A LinkedIn post highlighting the founders of “fastest growing companies” went viral last week and sparked heated debate in the comments.

The problem? The list was entirely male. 

While later edited to include part two, the original post sums up how women are still left out of the conversation and are relegated to being an afterthought. 

Many went on to point out that this is just a small example of the larger issue. Women aren’t just left out of top B2B leader posts but also left out of panel discussions, resource lists, and C-suites. 

Remarkably, this is still the case even though the benefits of workplace inclusion – both in culture and in policy – are palpable. Gender diverse workplaces:

• Increase profitability and productivity (63%)
• Boost talent attraction and retention (60%)
• Enhance company reputation (58%)

As a company made up of a 90% female team, we are all too familiar with the challenge of being left out of important conversations. That’s why we’ve created this list of 50 female founders who are not only excelling in their industries but are also challenging the status quo and reshaping the business landscape.

We hope this list will help introduce you to some of the successful women in entrepreneurship and spark conversations with some of the emerging leaders in their fields.

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1. Fatima Zaidi, Founder and CEO of Quill and CoHost

Fatima Zaidi is the CEO and Founder of Quill, a full-service podcast agency, and CoHost, a podcast analytics and audience insights platform. Under her leadership, Quill was ranked 10th on The Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Top Growing Companies in 2024 with a 4,186% 3-year growth rate. 

Fatima’s influence extends beyond her business ventures, with accolades including two Top 30 Under 30 awards, Veuve Clicquot’s Bold Future Award, and Young Professional of the Year by Notable Life. She has also been named one of Flare Magazine’s Top 100 Women.

In addition to her entrepreneurial achievements, Fatima is a committed philanthropist, serving on the board of Save the Children Canada and as Co-Chair of Tech4SickKids.

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2. Sarah Stockdale, Founder and CEO, Growclass

Sarah Stockdale is the Founder and CEO of Growclass, a six-week online growth marketing course designed to help people break into higher-paying roles and start companies. Growclass fosters a community focused on personal and professional growth, particularly for equity-deserving individuals. 

Sarah is also the author of We Need To Talk About This, a newsletter exploring imperfect feminism and the human experience. As a keynote speaker, she shares her expertise in marketing, AI, community, and personal branding.

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3. Nancy Twine, CEO and Founder, Briogeo Hair Care

Nancy Twine is the Founder and CEO of Briogeo Hair Care, a clean beauty brand she launched in 2013 after transitioning from a career as VP of Commodities Sales at Goldman Sachs. Under her leadership, Briogeo has become a globally recognized brand, earning her accolades like Forbes 30 Under 30 and the CEW Female Founder Award.

She also hosts the Makers Mindset podcast, where she shares stories from female entrepreneurs across industries, focusing on the balance between professional success and personal well-being.

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4. Caroline Casey, Founder, The Valuable 500

Caroline Casey is the visionary behind The Valuable 500, the largest CEO-led movement for disability inclusion in business. Launched at the 2019 Davos Summit, the initiative has engaged 500 major companies, representing $8 trillion in revenue and 20 million employees, to drive systemic change.

Now President of the IAPB, Caroline also serves on diversity boards for companies like L’Oréal, Sanofi, and Sky. 

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5. Erin Bury, Co-Founder and CEO of Willful  

Erin Bury is the CEO and Co-Founder of Willful, an online platform simplifying end-of-life planning for Canadians. Under her leadership, Willful has helped thousands create essential documents like wills, driven by a culture of empathy, agility, and accountability. 

Beyond Willful, Erin is a Board member at Save the Children Canada and an advisor to startups. She also speaks on entrepreneurship and contributes to Today’s Parent and other publications, aiming to make estate planning approachable and essential for Canadians.

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6. + 7.  Sheba Zaidi and Genevive Savundranayagam, Co-Founders, Mahara Mindfulness 

Sheba Zaidi and Genevive Savundranayagam are the co-founders of Mahara Mindfulness, a brand dedicated to introducing mindful practices and personal transformation tools. Their journey into mindfulness began through personal experiences in practices such as journaling, meditation, and breathwork, which eventually inspired them to leave their corporate careers and launch Mahara in early 2020. Mahara’s mission is to provide products and experiences that encourage mindful living, aiming to help people build essential life skills and develop intentional lifestyles.

