Top 20 Women Leaders 2022

Today, Akuyoe Graham, Founder & CEO of Spirit Awakening, received a very kind note from a colleague in which she said she would try to bring some of what she’d “absorbed” from Akuyoe’s model of womanhood, activism, and leadership that puts “we before me.”

Béatrice Cointreau, the founder of BYBC Ventures, is a seasoned international entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and experienced board member. Cornell University MBA and INSEAD IBD (International Board of Director) graduate Béatrice co-managed The Renaud Cointreau group as board member and CEO, successfully developing Wines and Spirits companies with double digits yearly progressions for nearly 25 years.

Before taking on the helm of the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga as its first female President and CEO, Candy Johnson served in a variety of leadership roles. Ranging from being the youngest-ever elected City Council member in her hometown at the age of 25 years old, to running a successful non-profit education foundation, serving as policy director at a Chamber of Commerce, to senior advisor to the Mayor of Chattanooga, and as an independent consultant for non-profits and business organizations.

Carine M. Schneider still remembers the first conversation when she decided to build Astrella. “When they say “we drew it on a cocktail napkin,” I really did do that. I had a vision on how we could build an ownership tracking system while integrating services and solutions from other providers in our ecosystem,” she elucidates.

Today, over 58% of the population worldwide is facing relationship toxicity. If you live in a relationship that makes you sad, worried, dealing with lies, screaming, fear or pain. Please know these feelings are not normal.

Chelsea Haverly’s intention in starting her business, with the support of an amazing co-owner and friend, Christine Coyle, was to create an environment where helping the community and helping others is grounded in business practices and a transparent work culture that is authentic and sustainable.

Debbie Phillips’ official title may be Founder and President of The Quadrillion, but her ‘unofficial’ title is CEO – Chief Encouragement Officer.

Warm, compassionate, kind; these words come up often in descriptions of Eileen Kerlin Walsh. But while she may have a gentle manner, she’s also a powerful community influencer and successful entrepreneur.

Hope Moore, Founder & Executive Director, Make The Dash Count (MTDC), has a passion for giving back, which she attributes to the example set by her mother, Christine Wallett, who lived by the phrase “life is not a dress rehearsal.” The DASH refers to the little horizontal line on our gravestones; the one between the date we were born and the date we pass away.

Laurel Werner, Founder, President, and CEO of Kilimanjaro Technology Foundation (aka KiliTech), a non-profit 501(c)3 that provides water for schools and vocation training for women in Tanzania, is an inspiration to other women with her leadership, passion for children’s education, and adventurous spirit.

Coming from a family with over 50 years in the construction industry, Leah knows what it takes to get her hands dirty. Growing up on a farm, she learned how to operate just about every piece of equipment and had worked for her father’s residential building company but at the time hadn’t considered construction as her career aspiration.

What does it take to transform a company into an ecosystem of independent thinkers working together to achieve the best outcome for the clients? The answer to this question lies in personable leadership.

One of the great lessons that Sabrina Lloyd, President & CEO, Lloyd Agencies, has learned in business is the importance of the environment. She says that the environment is the space around us, and what’s inside of us.

Shelta Richardson, CEO of The Academy of Early Learning, has worked in the field of education for over 25 years in various settings, from corporate childcare to faith-based settings. Her college career also made an impact on her work with the Academy.

The National Foundation for Cancer Research is a cancer-related charity co-founded by Albert Szent-Györgyi, who won the 1937 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his discovery of Vitamin C.

Yadira Nistal has been hailed as an innovator, and she has been assisting Executive Tags in gaining new heights by leading the company with passion, persistence, and motivation for excellent customer service.