated she is to creating spaces that connect people of all ages and backgrounds. Her work at Expo 2025 isn’t just art; it’s also a call to action for people to accept differences and work toward a fairer future.
Misty Copeland
Misty Copeland is a trailblazer in the world of ballet. She is known for her art, strength, and activism. In 2015, she became the first African-American woman to be promoted to principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), which is one of the best ballet companies in the US. It was especially impressive that she rose so quickly because she started taking ballet lessons at the age of 13, which is considered late in the dance world, and she had to deal with a lot of personal and financial problems growing up in a single-parent household.
People and critics have been wowed by Copeland’s performances as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. But she has an impact that goes far beyond the stage. She is a film producer, a New York Times best-selling author, and the founder of the Misty Copeland Foundation, which has a program called BE BOLD that promotes diversity and access in dance education.
Copeland is still a strong supporter of inclusion in the arts as she gets ready to retire from ABT in October 2025. Her legacy is one of grace, strength, and making a difference that has inspired dancers and dreamers all over the world.
Yana Peel
Yana Peel, the Global Head of Arts and Culture at CHANEL, is a visionary leader who is changing the way cultural philanthropy works in the luxury sector. Peel has been with CHANEL since 2020 and has worked to promote projects that give more people a voice and close the gender gap in the arts. She believes that creativity flourishes when everyone is included, and she has made it her mission to help artists who break the rules and inspire change.
Peel started the CHANEL Culture Fund and the CHANEL Next Prize, which give long-term support to cultural institutions and new artists all over the world. These programs show that she wants to build long-lasting partnerships instead of short-term sponsorships, with a focus on sustainability, innovation, and fairness. She has worked with places like the Power Station of Art in Shanghai, the National Portrait Gallery in London, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Peel was the CEO of the Serpentine Galleries in London before joining CHANEL. He also helped start Intelligence Squared Asia. She is a strong supporter of cultural change because she has a global view and is very involved in the arts. Peel’s work continues to give a voice to people who aren’t often heard and make sure that the arts stay a place for bold expression and inclusive leadership.
Mariët Westermann
Mariët Westermann is a groundbreaking leader in the art world around the world. She was just named the first woman to be Director and CEO of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation. Her appointment is a historic event for the institution, which runs a number of museums, such as the Guggenheim in New York, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, and the future Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Westermann is a well-known art historian and academic. She has a lot of experience from her previous jobs as Vice Chancellor of NYU Abu Dhabi and Executive Vice President of the Mellon Foundation. Her leadership is based on a strong commitment to the arts and humanities, new ideas in institutions, and working together with people from all over the world. Throughout her career, she has fought for climate action, diversity in academia, and cultural exchange.
Westermann is in charge of setting the strategic direction for the Guggenheim’s global network, taking care of its famous collections, and making its educational and curatorial impact bigger. Her appointment marks the beginning of a new era of visionary stewardship and inclusive leadership in the museum world.
Tokini Peterside-Schwebig
Tokini Peterside-Schwebig is a cultural entrepreneur who has put Lagos, Nigeria, on the global art map with her visionary leadership. She started ART X Lagos, the biggest international art fair in West Africa. It is a lively platform that celebrates modern African creativity and connects artists from all over the continent and its diaspora with audiences around the world. Since it started in 2016, ART X Lagos has brought together artists from more than 40 countries and welcomed thousands of visitors, making Lagos a lively cultural capital.
The effect of Peterside-Schwebig goes beyond the fair itself. She helps young artists in music, visual arts, and film grow through programs like ART X Live!, ART X Prize, and ART X Cinema. This creates a thriving environment for African creatives. Her work is based on her experience in the luxury and culture industries, where she worked for LVMH and ALARA, as well as her education in law and business at LSE and INSEAD.
Peterside-Schwebig was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2023. She is also a passionate art collector and sits on several cultural boards. Her goal is clear: to change the story of Africa through the arts and give its creative voices a bigger platform in the world.
