Do you ever get tired of scrolling through LinkedIn, swiping past the same old content? Well, maybe it’s time to spice things up a little. We’ve searched high and low to curate our list of changemakers – all of whom are on very different paths to success.
Sonya Barlow, Like Minded Females Network
As an award-winning entrepreneur, diversity business coach, motivational speaker and founder of Like Minded Females (LMF) Network, Sonya Barlow has become known as a woman driving change. LMF Network is a global group focused on building skills to ensure women find career success. Sonya was named as 2021’s LinkedIn Changemaker, and has also delivered two TEDx Talks, and is the bestselling author of Unprepared to Entrepreneur.
Nancy Duarte, Duarte
Communications expert Nancy Duarte is a specialist in persuasion and the incorporation of storytelling into business communication. Her company, Duarte, is a world leader in creating visual messages for business. She provides free resources on the internet for those eager to learn and recommends other specialists in visual communication. Nancy has also contributed to numerous media outlets, including Forbes, Wired, and the Wall Street and she is the author of six books.
Zoe Condliffe, She’s A Crowd
Did you know, what 87% of sexual assault goes unreported, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics? Zoe Condliffe, a survivor of sexual assault, founded She’s A Crowd, a site that collects anonymous data from sexual assault victims, which can be used to spark change. “We exist to allow you to share your story with the knowledge that it’s going to make things better for the next person,” Zoe says.
Lexis Serot, LittleWins
After one of her twin daughters was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Lexis Serot decided to launch LittleWins, a company dedicated to supporting all age groups with disabilities. To do so, LittleWins connects organisations, individuals and families with disabilities to medical equipment that they can either buy or sell. Lexis was also awarded the 2021 Healthcare Visionary by the International Forum on Advancements in Healthcare (IFAH).
Ankita Vashishtha, StrongHer Ventures
Ankita Vashishtha is an inspirational woman, and a proud venture capitalist. She is extremely passionate about advocating female entrepreneurship, innovation and technology, and is not afraid to call out biases against women. She has invested in more than 100 companies, and is on a mission to see more women in venture capital, entrepreneurship, and leadership positions.
Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen has dedicated her life to discovering what makes us happy. As part of her book The Happiness Project, Gretchen undertook a year-long experiment to gain a better understanding of how she could strengthen her own sense of happiness, as well as that of others around her. On her LinkedIn, Gretchen shares content to help make others happy, while sharing her knowledge on the topic.
Ade Hassan, Nubian Skin
A nude bra and skin tone hosiery can be found in almost every woman’s underwear drawer – in theory. In reality, many women of colour struggle to find bras and hosiery to suit their skin tones. Frustrated with the lack of diversity, Ade Hassan took matters into her own hands and created ‘a different kind of nude’. Nubian Skin was an instant success, and Ade was awarded an MBE for her services to fashion.
Liz Ryan, Human Workplace
Human Workplace aims to incorporate human interactions and emotions into work. Founder, Liz Ryan, believes in the importance of encouraging human interaction and emotion in the workplace, rather than supervising individuals. “We measure too much, judge too much and demand too much, focus on small particles when you need to focus on energy, trust and goodwill flows,” she says.