Nothing makes us happier than seeing incredible womxn absolutely dominating their industry. Whether they’re in arts, politics, sciences, or sports, there are so many inspirational female leaders who have not only smashed the glass ceiling, but raised the roof. They’re giving young people everywhere someone to look up to, encouraging and advocating for us to do our best, reach our goals, and make the most of life.

If you could use a bit of encouragement or motivation, read on for some of the most influential womxn today who are dominating their industries. They’re examples to us all that womxn are talented and amazing go-getters who can achieve our goals, no matter what they are. Here are our top seven inspiring female entrepreneurs, businesspeople, politicians, and advocates to keep an eye on in 2021.

1. Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg is only 18, but this activist has done more for environmental awareness than most people twice her age. She’s an outspoken and matter-of-fact environmental activist from Sweden who has publicly criticized world leaders (often men) for their failure to do more to help the planet.

She started a strike for climate change at her school and has since gone on to win a lengthy list of international awards for her amazing advocacy. We love that Greta also stands up for what she believes in, even when it’s difficult – to reduce her carbon footprint and raise awareness, she refuses to fly, instead traveling by more eco-friendly means. As someone with Asperger’s Syndrome, she’s also been an inspiration to many neurodiverse people around the world.

Image by Science in HD on Unsplash: Inspirations like Angela Hwang encourage other womxn to get involved in the sciences.

2. Angela Hwang

In the business world, Angela Hwang has certainly made waves. She’s the Group President of the Pfizer Biopharmaceuticals Group, a massive company that generated almost $42 billion in 2020 thanks to their life-saving vaccines and medications.

She grew up in apartheid South Africa, which gave her a strong belief in the importance of equality and respect. When not leading the Pfizer team to new heights, Angela also started Diverse Perspectives, a podcast that gives voices to diverse industry leaders throughout the world.

Angela’s also a strong advocate for womxn in leadership and sustainability. We love to see awesome womxn using their power for good!

3. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

We’ve talked about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez before, but we can’t talk about fearless womxn politicians without mentioning AOC. She’s not only made huge strides in Congress, but she’s done so at a young age – AOC is the youngest womxn ever elected to serve in the US Congress.

Having represented New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, she’s wasted no time in getting to work. Since coming into power, AOC has tirelessly worked to propel a progressive agenda, including health care for all, LGBTQI+ equality, immigration reform, and environmental reform.

Plus, she’s a huge inspiration to womxn everywhere who deserve more representation in politics. We can’t wait to see what she does next and it’s easy to envision that she might have a seat in the Oval Office someday.

4. Fabiola Gianotti

When it comes to female leaders in male-dominated industries, look no further than Fabiola Gianotti. She’s an Italian experimental particle physicist (damn, we’re already impressed) and also the first womxn to be appointed Director-General at CERN.

CERN is the European Organization for Nuclear Research and one of the most important research centers in the world. It’s a heavily male-dominated industry, so it’s great to see a female leader who can inspire future generations of STEM students.

Gianotti been awarded plenty of honorary degrees and awards for her work, with her leadership helping CERN discover new research that will change the world for the better.

5. Mianne Bagger

In the world of sports, Mianne Bagger is one to watch. She’s made great strides in the rather conservative sport of golf, becoming the first openly trans womxn to play in a professional golf tournament.

Originally from Denmark, she has worked tirelessly for the right of trans womxn to compete in professional golf. She advocates for a change in gender policies in pro sports, so that all womxn can have equal opportunity to play at the highest level.

Her trailblazing efforts and personal challenges have paved a way for future generations and she’s a fantastic role model when it comes to transgender rights.

6. Margaret Atwood

At 81, Canadian activist, writer, and poet Margaret Atwood has dedicated a lifetime to bettering society through literary works and advocacy. She’s perhaps best known for her dystopian novel that hit a little too close to home in recent years, The Handmaid’s Tale, but she’s also fought for environmental issues.

For her latest, check out The Testaments, the sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale with an equally feminist perspective. She’s long been outspoken when it comes to gender equality, social justice, and the environment, which all reflect in her writing.

We absolutely love her quotes and one-liners too, especially: “Don’t let the bastards grind you down”. Now that’s an idea we can live by.

Image by Christina @wocintechchat.com on Unsplash: These inspirational female leaders are dominating their industry and inspiring future leaders.

7. Mariya Russell

Mariya Russell is the first Black woman to earn a Michelin Star. She’s always had a strong interest in food and worked her way up through culinary school to become head chef at Kikkō, a Japanese restaurant in Chicago.

We can’t believe it’s taken so long, but we do know that Mariya will inspire thousands of others to fulfill their dream of working as a professional chef.

These seven badass womxn are certainly dominating their industry, going above and beyond what they might have previously thought possible. They truly resonate with the RBL belief that all womxn are talented, strong, capable, and powerful, so we hope they inspire you to smash your goals and take your career to new heights!

Featured image by Sarah Cervantes on Unsplash