The notion of “business” and all its adjacent adjectives, “leader”, “CEO”, “self-made”, etc. have bloomed, within the last year. Leaders in business step into the stoplight, their innovations taking the world by storm. However, we often link these adjectives to men. As the world of business expands, we’ve been able to see underrepresented individuals create an unfaltering base for themselves. In honor of women's history month, here are a few women who have created a legacy for themselves through their passion and business savvy, that continue to pave the way for future leaders.
Susan Wojcicki (Youtube)
Susan Wojcicki is the current CEO of Youtube, an American online video-sharing platform that has risen to popularity due to the varying forms of topics and interests viewers are given. Wojcicki was previously the Senior Vice President in charge of marketing at Google and was eventually put in charge of Google's original advertisement service, AdSense. Her net worth is valued at $815 million.
Wojcicki was born on July 5, 1968, in Santa Clara, California. She showed signs of a leading business drive even at age 11 when she would go around advertising and selling spice ropes. She studied history and literature at Harvard University, attained her Master's of Science in economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Master of Business Administration from the UCLA School of Management.
Her success can be attributed to her growth and knowledge of internet advertising, specifically AdSense. She was stated as "the most important person in advertising," and further, was named as one of Time's 100 most influential people in 2015. Fun fact, she was the 16th employee of Google and moved to Youtube in 2014, where she remains the CEO.
In this role she continuously advocates for maternity leave benefits and the elimination of gender discrimination in tech companies, asserting that these changes will benefit both the employees and employers.
"Whether it's salary or a promotion, or a job, I think it's important for women to ask for what they think they deserve." Susan Wojcicki
Lisa Su (AMD)
Lisa Su is the CEO of the semiconductor firm, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD). She started off her career by joining IBM, working as an engineer and business leader for 13 years. She has been featured on Fortune as one of the most powerful women, with her sharp charisma and intelligence and #2 on its "Business Person of the Year" list. Her net worth is $530 million.
Su grew up in Taiwan and immigrated to the U.S with her parents at age two. She developed an interest in technology early on, oftentimes taking apart electronics to study the intricate inner workings. She has attained her bachelor's, master's, and doctorates degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
She has set up learning labs at AMD to provide students from underrepresented groups with an opportunity to study and gain a place within the STEM industry. She continues to advocate for an increased number of women in the field of STEM, specifically the engineering industry.
"The world is starving for new ideas and great leaders who will champion those ideas." Lisa Su
Cathy Hughes (Radio One)
Cathy Hughes is an entrepreneur, radio, television personality, and business executive. She is the founder and chairperson of Urban One, formerly known as Radio One, a leading radio broadcast.
She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, and began her radio career at KOWH which she attributes to the base for her success.
Hughes was the creator of the "Quiet Storm," a radio format of contemporary R&B, often described as "smooth and romantic" which revolutionized urban radio. The "Quiet Storm" still lives on, carrying Hughes's legacy with it. She was one of the first women to own a radio show that ranked #1. Her net worth is valued at $460 million. Hughes states that her ambition to start and lead her radio stemmed from her passion to "empower African Americans with information and to tell stories from their perspective."
"Not to let anyone convince you that your dream, your vision to be an entrepreneur is something that you shouldn't do. What often happens is that people who are well meaning, who really care for us are afraid for us and talk us out of it." Cathy Hughes
As the business world continues to expand, hopefully, so do the opportunities given to underrepresented individuals. Cathay Hughes, Lisa Su, and Susan Wojcicki continuously advocate for women’s rights, equality, and strength, setting an example for young and upcoming business leaders. These are just a few women leading businesses in predominantly male-dominated fields, and there are many more who continue to carve out a place for underrepresented communities.
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