Gisèle Pelicot
Gisèle Pelicot is a brave French woman who gave up her anonymity in a terrible sexual assault case. This has sparked a worldwide movement against rape culture. For almost ten years, Pelicot’s husband, Dominique Pelicot, and dozens of men he met online drugged and raped her. These acts were carefully recorded without her knowledge. Dominique was arrested for peeping in a supermarket, which led to the discovery of more than 20,000 pictures and videos of the abuse.
Gisèle didn’t want to stay quiet; instead, she chose to face her abusers in open court and demand that the trial be public. Her insistence on openness was a strong act of defiance meant to move shame from victims to offenders. Her testimony, which she gave with unwavering determination, led to protests, murals, and widespread support across France. She became a feminist icon, making the BBC’s list of the 100 most important women and receiving the highest honors for her work in France.
Pelicot’s bravery has led to a national discussion about France’s outdated definitions of rape and the problems with prosecuting sexual violence. It’s not just a story of survival; it’s a call to action for justice, dignity, and change.
Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai is a Nobel Peace Prize winner and one of the most powerful voices in the world for girls’ education. She was born in Mingora, Pakistan, in 1997. She grew up in the Swat Valley, where the Taliban wouldn’t let girls go to school. When she was only 11 years old, Malala started writing a blog for BBC Urdu under a fake name. She wrote about her life under Taliban rule and how she was determined to keep learning.
A Taliban gunman shot Malala in the head while she was riding home from school in 2012. She lived through the attack and was flown to the UK for treatment. There, she kept going to school and speaking out. People all over the world were moved by her bravery and strength. In 2014, at the age of 17, she became the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Malala and her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, started the Malala Fund to fight for every girl’s right to 12 years of free, high-quality education. She uses the fund to help local activists, change policy, and put money into education programs in a number of countries. Her work is still inspiring a worldwide movement for equal education for all genders.
Sneha Sangani
Sneha Sangani is a dynamic motivational speaker and life coach whose journey from personal transformation to professional empowerment has inspired countless individuals. As the founder of Beyond Burnout and a certified NLP 2.0 coach, Sneha specializes in helping people—especially freshers, freelancers, and women—overcome self-doubt, manage stress, and build lasting self-esteem.
Her approach blends holistic wellness with actionable strategies, guiding clients to reconnect with their inner strength and purpose. Sneha’s own story is one of resilience: she faced burnout and emotional setbacks, but through introspection and learning, she rebuilt her life and now dedicates herself to helping others do the same. Her workshops and online sessions are known for their authenticity, energy, and practical takeaways.
Sneha’s content, such as her video on completing the stress response cycle, offers valuable insights into emotional regulation and personal growth. She’s also active in online communities like Prime Mover, where she shares “aha moments” and breakthrough strategies with thousands of members.
Whether through speaking engagements, coaching sessions, or digital platforms, Sneha Sangani continues to empower individuals to silence their inner critic and embrace a life of confidence and clarity. Her mission is simple yet profound: to help others transform from surviving to thriving.
Jennifer Doudna
Jennifer Doudna is a pioneering biochemist whose groundbreaking work has changed the course of genetics and medicine for the better. She and Emmanuelle Charpentier won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2020 for their work on CRISPR-Cas9, a groundbreaking gene-editing tool that is often called “genetic scissors.”
Scientists can use CRISPR-Cas9 to make precise, targeted changes to DNA. This lets them fix genetic mutations that cause diseases. This tool has changed biomedical research by making it possible to find cures for inherited diseases, new cancer treatments, and even crops that can survive drought.
Doudna’s journey started with a strong interest in RNA molecules and how they act as catalysts. She found the CRISPR mechanism while studying the immune systems of bacteria. She and Charpentier made a programmable way to edit genomes with never-before-seen accuracy by reengineering this natural defense system.
Doudna is a professor at UC Berkeley and the founder of the Innovative Genomics Institute. She is still in charge of research into CRISPR applications there. Her work changed molecular biology forever and started conversations around the world about the moral issues that come with gene editing.
Fei-Fei Li
Fei-Fei Li is a pioneering computer scientist and a strong supporter of moral AI. She is a professor at Stanford University and co-director of the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI. She supports the creation of AI technologies that put people first, are open to everyone, and improve society as a whole.