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8. Daryna Kulya, Co-Founder, OpenPhone 

Daryna Kulya is the Co-Founder of OpenPhone, a modern phone and messaging platform designed to streamline business communication for startups and small businesses, now serving over 50,000 companies. 

In July 2014, she founded Product Hunt Toronto, creating the city’s first Product Hunt meetup and one of its largest product events. Daryna shares insights on LinkedIn, covering topics such as the future of business communication, lessons from scaling a startup, customer experience improvements, and tech strategies for small businesses. 

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9. Sylvia Ng, CEO, ReturnBear and Founder, Amidira

Sylvia Ng is the CEO of ReturnBear, a comprehensive e-commerce returns platform designed to streamline cross-border returns for brands. Previously a GM at Shopify, Sylvia brings extensive expertise in scaling digital solutions. She is also the founder of Amidira, a cancer care brand providing self-care boxes and supportive content to help patients manage the challenges of treatment. 

Sylvia is an advocate for women in tech and product roles, recognized as DMZ's Women of the Year 2024, WeWorkingWomen’s CEO of the Year 2023, Bay Street Bull’s Women of the Year 2022, and one of Inspiring Fifty’s Most Inspiring Women in Canadian STEM in 2018.

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10. Marjella Lecourt-Alma, Co-Founder and CEO, Datamaran

Marjella Lecourt-Alma is the Co-Founder and CEO of Datamaran, a global leader in ESG tech. Datamaran is the only software analytics platform capable of real-time monitoring of external risks and opportunities, including ESG factors. Their patented, expert-led technology offers a fully transparent approach to tracking these evolving risks. 

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11. Shirah Benarde, CEO and Co-Founder, Nightcap 

Shirah Benarde created Nightcap—a scrunchie that doubles as a drink cover—when she was just 16, inspired by a friend’s experience with drink spiking. Today, NightCap products are available in over 40 countries, with partnerships spanning from Forever 21 to military bases, crisis centers, and 170 universities. 

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12. Melissa Rosenthal, Co-Founder, Outlever 

Melissa Rosenthal is a media and tech executive with a career spanning leadership roles at ClickUp, Insight Timer, Cheddar, and BuzzFeed. Recognized in Forbes' 30 Under 30 and Digiday’s "Changemakers," she is passionate about creating new value and helping brands engage with their audiences.

This drive led her to co-found Outlever, a platform designed to transform brands into industry-leading news sources. Outlever helps brands own the conversations that matter most, creating new marketing and sales channels to drive ROI for both B2B and B2C companies.

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13. Lindsay Tjepkema, Founder and CEO, Human Brands Win

Lindsay Tjepkema is the Founder and CEO of Human Brands Win, where she helps founders and thought leaders scale their businesses by building powerful, authentic brands. 

With over 20 years of experience, including founding and leading Casted, a B2B podcast platform, Lindsay has a unique perspective on brand-building, having raised millions in venture capital and built global brands. She is also a member of the Forbes Business Council and the Entrepreneur Leadership Network.

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14. Alina Vandenberghe, Co-Founder & Co-Ceo, Chili Piper

Alina Vandenberghe is the co-founder and co-CEO of Chili Piper, an innovative demand conversion platform that boosts inbound conversion rates for B2B revenue teams. 

A self-starter from an early age, she founded her own business to fund her education before transitioning to tech, where she developed mobile products for major companies like Thomson Reuters, Bloomberg, and Pearson—some of which were showcased by Steve Jobs. 

Alina co-founded Chili Piper in 2016 with a mission to help sales teams work smarter, and under her leadership, the company recently reached a valuation close to $1 billion.

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15. Jen Allen-Knuth, Founder, DemandJen

Jen Allen-Knuth is the founder of DemandJen, where she helps B2B sales leaders overcome the challenges of customer risk aversion and decision paralysis. Through keynotes and workshops, Jen teaches sales teams how to break through status-quo biases and engage prospects more effectively, especially in outbound and discovery conversations. By addressing the emotional and practical barriers to change, she empowers teams to close more deals with mid-market and enterprise clients.

