Leading Women To Watch 2024

When women lead the way, other women notice.

That’s why it’s so important for us to light the way and lift each other up!

The following list includes awesome futurists, authors, educators, coaches & consultants, thought leaders, and more that have inspired me throughout my decades traversing these fields and specialties.

I invite you to explore this list and get inspired by these remarkable trailblazers!

I’m sure I’ve left out key categories and absolutely must-add women. If you have other women to suggest I add, let me know by commenting below!

Aging, Health & Wellness, & Longevity

☀️ Ana João Sepulveda President of Age Friendly Portugal

☀️ Anna A. Tavis, PhD Clinical Professor at NYU

☀️ Anna Pereira CEO of The Wellness Universe & the Chairwoman Soul Ventures

☀️ Avivah Wittenberg-Cox Gender expert & CEO at 20-First

☀️ Barbara Waxman MS, MPA, PCC Founder of Odyssey Group Coaching

☀️ BARBARA O’CONNOR Emeritus Professor at CSU, Sacramento

☀️ Bonnie Marcus Gendered Ageism experts & host of Badass Women At Any Age Podcast

☀️ Bernadette Melnyk VP for Health Promotion & University Chief Wellness Officer

☀️ Carin Upstill is a Business Consultant-Project Manager, CVS HEALTH

☀️ Debbie Marshall Managing Director of Silver Marketing Association, UK

☀️ Debra Gibson, N.D. Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

☀️ Dr. Tracey Gendron Chair for the Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Gerontology & the Executive Director of the Virginia Center on Aging

☀️ Elizabeth Isele Founder & CEO of Global Institute for Experienced Entrepreneurship

☀️ Esther (Semsei) Greenhouse, M.S. CEO of Silver To Gold Strategies, ​​Environmental Gerontologist & Longevity Economy Strategist

☀️ Heather Evanson Brooks is an aging specialist in Senior Housing & Aging inPlace Specialist

☀️ Helen Hirsh Spence keynote speaker, longevity literacy coach & trainer. Created Top Sixty Over Sixty, Greater Ottawa, Canada.

☀️ Jacynth Bassett anti-ageist activist, Founder of Ageism Is Never in Style & The Bias Cut, United Kingdom

☀️ Jacquelyn James Co-director, Center on Aging & Work at Boston College

☀️ Jane Silk CMO of Silver Marketing Association, UK

☀️ Janine Vanderburg Consultant on reframing aging & creating age-friendly workplaces

☀️Jamie Gilbert Strategist in operations marketing & gerontology

☀️ Jean Galiana MASM Gerontologist

☀️ Jeanette Leardi Social Gerontologist, Public Speaker, Community Educator

☀️ Katy Fike Ph.D. Co-Founder of Aging 2.0

☀️ Maddy Dychtwald Autho, speaker on aging & the global economy

☀️ Nancy Griffin Founder of SeniorTrade

☀️ Paula Marie Usrey, M.S., CPRC Founder of Boomer Best U

☀️ Sharon Solomon Rose Social Gerontologist working to foster intergenerational companies & communities

☀️ Sheila Callaham is the founder of Age Equity Alliance, Braga, Portugal

☀️ Sky Bergman Photographer & filmmaker, showing people 75-100+ living their best lives

☀️ Stella Fosse Gendered ageism Author

☀️ Susan Flory Broadcast media consultant, creator of The Big Middle podcast

☀️ Susan Williams Author of Booming Encore

☀️ Wendy Green Host of Hey Boomer Live & Transition Coach

☀️ Wendy Mayhew Author and experienced entrepreneur advocating for and assisting entrepreneurs at any age with the knowledge and resources to help them become wise entrepreneurs.

Femme Futuristas

Here is my list of must-follow Femme Futuristas:

These are authors, speakers, educators, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and of course, Futurists, who are leading us into a greater future for ALL generations.