Li’s most famous contribution to AI is the creation of ImageNet, a huge visual database that made big advances in deep learning and computer vision. Her work was the basis for modern AI systems, such as those that recognize faces, drive cars on their own, and help doctors diagnose illnesses.
Fei-Fei Li is very dedicated to making AI available to everyone, in addition to her technical accomplishments. She helped start AI4ALL, a nonprofit group that wants to make the field more diverse and welcoming by teaching young people from underrepresented backgrounds. Her human-centered approach to AI stresses openness, fairness, and working together across fields.
Li has also talked to policymakers, like President Joe Biden, about how to use AI ethically and how important it is for the government to invest in technology. Through her research, activism, and mentoring, she is still working to make sure that AI helps people instead of replacing them.
Diane von Furstenberg
The World Economic Forum has given the 2025 Crystal Award to Diane von Furstenberg, a famous fashion designer and philanthropist, for her outstanding work to help women become stronger. Von Furstenberg is best known for making the classic wrap dress, but she has also used her fame to fight for gender equality and women’s leadership.
The DVF Awards, which she started in 2010 with the Diller-von Furstenberg Family Foundation, are the best example of her dedication to empowering women. These awards honor amazing women who show bravery, strength, and leadership in making other people’s lives better. Honorees get grants to help them with their nonprofit work, which covers a wide range of topics, including gender-based violence, climate justice, and human trafficking.
Von Furstenberg also works with Vital Voices, a global nonprofit that helps women leaders make a difference in their communities. Through these projects, she has given women from more than 30 countries a louder voice, creating a global network of support and inspiration.
At the Crystal Awards ceremony in Davos in 2025, she talked about how important it is to be kind and connect with others. She told leaders to introduce people who could make each other’s lives better. Her legacy lives on, mixing fashion with activism to show that style and substance can—and should—go together.
Honesty Liller
Honesty Liller is a passionate mental health advocate, author, and Certified Peer Recovery Specialist. Her work is changing lives in the community of people who are recovering from addiction. As the head of The McShin Foundation, Virginia’s top recovery group, she has spent her life helping people with substance use disorders get their lives back on track.
Honesty has been in long-term recovery since May 27, 2007. She brings lived experience, empathy, and authenticity to her work. She leads with her heart, running community outreach, fundraising, and wellness programs, as well as coaching women in recovery. Scattered Pink: A Diary of a Woman in Recovery is her memoir that gives a real and inspiring look at her journey from addiction to activism.
McShin has grown to include 15 recovery homes, judicial recovery programs, and services for families under her leadership. Honesty’s work is very important in 2025, a year that focuses on mental health. She talks about connection, hope, and resilience, which helps people with addiction deal with their problems with dignity and support.
Honesty Liller’s work goes beyond recovery centers; she speaks out for change, lowers stigma, and encourages healing. Her story shows how strong vulnerability, bravery, and community can be.
Dr. Ekta Keswani
Dr. Ekta Keswani is a distinguished oral and maxillofacial surgeon based in South Mumbai, renowned for her expertise in facial aesthetics and trauma care. With over 20 years of experience, she blends scientific precision with an artistic eye to deliver personalized treatments that enhance both function and beauty. Her approach is rooted in regenerative facial aesthetic medicine, utilizing advanced techniques such as PRP, stem cells, and exosomes to promote healing and rejuvenation.
Dr. Keswani is affiliated with CritiCare Asia Multispeciality Hospital in Andheri West, where she is known for her compassionate care and meticulous attention to detail. She holds degrees from Dr. DY Patil University and has contributed to numerous research publications in the field of maxillofacial surgery. Her work spans complex trauma cases, cosmetic enhancements, and minimally invasive procedures that restore facial harmony and confidence.
In a field where science meets artistry, Dr. Keswani stands out for her commitment to holistic patient care. She is also a mentor and educator, sharing her knowledge through workshops and academic contributions. Her dedication to excellence and innovation continues to shape the future of facial surgery in India.
In conclusion, the women who inspire us in 2025 show us how powerful vision, hard work, and a desire to make a difference can be. They are not just leaders for a year; they are leaders for a generation. Their stories are a great guide for other women to follow their own paths to success.