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16. Roxanne Bras Petraeus, CEO and Co-Founder, Ethena 

Roxanne Bras Petraeus is the CEO and co-founder of Ethena, an all-in-one compliance training platform designed to improve workplace culture and compliance. Trusted by companies like Zendesk, Pinterest, Notion, and BetterUp, Ethena has garnered support from top investors such as Felicis, GSV, Homebrew, and Village Global. 

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17. Bosky Mukherjee, Founder and CEO, PMDojo

Bosky Mukherjee is the Founder and CEO of PMDojo, where she leads initiatives to empower women in product management and technology leadership. With over 22 years of experience at startups, global organizations, and high-growth companies, Bosky has extensive experience in senior executive roles and leading teams at scale. 

Bosky has been featured in Forbes, Power To Fly, and Morning Star, and is a sought-after speaker at industry events like Women in Tech Leadership and Women in Product.

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18. Tara Darbyshire, Co-Founder, SmartSuite

Tara Darbyshire is the Co-Founder and EVP of Strategic Partnerships & Accounts SmartSuite, where she oversees corporate accounts and strategic alliances. Before SmartSuite, Tara co-founded Archer Technologies, a leading risk and compliance software company serving Fortune 500 clients globally. 

After Archer’s acquisition, she became a Founding Board Member of the Archer Foundation and a supporter of organizations benefiting children and women in crisis. She also mentors women in tech through groups like the Executive Women’s Forum and Carnegie Mellon University. 

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19. Nikita Gupta, Co-Founder, Careerflow.ai 

Nikita Gupta is the co-founder of Careerflow.ai, an AI-powered platform designed to help job seekers land their dream jobs. Drawing on her extensive experience at companies like Uber and Amazon Web Services as a Senior Technical Recruiter, Nikita has become a trusted voice in career development. She previously launched FAANGPath, where she used her expertise to guide job seekers toward success.

She was honored as Entrepreneur of the Year at the Women in IT Summit & Awards and has spoken at over 30 major industry events. Her work has also earned her features in publications like Forbes, Business Insider, and Fast Company.

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20. Mel Goodman, Founder, WorkMom 

Mel Goodman is the Founder of WorkMom, a platform designed to help ambitious moms design careers and family lives that complement each other. Her approach empowers women to be the CEOs of their lives by aligning their professional goals with their personal values. Through WorkMom, she helps women gain clarity, set boundaries, and reduce burnout, ensuring that career success doesn’t come at the cost of family time.

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21. + 22. Lauren Arnold and Chantel Cassar, Co-Founders, Category Communications 

Lauren Arnold and Chantel Cassar are the Co-Founders of Category Communications, a forward-thinking public relations agency that uses data-driven storytelling to craft impactful communications strategies for industry leaders and innovators. With a focus on creating measurable business outcomes, Category works with changemakers across various sectors, from technology to real estate.

Both Lauren and Chantel are seasoned entrepreneurs with extensive experience scaling category-leading brands across North America. They founded Category to set a new standard in PR by integrating communications with clients’ SEO, digital, and organic growth strategies. 

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23. Giselle Penley, Founder, Digital Treasure Marketing

Giselle Penley is the Founder of Digital Treasure Marketing, a results-driven marketing firm. With over 10 years of experience, she has built marketing strategies and led digital transformations across various sectors, including beauty, retail, fintech, and telecommunications. Plus, Giselle shares her marketing insights through her MarTech Maven newsletter. 

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24. Cimin Ahmadi Cohen, Founder and CEO, Idea Peddler

Cimin Ahmadi Cohen is the Founder and CEO of Idea Peddler, an award-winning, full-service agency that blends big-agency expertise with boutique-level service. Based in Austin, the agency is known for its bespoke campaigns that drive growth and brand transformation.

Under her leadership, Idea Peddler has earned accolades such as Austin Business Journal’s Best Places to Work, Addy Gold awards, and a spot in Clutch’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Agencies.

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25. Nicole Casperson, Founder and CEO, Fintech is Femme

Nicole Casperson is a journalist and the founder of Fintech is Femme, a media platform focused on empowering women and underrepresented groups in fintech. Launched with a mission to amplify diverse voices, Fintech Is Femme reached 50,000 subscribers in its first year. Nicole's work blends her passion for financial equity with her background in B2B media, where she recognized the scarcity of female perspectives in the finance industry. She has since created a space that bridges these gaps, offering insights and fostering a vibrant community.

