The third annual CNBC Changemakers list recognizes women transforming business and philanthropy across sectors including energy, financial services, health care, media, retail, sports and technology.
These women are creating multibillion-dollar companies and brands, breaking down barriers in male-dominated industries, and tackling pressing social issues around the world. With guidance from the Changemakers Advisory Board, CNBC evaluated the applicants’ impact through both quantitative and qualitative lenses. Changemakers have been chosen for reaching a meaningful achievement in 2025, specifically.
Women now run a record 11% of Fortune 500 companies, a number that’s been on the rise over the past decade. But that record number still represents a massive gender gap, and the gap is growing in key roles across corporate America. Changemakers defy the odds by taking novel approaches to old business problems and identifying new business opportunities — women who are succeeding, innovating and driving change at their organizations and beyond.