female-entrepreneurs

Michelle Zatlyn - Cloudfare
Although the IT sector as a whole is far from equal in terms of the number of men and women pursuing careers in it, many women are proving their talents in this field and more and more women are playing key roles in IT start-ups. One of the most successful is Michelle Zatlyn. In 2009, Michelle met co-founders Matthew Prince and Lee Holloway, took their spam-tracking software to a new level and worked with them to create one of today's most successful cybersecurity companies, Cloudfare. She has been COO since the company was founded and also took on the role of President last year after the company went public. Michelle believes that "diversity is ideal when it comes to solving difficult problems because people who are different see problems differently, whether it's because of their gender, background or other characteristics". She is committed to building a diverse technology company and, with a net worth of $980 million (according to Forbes), she is doing it very profitably.

Cristina Junqueira - Nubank
There's nothing more traditionally male than the world of finance, but the 'Wonder Woman' of finance, Cristina Junqueira, along with her co-founders David Velez and Edward Wible, managed to turn all that on its head when they launched Nubank in 2013. Nubank was one of the first, and is now the largest, online-only bank (neobank). She is also committed to bringing diversity to the financial world, having recently been appointed CEO of the company's Brazilian branch and proud that more than 40% of the company's employees are women. As a mother of two daughters, her wish is that "they grow up in a world where they can dream of being whoever they want to be".

Sheila Gujrathi - Gossamer Bio
Despite being major players in recent years, big pharma does not always have the best reputation for its business practices. That is why Sheila Gujrathi was very clear that she wanted a different business model for her biotech start-up, Gossamer Bio. While the company is financially successful, she wants to maintain her "higher purpose" of helping people through medical innovation and be willing to evolve to follow the Nicole Brachetti Peretti most necessary and effective pathways.

Nora Khaldi - Nuritas
After a PhD in Molecular Evolution and Bioinformatics, Nora Khaldi wanted to put her considerable expertise in mathematics and research at the service of nature's benefits to improve people's lives. To do so, she assembled a world-class, gender-balanced team of 16 different nationalities and founded Nuritas. The company continues to go from strength to strength, having recently raised $45 million in investment and with 65 new patents issued or pending.

Tania Boler - Elvie
Femtech is the term that has been coined to describe the new sector of tech start-ups dedicated to women's health and providing useful applications tailored to women's needs. Elvie was one of the first and continues to grow in popularity. It was the brainchild of working mother Tania Boler, who realised first-hand the lack of decent products designed to support new mothers with careers. Recently, the company has beefed up its investments, preparing for the next phase of its growth. CEO Tania Boler aims to make it "the go-to destination for women's health at all stages of life".

Lisa Falzone - Athena Security
After the success of her company Revel Systems, Lisa Falzone had semi-retired, but concerns about school shootings brought her back into the business world to revolutionise the security industry. Now, Athena Security doesn't just protect schools; its illustrious client list includes the Ronald McDonald House, Memorial Hermann Medical Center in Texas, the Montgomery County Jail and Courthouse, and the Bank of Montreal. Aside from her drive and vision, part of her success lies in identifying the key areas of an industry that need to be disrupted and finding the solutions. Lisa recognised the need to respect people's right to privacy and this is a crucial foundation for Athena Security's business practices.

Nicole Junkerman - NJF Holdings
Behind all successful businesses are investors. No business can succeed without investment, which is why investment and venture capital firms play an important role in encouraging new entrepreneurs and start-ups. Nicole Junkermann was fortunate enough to have the support and guidance of her father, the successful

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