☀️ Amy Webb Quantitative Futurist & author

☀️ Anne Boysen Speaker & futurist

☀️ Amy Zalman Global Security Futurist | Deloitte | National War College | World Future Society

☀️ April Rinne Keynote speaker, futurist, & author

☀️ Ashley Mosaic Dickinson Executive Coach & Strategic Advisor focusing on Human Potential, Societal Shifts, & Emerging Tech.

☀️ Cindy Frewen, FAIA, PhD Architect, urban futurist, adjunct professor, & writer

☀️ Dr. Claire A. Nelson One of Forbes 50 Female Futurists, a sustainability engineer, consultant, & a White House Champion of Change

☀️ Duena Blomstrom  Author, keynote speaker, & the founder of CPO

☀️ Elatia Abate Forbes Female Futurist & a global keynote speaker

☀️ Emma Pezzack Co-Founder of the Femme Futurists Society

☀️ Erica Orange EVP & COO of The Future Hunters

☀️ Heather E. McGowan Futurist, keynote speaker, corporate strategist, author, & a partner at ImpactEleven

☀️ Joyce Gioia, MBA, CSP, CMC, FIMC Strategic business futurist

☀️ Julie Friedman Steele CEO and Board Chair of the World Future Society, an entrepreneur & investor

☀️ Mimi Stokes Futurist, with an emphasis on sustainability &the teachings of Greek Drama

☀️ Nancy Giordano Co-Founder of the Femme Futurists Society, futurist, keynote speaker, & author

☀️ Patricia Lustig CEO of LASA Insight & a board member of the Association of Professional Futurists

☀️ Riane Eisler President at Center for Partnership Systems, author, futurist, speaker, & consultant.

☀️ Robin Champ Chief of the Enterprise Strategy Division for the U.S. Secret Service & a Strategy and Foresight Leader

☀️ Sari Stenfors iFuturist & strategist who has founded over 20 new businesses

☀️ Wendy Schultz Director of Infinite Futures, CoFounder of Jigsaw Foresight and faculty at MS in Strategic Foresight, University of Houston

Future of Work

Below is my list of must-follow thought leaders in the fields of DEI, Executive Leadership, Professional Development, and the Transformation of People & Culture.

☀️ Adrienne Shoch is a consultant to leadership, teams & organizations with expertise in Presence Leadership and more.

☀️ Anna D. Banks, is CEO of THRIVE Leadership Institute, Inc. for entrepreneurship.

☀️ Annalisa Enrile, Ph.D (USC) is a game changer professor, program lead of the first Phd program focused on practitioners vs. academic tenure track graduates, and writer.

☀️ April Gorelik is a Human Resources Manager working side by side with executive leadership to push the business.

☀️ Betsey Upchurch is the Principal at P4 Consulting, LLC; Certified Presence Based Coach focused on creating successful, sustainable organizations that fully support the people in them.

☀️ Brigette Hyacinth is the author of Leading the Workforce of the Future and a keynote speaker.

☀️ Carol Gorelick Ed.D, MBA is a consultant, professor, author, practitioner, and mentor in creating learning communities of change and organizational transformation.

☀️ Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D. is a speaker on Leadership Presence and Body Language and an author.

☀️ Dr. Anastassia Lauterbach is the Managing Director for The ExCo Leadership Group, a writer, speaker, and leadership coach.

☀️ Elsie Maio is Founding Principal @ Humanity, Inc/SoulBranding℠ Institute | Strategic Foresight

☀️ Janice Gassam Asare, Ph.D. is an anti-racism educator, DEI consultant, speaker, trainer, workshop facilitator, and writer.

☀️ Kelly Swingler is psychologist, executive coach, speaker, and author.

☀️ Marti Konstant is a workplace futurist tracking emerging trends.

☀️ Marie Cini is a higher education leader and innovator, President of Univeristy of the People.

☀️ Maureen Metcalf is the CEO of the Innovative Leadership Institute, a speaker, author, and radio host.

☀️ Michele Gibbons-Carr, Ph.D is a psychologist, coach, professor, and organizational consultant.

