Women who founded and still run billion-dollar companies
Seven women who started a company that is worth $1 billion or more and are its chief executive today, listed in the order their companies were founded.
How this list was made
The rule: founding year, oldest first
To be on this list, a woman founded or co-founded the company and is its chief executive on October 24, 2026, as a public record shows it that day: the company's own leadership page, its Wikipedia entry, its Fortune profile or its latest funding announcement.
The company is worth at least $1 billion by a public figure: a listed company's market value at the close of October 23, 2026, the last trading day before the check, or a private company's valuation as its latest funding announcement, a business publication or its Wikipedia entry states it. We print the figure and the date of its source; no founder's personal fortune appears here.
The order is the year the company was founded, oldest first. Two companies founded in the same year are listed alphabetically.
Martine Rothblatt
Founded United Therapeutics, a biotechnology company, in 1996. Fortune's profile of the company names her its chief executive.
Source: the record named under each entry, read October 24, 2026
Falguni Nayar
Founded Nykaa in April 2012. The company's formal name is FSN E-Commerce Ventures.
Source: the record named under each entry, read October 24, 2026
Melanie Perkins
Co-founded Canva in 2013 with Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams.
Source: the record named under each entry, read October 24, 2026
Christina Cacioppo
Founded Vanta in 2018. Vanta's own about page names her CEO and co-founder and says she founded the company in 2018.
Source: the record named under each entry, read October 24, 2026
May Habib
Co-founded Writer with Waseem AlShikh, its chief technology officer. The two had earlier started Qordoba together; Writer's own page says they launched Writer in 2020 and names her CEO and co-founder.
Source: the record named under each entry, read October 24, 2026
Lin Qiao
Co-founded Fireworks AI in 2022. Its Wikipedia entry names her co-founder and CEO, and the announcement of its Series D quotes her as co-founder and CEO.
Source: the record named under each entry, read October 24, 2026
Mira Murati
Founded Thinking Machines Lab in February 2025. Its Wikipedia entry names her its founder and CEO.
Source: the record named under each entry, read October 24, 2026
Questions about this list
- Is this every woman who qualifies?
- No. These are the seven the editors confirmed on the public record on October 24, 2026. Others may fit the rule and are still being checked; if you know a woman who fits it and is missing, send the editors the record and the list will add her with the date of the change.
- Why is Bumble's founder not on the list?
- Whitney Wolfe Herd founded Bumble and is its chief executive, but Bumble's market value was $913.17 million at the close of October 23, 2026, under the $1 billion line.
- https://stockanalysis.com/stocks/bmbl/
- Why is Judy Faulkner not on the list?
- Judith Faulkner, known as Judy, founded Epic Systems in 1979 and its Wikipedia entry names her founder and CEO, but Epic is private and has no public valuation or market value to print.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epic_Systems
- Why is Zhou Qunfei not on the list?
- She founded Lens Technology in 1993. Its Wikipedia entry names her its chairwoman, and no record we read names her its chief executive.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lens_Technology
- Why do some figures date from 2024 or 2025?
- A private company puts a value on itself only when it raises money or sells shares. The list prints the latest figure we found on the record, with its date, and checks it again each quarter.
- Can a company pay to be added?
- No. Entries come from the rule and the public record, never from a request or a payment.
See a mistake? Write to the editors at editors@mysweetmags.com and the list is corrected with the date of the change.
