Regular Women, Extraordinary Influence

First of all, a female CEO is almost as “magical” as a unicorn but their numbers are slowly increasing. But when you see them, they come in white, ivy league-educated, bodies.

That is just the fact!

However, there are female CEOs out there indirectly providing representation and diversity in the female CEO pool.

One of them is Philomene Tia. She is an Ivorian, multi-entrepreneur who has beat the odds—war and the refugee life could not stop her.

She is one of the proud owners of a bus company in her home country, a hotel complex, a cattle breeding operation and a chain of beverage stores!

Wow!

What an inspiration for all of us black girls/women.

“I often tell other women that it is the force inside you and your brains that will bring you wherever you want to go. I mean, I started with nothing and I don’t even speak proper French, but look at me now.“—–CEO Philomene Tia

Another great example is young Peruvian woman, Andrea Gala. She is a 20-year old millennial who manages a trout farm in her home country and is also, the president of the women-only Trout Producers Association.

“This business has worked out so well for us now we don’t depend on our fields anymore, which is hard work and often badly paid. With the association we want to open a restaurant one day, next to the trout farm, so we can attract more visitors. We want to turn the area into a tourist zone, where people can come and relax and enjoy our restaurant with trout based dishes.”———CEO Andrea Gala

These women are just two of 500 female entrepreneurs on the “Foundation 500”. This list was created by the humanitarian agency that is, CARE and the non-profit H&M Foundation. It is similar to the Fortune 500 list.