The 10 Best Female Entrepreneurs in History
Ever wondered who the most trailblazing businesswomen of all time are? From the self-made millionaires of the past to modern media moguls, women entrepreneurs have been breaking barriers and building empires throughout history.
In this article, we celebrate 10 of the best female entrepreneurs in history. Read on to be inspired by their journeys, and discover how you too can follow in their footsteps. If you’re interested in becoming an entrepreneur, we also have a dedicated guide on that subject.
Madam C.J. Walker
Industry: Cosmetics and Haircare
Key Achievements: First female self-made millionaire in America; pioneer in black haircare products
Born Sarah Breedlove to former slaves, Madam C.J. Walker built a haircare empire in the early 1900s and made history in the process. Orphaned at age 7 and with little formal education, she started by selling homemade hair products door-to-door to African American women. Walker eventually made her fortune by developing and marketing a line of cosmetics and hair-care products for black women through the business she founded – the Madam C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company.
Her savvy sales techniques and network of sales agents helped her company thrive at a time when opportunities for black women in business were scarce. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Walker is recorded as the first female self-made millionaire in America. She used her wealth to fund scholarships, philanthropic efforts, and civil rights causes.
Mary Kay Ash
Industry: Cosmetics (Direct Sales)
Key Achievements: Founder of Mary Kay Inc.; global direct-sales cosmetics network empowering women
Mary Kay Ash turned a frustration into a phenomenal business. After spending decades in sales and being passed over for promotions in favour of men, this Texas-born businesswoman retired from her job and decided to write a book to help women in business. By 1963, that plan had transformed into starting her own company – Mary Kay Cosmetics. With just $5,000 of savings and a bold vision, Ash launched her cosmetics line, innovating a “party plan” direct-sales model that empowered other women to become sales consultants. The company’s friendly pink Cadillacs and motivational seminars became cultural icons.
By the time of her death in 2001, Ash’s venture had blossomed into a cosmetics empire: her company had more than $1.2 billion in annual sales and a sales force of over 800,000 representatives across dozens of countries. Today, Mary Kay Inc. remains one of the largest beauty brands in the world and Ash deserves to be considered one of the greatest female entrepreneurs in history.
Estée Lauder
Industry: Cosmetics and Skincare
Key Achievements: Co-founder of Estée Lauder Companies; only woman on Time’s 1998 list of top 20 business geniuses of the 20th century
If you’ve ever spritzed a famous perfume or used a high-end skincare product, you might have Estée Lauder to thank. Born as Josephine Esther Mentzer, Estée Lauder started a small skincare business with her husband Joseph in 1946, blending creams in a New York kitchen. Through relentless marketing savvy, she grew Estée Lauder Companies into a global luxury cosmetics powerhouse (encompassing brands like Clinique, MAC, and Bobbi Brown).
Lauder was a true pioneer for women in business at a time when few female entrepreneurs were at the helm of large corporations. In fact, she was the only woman included on Time magazine’s 1998 list of the 20 most influential business geniuses of the 20th century. Estée Lauder’s personal touch and belief in her product (she famously persuaded department stores to carry her perfumes by demonstrating their appeal in person) helped build an enduring family company.
Oprah Winfrey
Industry: Media and Entertainment
Key Achievements: First black female billionaire; media empire (Harpo Productions, OWN Network)
When it comes to the best female entrepreneurs, Oprah Winfrey’s name often tops the list. Born into poverty in rural Mississippi, Oprah overcame a difficult childhood to become one of the most influential media moguls in the world. Her talk show ran for 25 years and catapulted her into a global brand. Through her company Harpo Productions, she launched television programmes, a magazine, and even her own network.
Oprah was the richest African-American of the 20th century and was once the world’s only black billionaire, as well as the first black woman to reach billionaire status. Today, she is often ranked as the most influential woman in the world. Beyond her financial success, Oprah’s philanthropy and mentorship of others (such as her Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa) have solidified her legacy. She embodies how passion, authenticity, and generosity can translate into an enduring business empire that inspires millions.
Oprah also featured on our list of the best-known entrepreneurs of all time.
Anita Roddick
Industry: Retail (Cosmetics)
Key Achievements: Founder of The Body Shop; pioneer of ethical consumerism in business
British entrepreneur Dame Anita Roddick proved that businesses can be successful and socially responsible. In 1976, she opened a small shop in Brighton called The Body Shop, selling skincare products made from natural ingredients. What started as one store grew into a worldwide brand with thousands of outlets – all built on Roddick’s principles of sustainability and ethics. She was one of the first in the cosmetics industry to forbid animal testing and to source ingredients via fair trade with developing communities.
The Body Shop shaped the concept of ethical consumerism, showing that consumers would support companies that care about the planet and people, not just profit. Roddick herself was an outspoken human rights and environmental activist, often using her brand as a platform to campaign for change. Her approach was friendly and accessible – the stores were welcoming and the products came with witty, engaging messaging – yet authoritative in advocating for cruelty-free beauty long before it was mainstream.
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Sara Blakely
Industry: Fashion/Consumer Products
Key Achievements: Founder of Spanx; youngest self-made female billionaire (achieved in 2012)
Armed with a sharp idea and relentless persistence, Sara Blakely reinvented an entire product category (and herself) to become one of the world’s most celebrated young entrepreneurs. In the late 1990s, Blakely was selling fax machines door-to-door when she grew frustrated with traditional women’s undergarments. With just a few thousand dollars in savings, she prototyped a new kind of slimming footless pantyhose – and Spanx was born. After years of cold-calling manufacturers and even personally driving around the country to persuade Neiman Marcus stores to stock her invention, Blakely’s big break came when Oprah Winfrey named Spanx one of her “Favorite Things” in 2000, sending sales skyrocketing.