☀️ Wendy White is Founder and CEO Continuum Consulting Services and specializes in the human component of making business and organizations successful.

Coaches & Leadership

☀️ Jennifer Germaine is a consultant teaching leaders and organizations how to be present, engaged & serve from a higher perspective around their impact.

☀️ Ursula Reeg is a corporate trainer.

☀️ Laura Goodrich is consultant on innovation & future of work.

☀️ Jennifer Hough is an author, speaker, and trainer on the subject of flow & fulfillment. Founder of TEDX Asheville

☀️ Barrie Barton is a Speaker’s coach & trainer; founder of Stand

☀️ Joanne Wright is a Team Building Coach

Career Trajectory & Job Search

☀️  Hannah Morgan is a job search strategist, speaker, and trainer.

☀️ Helen Harkness PhD is a career consultant, coach, and owner of Career Design Associates, Inc.

☀️ Joan Learn is a career and job search consultant and retirement coach.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI)

☀️ Deborah Levine is a Forbes D&I Trailblazer, award-winning author, founder/editor American Diversity Report, and Cognitive Diversity inventor.

☀️ Janice Gassam Asare, Ph.D. works to promote anti-racism in the workplace, is a DEI Consultant, TEDx Speaker, and Forbes Senior Contributor.

☀️ Neivia Justa is a Communication, Culture, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Leader.

☀️ Netta Jenkins, MBA (As Seen on Forbes) is a diversity and inclusion executive, author, and Co-Founder of Dipper.

Luminaries

Below is my list of must-follow philanthropists, journalists, and other luminaries who explore topics like Women & the Future and Transformational Psycho-Spiritual Development.

Philanthropists

☀️ Barbara (Hessekiel) Waxman MS, MPA, PCC Leadership coach, gerontologist, speaker, author, and an aging & longevity angel investor

☀️Melinda French Gates Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the founder of Pivotal Ventures, & author of The Moment of Lift

Media & Journalists

☀️ Arianna Huffington Co-founder of The Huffington Post, the founder and CEO of Thrive Global

☀️ Dorie Clark Strategy consultant, executive coach, & keynote speaker

☀️ Katie Couric Journalist, presenter, producer, & author

☀️ Michelle Goldberg Journalist, & op-ed columnist for The New York Times

☀️ Mika Brzezinski Journalist, talk show host, political commentator, author, & co-hosts MSNBC’s show, Morning Joe

☀️ Rachel Maddow Host of the Rachel Maddow Show

Women & The Future

☀️ Carole Hyatt Founder and president at Mission: Getting to Next & multiple book author

☀️ Gloria Feldt Leadership speaker, author, co-founder/president of Take The Lead, & a gender parity and diversity/inclusion expert

☀️ Gloria Steinem American journalist & social-political activist. Nationally recognized leader of the second-wave feminism.

☀️ Suzanne (Braun) Levine author and editor, who writes about women and their place at the table.

☀️ Diana (Dunbar) Place founder of the 333 Collective & Quest conference for Women 50+

Transformational Psycho-Spiritual Exploration/Development

☀️ Anna Ivara Facilitator and teacher, specializing in Personal Development and Alternative Therapy

☀️ Carolyn Conger, PhD Owner of Conger Seminars. She is a consultant and teacher, focusing on psychological growth and spirituality

☀️ Marion Woodman (deceased) was an author, poet, analytical psychologist, and women’s movement figure

☀️ Sidra Stone is co-founder with her husband, Hal Stone (deceased) of Voice Dialogue International and an independent professional training and coaching professional. She has co-authored and authored multiple titles. My favorite is Shadow King—a must read for all teen girls and women.

Visionaries in Leadership & The Future of Work

Frances Hesselbein (deceased) is the former CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA, the president and CEO of the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Forum, and was my dear friend and long-time mentor.

Give them a follow and let me know:

👉 Who’s on your list?

Feel free to drop them in the comments!