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26.  Samantha McKenna, Founder, #samsales

Samantha McKenna is the founder of #samsales, a company that helps businesses of all sizes improve their sales operations, pipeline management, leadership development, and LinkedIn strategies. Under her leadership, the team’s impact extends beyond business, having raised over $120K for charitable causes and providing hundreds of free training to the military and transitioning teachers.

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27. Danielle Cohn, CEO, Wave Ventures

Danielle Cohn is the CEO of Wave Ventures and a multi-time founder. She previously led the global startup accelerator LIFT Labs at Comcast NBCUniversal, advising C-suite executives and a wide network of founders. She also launched My Inspirement™ communities, which help leaders navigate life transitions and promote sustainable living.

Danielle is an entrepreneur-in-residence at Yale University, a mentor in Techstars' accelerators, and has served as CMO for the Philadelphia Convention + Visitors Bureau. She is also an executive producer for All That's Good Productions, working on the Founding in Color docuseries.

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28. Leslie Campisi, Co-Founder, Beginners

Leslie Campisi is the co-founder of Beginners, an agency focused on helping entrepreneurs and organizations tell compelling stories as they embark on new ventures. With extensive experience in agency work, venture capital, and startups, Leslie brings a unique perspective to the agency. Beginners' services include brand strategy, naming, visual identity, communications, and content creation—all designed to help brands craft impactful and memorable stories.

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29. Ioanna Mantzouridou Onasi, Co-Founder and CEO, Dextego

Ioanna Mantzouridou Onasi is the co-founder and CEO of Dextego, an AI coaching platform for enhancing work performance and soft skills development. 

Under her leadership, Dextego has earned recognition as a finalist in the Transform Awards and recipient of the Cool EdTech Award, showcasing the responsible use of AI in business and education. Ioanna also serves as a founding partner at AIX, advocating for ethical AI practices, and is a sought-after speaker at prominent institutions like Pace University.

With several accolades to her name, including the Young Leader Award and recognition as a Top 100 Innovator, Ioanna remains dedicated to driving social impact through innovation.

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30. Jo Baker, Founder and CEO, ShipperHQ

Jo Baker is the Founder and CEO of ShipperHQ, a shipping platform that helps over 90,000 merchants optimize their shipping processes. Launched in 2008, the platform was born from Jo’s personal experience solving shipping challenges for her husband’s online business.

With a background in engineering and foreign exchange, Jo’s problem-solving skills and enterprise mindset have shaped ShipperHQ into the go-to key solution for many major brands.

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31. Bethany Stachenfeld, Co-Founder and CEO, Sendspark

Recently recognized on the 100 Powerful Women in Sales list for 2024, Bethany Stachenfeld is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sendspark, the leading video platform for sales teams. Sendspark integrates with popular platforms like Gmail, LinkedIn, Hubspot, and Zendesk, enabling seamless communication with customers. With over 10,000 GTM professionals from top companies like Salesforce and Oracle using Sendspark, Bethany has led the company for over five years.

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32. Sarah Uy, Founder, Selling Sarah 

Sarah Uy is the Founder of Selling Sarah, where she shares practical sales strategies, focusing on cold calling and social selling. Through her webinars, videos, and podcasts, Sarah provides actionable tips to help individuals and teams improve their sales skills, build confidence, and close more deals. Sarah’s approach is all about giving her audience and clients real, relatable tactics that can be applied to improve sales performance.

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33. Abby Murray, Co-Founder and CEO, Storyarb

Abby Murray is the CEO and co-founder of Storyarb, a company she launched in 2023 with Alex Lieberman of Morning Brew. Storyarb helps B2B marketing teams scale content through a subscription-based model, offering a fresh alternative to traditional agencies.

Previously, Abby co-founded Mortarr, a platform for the commercial construction and design industry, which she grew to over 1,500 companies before its 2022 acquisition by Ecomedes, Inc. Abby also founded the coworking space, The Outlet, and the B2B agency Brick, which later became part of Mortarr. Abby has been featured in numerous prominent publications, including The Wall Street Journal and Interior Design.