In 2012, Sara Blakely landed on the cover of Forbes as the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire, meaning she can truly be regarded as one of the best female entrepreneurs of all time. She maintained 100% ownership of her company for a long time, unusual in an era of venture capital – which meant that when Spanx took off, Blakely reaped the rewards of her hard work directly. She has since used her wealth and platform to support women’s education and entrepreneurship (becoming the first female billionaire to join the Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge).
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
Industry: Biotechnology/Pharmaceuticals
Key Achievements: Founder of Biocon (India’s leading biotech firm); India’s first self-made female billionaire entrepreneur
Breaking into a science-based industry as a woman in 1970s India was no small feat, but Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw did just that – and more. Trained as a beer brewer in Australia, Mazumdar-Shaw found it hard to get hired as a woman, so she decided to start her own venture. In 1978, she launched Biocon out of the garage of her rented house in Bengaluru with a seed capital of just ₹10,000 (roughly £100). What began as a small enzyme manufacturing operation steadily grew into one of Asia’s largest biopharmaceutical companies.
Under her leadership, Biocon developed affordable drugs, with particular innovations in insulin and cancer treatments. Mazumdar-Shaw is now a billionaire entrepreneur and has been recognized as one of the most influential business figures in India and beyond. Often called India’s “Bioqueen,” she has received numerous honours for her contributions to science and industry.
Coco Chanel
Industry: Fashion
Key Achievements: Founder of Chanel; revolutionised women’s fashion
French fashion designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel is a shining example of a historical female entrepreneur who reshaped an entire industry. Orphaned at a young age, Chanel started her career as a milliner (hat maker) and went on to found the iconic Chanel brand in 1910. After the First World War, she revolutionised women’s style by popularising a sporty, casual chic look – think of the little black dress and tailored suits that freed women from corsets.
Her business acumen and impeccable design sense turned Chanel into a global fashion house spanning clothing, jewellery, and the famed fragrance Chanel No. 5. Coco Chanel is notably the only fashion designer listed on Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century”. Her legacy lives on today in a brand that remains synonymous with elegance and innovation.
Like Oprah Winfrey, Coco Chanel made our list of the top 10 entrepreneurs in history.
Folorunso Alakija
Industry: Fashion and Oil
Key Achievements: Nigeria’s most successful female entrepreneur; richest woman in Africa (2021)
Nigeria’s Folorunso Alakija charted an extraordinary path by conquering two very different industries. She began her career in the 1970s as a secretary in Lagos and then studied fashion design in London in the early 1980s. Upon returning home, she started a luxury fashion label called Supreme Stitches, which catered to Nigeria’s elite society (including former First Lady Maryam Babangida).
Not one to rest on her laurels, Alakija later ventured into the oil business – a sector traditionally dominated by men. In 1993 she applied for an oil prospecting license, and her company Famfa Oil eventually struck one of Nigeria’s largest deepwater oil finds. This propelled her wealth to new heights. Forbes has ranked Folorunso Alakija as the richest woman in Africa as of 2021, and previously listed her among the world’s most powerful women. At one point, she was often cited as the richest Black woman in the world, surpassing even Oprah Winfrey in net worth. Despite her immense wealth from oil, Alakija stays grounded in philanthropy – through her Rose of Sharon Foundation, she supports widows and orphans with scholarships and business grants.
Zhang Yin (Cheung Yan)
Industry: Manufacturing/Recycling
Key Achievements: Founder of Nine Dragons Paper (China’s largest paper company); once the world’s wealthiest self-made woman
Chinese entrepreneur Zhang Yin, also known by the Cantonese version of her name Cheung Yan, became one of the greatest female entrepreneurs of all time by turning the muck of one country into brass in another. In the 1980s, Zhang noticed an opportunity in recycling waste paper from the United States and shipping it to China to make cardboard packaging. She founded Nine Dragons Paper in 1995 along with her husband, building on her earlier paper trading business. From humble beginnings, she grew Nine Dragons into China’s biggest paper manufacturing company, supplying the massive demand for packaging in China’s export boom.
In 2006, Zhang Yin made international headlines when she was named the richest self-made woman in the world – even outranking Oprah Winfrey at that time. Forbes estimated her fortune at about $1.3 billion in 2006. She was the first woman to be the richest person in China.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Female Entrepreneurs
These ten extraordinary women are more than just the best female entrepreneurs in history; they are role models who have shattered glass ceilings and redefined what’s possible.
If reading about these trailblazers has sparked your entrepreneurial spirit, why not take the first step on your own journey? Dukes Plus’s Business Summer Schools are a fantastic way for young people to develop the skills and mindset needed to become future business leaders. Under the guidance of expert tutors, you’ll learn about everything from pitching ideas and marketing, to finance and leadership, all in a fun and supportive environment. It’s the perfect opportunity to gain hands-on experience and confidence in your abilities.
Conclusion
The stories of the best female entrepreneurs in history show that no dream is too big and no challenge is too difficult. With inspiration and determination, you could one day join the ranks of these great women.
Remember: every famous entrepreneur started somewhere – perhaps today is the day you start your own journey! So go ahead, be inspired by the past, and get ready to shape the future of entrepreneurship.