Michelle Yeoh, Woman of the Arts

Michelle Yeoh. That’s it. That’s the tweet. Unless you live under a rock, you’ve probably seen that Everything Everywhere All At Once has captivated the nation, and it is largely due to Yeoh’s heartfelt portrayal of the film’s protagonist Evelyn Wang. However, what some may not know is that Yeoh has been a remarkable presence in Hollywood since the mid-’80s through starring in various Hong Kong martial arts films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, The Lady, and Yes, Madam! where she frequently performed her own stunts. Just recently, Yeoh made history at the SAG Awards by becoming the first Asian woman to win any individual category for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for EEAAO. If that wasn’t enough to celebrate, Yeoh is also a frontrunner to win at the Oscars. However, what we love most about Michelle Yeoh is that she has used her platform to become vocal about the importance of accurate representation for Asians in Hollywood. 

Iga Swiatek, Woman of Sports

Women’s tennis officially has a new all-star in Iga Swiatek, the 21-year-old Polish sensation who is currently named WTA world No. 1. Swiatek has had an extraordinary, and seemingly unstoppable year, as she keeps breaking records and setting new milestones for female athletes across the world. Impressively, Swiatek is a three-time major singles champion after having won the French Open in 2020 and 2022, and the US Open in 2022. Also, since making her professional debut in 2016, Swiatek has competed in over 20 finals across the ITF and WTA and has won 18 of those finals, making her winning ratio a remarkable 90 per cent. Lately, Swiatek has been particularly vocal about issues such as the gender pay gap, stating that she would like to see WTA Tour events offer more equal prize money to what men make. Currently, we are rooting for her success at the Indian Wells Open! 

Anu Duggal, Woman of Tech

Thanks to Anu Duggal, the founding partner of the Female Founders Fund, women-led businesses and female founders around the world are getting a much-deserved opportunity to shine. In 2014, Duggal launched her firm to raise early-stage investment capital for women entrepreneurs, and since then, the firm has acquired over $95M in assets to invest in female-founded technology companies and lifestyle brands. Duggal has been honored in Fortune’s “40 Under 40” list, and she also has frequently appeared in outlets such as TIME, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and more. She is also the host of The Two Percent podcast, which is dedicated to highlighting stories of prominent CEO’s, founders, investors, and industry leaders who are challenging the status quo. Duggal has invested in companies that we have grown to love such as Billie, Thrive Global, and Co-Star, and we cannot wait to see what 2023 has in store! 

Claire Saffitz, Woman of Food

If you’ve ever happened to stumble across Bon Appétit, then chances are you know who gourmet pastry chef Claire Saffitz is. From 2013 until mid-2020, Saffitz was a contributing editor for the “Bon Appétit” magazine and was the notable host of “Gourmet Makes,” which was the most popular Bon Appétit YouTube channel series that featured Saffitz creating gourmet versions of popular snack foods. Currently, Saffitz is a New York Times Bestselling author of Dessert Person and What’s for Dessert. The internet fell in love with Claire Saffitz because of her relatable personality and honest approach to cooking, and we love that she continues to empower chefs (amateur and professional) to continue following their passions. 

Evita Robinson, Woman of Travel

Evita Robinson is one of the coolest nomads out there. In 2011, Robinson became the founder of Nomadness Travel Tribe, which started as an online community for travelers of color. However, what began initially as a quaint network, has transformed into a group of over 25,000 Black and brown nomads who are responsible for over 50M being injected into the travel industry annually. Currently, Robinson continues to take part in other initiatives to spread her message, and has even partnered with Issa Rae of HBO’s Insecure on a web series entitled The Nomadness Project, which follows young travelers sharing their experiences on their excursions from all around the world. Robinson even created her own festival called Nomadness Fest, which is an all-weekend festival for travelers of color that focuses on bringing their stories and experiences to light. This remarkable woman has quite a resume, and we love that she is using her voice to uplift and inspire other POC around the world. 

Rihanna, Woman of Fashion & Beauty

Who runs the world? Rihanna, of course! In the last few years, Rihanna has consistently proven herself to be a top notch businesswoman, as Savage x Fenty has recorded networth of over 1.4B, and Fenty Beauty with an estimated 2.8B. Rihanna’s lingerie line Savage x Fenty has been significant for championing diversity and inclusion, as she continues to feature a range of models that are a variety of different races and sizes, as well as genders. From the very beginning, Savage x Fenty’s collection has featured bras in sizes 30A to 46DDD, and underwear from XS to 4X. On the other hand, Fenty Beauty has also proven to be quite revolutionary, as the beauty brand was named Time magazine’s Best Innovation of 2017 for its inclusive foundation line that offered an impressive number of 40 unique foundation shades. All of Rihanna’s accomplishments in the fashion and beauty industry will forever be appreciated and commemorated, and we cannot wait to see what she does next to disrupt the industry!