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34. Shelby Austin, Co-Founder and CEO, Arteria AI

Named as one of the 100 Most Powerful Canadians for 2024 by Macleans Magazine, Shelby Austin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Arteria AI. The company is revolutionizing digital documentation by using AI to transform documents into actionable data – so much so that they’ve been recognized as one of the top 100 most innovative fintech companies globally by CB Insights.

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35. Christina Cacioppo, Co-Founder and CEO, Vanta

Christina Cacioppo is the Co-Founder and CEO of Vanta, a leading trust management platform that helps organizations of all sizes simplify and centralize security. Founded in 2018, Vanta has quickly become a trusted solution for thousands of companies, enabling them to build, maintain, and demonstrate trust in real-time and with full transparency. 

With customers in 58 countries and offices in Dublin, New York, San Francisco, and Sydney, Vanta is transforming the way companies approach security.

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36. Jasmine Crowe-Houston, Founder and CEO, GoodrCo.

Jasmine Crowe-Houston is the Founder and CEO of GoodrCo., a sustainable food surplus management company headquartered in Atlanta. Goodr leverages technology to reduce food waste and fight hunger by redistributing surplus food to those in need. Jasmine has a strong background in the social impact industry, specializing in community relations, event management, fundraising, and leadership.

Before founding Goodr, Jasmine was the founder and editor of BlackCelebrityGiving.com, a media platform she launched in 2011 to showcase the philanthropic efforts of celebrities and community organizations within Black communities.

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37. Alix de Sagazan, Co-Founder and CEO, AB Tasty

Alix de Sagazan is the Co-Founder and CEO of AB Tasty,  a global leader in Experience Optimization, offering solutions in experimentation, content personalization, product recommendations, and merchandising. The platform helps over 1,000 brands, including Kering, McDonald’s, and L’Oréal, optimize every touchpoint along the customer journey.

What started as a consulting agency evolved into a leading A/B testing and personalization technology provider. AB Tasty now leads the European market and serves brands worldwide with a team of 300+ employees across 11 offices. 

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38. Nishika de Rosairo, Founder and CEO, HumanQ

Nishika de Rosairo is a serial entrepreneur and leader with 18 years of experience, having worked with global giants such as Deloitte, Apple, Cisco, Salesforce, and Levi’s, as well as startups in Silicon Valley. She founded HumanQ, the global leader in solving the world's biggest business challenges through the power of aligning human performance with business performance. 

In addition to her business acumen, Nishika is an artist with a unique perspective shaped by her extensive travels across 70 countries and living on five continents. 

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39. Anda Gansca, Co-Founder and CEO, Knotch

Anda Gansca is the co-founder and CEO of Knotch, a marketing technology company that empowers content, demand generation, and growth marketers to drive better business outcomes.

Used by high-growth brands and Fortune 1000 companies, including top financial institutions, Dropbox, Marriott, Nielsen, St. Jude, and Square, Knotch is helping brands optimize their content strategies.

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40. Elaine Zelby, Co-Founder and CRO, Tofu

Elaine Zelby is the co-founder of Tofu, a platform designed to empower B2B marketing teams to create personalized, omnichannel content that aligns with brand identity and scales across marketing campaigns. Before founding Tofu, Elaine was an early-stage investor at SignalFire, where she focused on enterprise SaaS, and led GTM/marketing at various early and growth-stage startups.

Elaine is also the author of the 3 Things newsletter and host of the un(sexy) podcast, where she shares insights on entrepreneurship, marketing, and personal growth. 

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41. Liz Tsai, Founder and CEO, HiOperator

Liz Tsai is the founder and CEO of HiOperator, a cutting-edge AI-augmented customer service solution that is revolutionizing how businesses manage customer interactions. HiOperator combines the power of AI technology with highly trained, empathetic US-based customer service agents to provide faster, more accurate, and secure resolutions for customer service tickets.

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42. Julia Arpag, CEO and Founder, Aligned Recruitment

Julia Arpag is the founder and CEO of Aligned Recruitment, where she leads a team dedicated to hiring top talent for high-growth tech companies. Passionate about building A-player teams, Julia’s approach to recruitment goes beyond filling roles—she focuses on driving peak company performance and creating strong, aligned teams that fuel growth.

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43. Jenna Holcombe, Co-Founder, Centra

Jenna Holcombe is the co-founder of Centra, a leading commerce platform for fashion brands. With over 20 years of experience as an art director, Jenna specializes in brand development, using design and communication to create compelling, growth-driven experiences.

At Centra, she leads the Brand and Creative teams, focused on building strong, memorable brands through thoughtful strategy, design, and creativity. Her mission is to create brands that resonate with audiences and foster lasting growth.

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44. Prukalpa Sankar, Co-Founder, Atlan

Prukalpa Sankar is the co-founder of Atlan, a modern data workspace designed to empower collaboration among data teams by connecting business users, analysts, and engineers to boost efficiency and agility. Like "Figma for data," Atlan is trusted by leading companies like Cisco, Nasdaq, Unilever, and ZoomInfo.

Before Atlan, Prukalpa co-founded SocialCops, a data-for-good company recognized globally as a World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer. An award-winning entrepreneur, Prukalpa is a Forbes 30 Under 30 and Fortune 40 Under 40 honoree, and a TED speaker.

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45. Neha Sampat, Founder and CEO, Contentstack

Neha Sampat is the founder and CEO of Contentstack, the pioneer of API-first, headless CMS technology that streamlines content delivery across today’s digital channels—from mobile and web to IoT devices. Under her leadership, Contentstack has raised $169M and ranked on the Inc. 5000 List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies in 2023. 

Outside of work, Neha is a certified sommelier, an advocate for workplace equity, and serves on boards including Austin’s Habitat for Humanity. 

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46. Katherine Regnier, Founder and CEO, Coconut Software

Katherine Regnier is the founder and CEO of Coconut Software, a platform specializing in appointment scheduling and lobby management for banks and credit unions. As one of the 6% of female tech CEOs, Katherine grew Coconut from a $5K loan to a leading company with over $40M in funding and 100% year-over-year growth. 

Recognized among Canada’s top tech companies, Coconut was accepted into the Google Accelerator. Katherine also serves as a founding board member of Co.Labs and as an advisor at the University of Washington's Foster School of Business.

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47. Jaleh Rezaei, Co-Founder and CEO, Mutiny

Jaleh Rezaei leads Mutiny, an AI-powered platform enabling B2B companies to drive revenue by creating personalized experiences for target accounts. With backing from investors like Sequoia Capital and Y Combinator, Mutiny provides a comprehensive solution for engaging and converting high-value accounts through customized microsites and account insights. 

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48. Maleka Momand, Co-Founder and CEO, Esper

Maleka Momand is the CEO and co-founder of Esper, a platform revolutionizing public administration by equipping governments with tools for evaluating and managing policy. Recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, Maleka is leading the charge in modernizing public sector governance for greater efficiency and accountability.

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49. Laura Gabor, Founder, What in the Tech, and Co-Founder, ecologicca 

Laura Gabor is the founder of What in the Tech, a Canadian community platform dedicated to making technology more inclusive and accessible, and co-founder of ecologicca, a company connecting health and the environment through advanced air purification.

With over a decade of experience in operations and relationship management, Laura is known for transforming ideas into scalable solutions. Named one of The Peak’s Emerging Leaders in Tech in 2024, she’s also an angel investor, focused on supporting startups that advance tech equity. Passionate about mentorship, Laura actively champions women in tech, helping them build strong networks and fostering the next generation of female leaders.

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50. May Habib, Founder & CEO, Writer

May Habib leads Writer, a generative AI platform transforming enterprise communication and content creation. With 10 years of experience in NLP and ML, May previously founded Qordoba, a machine translation platform that helped companies localize content globally.

In addition to being an AI expert, May is a Harvard Economics graduate, a Young Global Leader with the World Economic Forum, and a Fellow of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

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Securing women’s voice in the conversation

This list is just a glimpse of the incredible women who continue to lead with purpose and hold an unrelenting drive to uplift one another.

I, like many others, am lucky enough to be inspired and learn from strong women every day, so it’s imperative that we give them a seat at the table they’ve helped build. 

The women featured here—and countless others—demonstrate the immense potential of women in business. As we continue to make gender equity a strategic priority, let’s recognize the collective strength we gain by empowering women alongside their male counterparts at all levels— not just because it’s what’s right, but because it’s necessary for success.