5 businesswomen to inspire you

The success of these businesswomen serves as an inspiration to millions of women who, seeing how far these female figures have come through hard work and dedication, feel motivated to pursue their dreams.

The importance of representation

As everyone knows, being a woman in business is no easy task. Although this scenario is slowly changing, the sector is still largely dominated by men. This makes the challenge of being a successful entrepreneur even greater.

When we come across stories like the ones we're going to tell today, we can see how these great women play an excellent role as entrepreneurs.

Their performance in a market still largely dominated by men can be a great way to empower future leaders and entrepreneurs who seek a world with more equality and opportunities for professional growth for women.

5 businesswomen to inspire you

Women's entrepreneurship has been particularly prominent in various market segments, such as finance, beauty, and retail, for example.

To further inspire this movement, we have selected 5 women who stand out in their fields through entrepreneurship and leadership. They are:

Luiza Helena Trajano

This is perhaps the most well-known figure on the list to the general public. Born in Franca, a city in the interior of São Paulo state, Luiza Trajano became known for leading one of the largest retail companies in the country: Magazine Luiza.

In addition to the retail sector, the company now also offers various types of financial services to meet the needs of the public, such as LuizaCred (financial services), LuizaSeg (insurance sales), and Consórcio Luiza (consortium sales).

Although she is no longer the president – having passed the CEO position to Frederico Trajano, one of her sons – Luiza has become a reference in the field of entrepreneurship, for successfully leading a true empire.

Another highly significant achievement in Luiza Trajano's career is her leadership of the Women of Brazil Group, a group created with the aim of encouraging women's participation in the market as a whole and eliminating inequalities based on gender, race, and social status.

Cristina Junqueira

Here in Brazil, Nubank's trajectory is already a success in the financial sector. The fintech company, which opened doors for a number of other businesses, has Cristina Junqueira as its vice president and one of the three co-founders of the startup back in 2013.

With a degree in Production Engineering from USP (University of São Paulo), Cristina holds a master's degree and an MBA in Business from the Kellogg School of Management, and her resume includes stints at Itaú, LuizaCred, and Unibanco.

This experience allowed Cristina, along with David Vélez and Edward Wible, to found Nubank in 2013.

The startup's initial purpose was to go against the tide of high fees charged by traditional banks in the market at the time.

Needless to say, the initiative was a success and the purple card won over all of Brazil, right?

One of Cristina's most noteworthy professional achievements is her inclusion in the American magazine Fortune's 2020 Fortune Under 40 list, being the only Brazilian on the list. This is one of the main ways her success in the business world has been recognized.

Another historic achievement of Cristina was her appearance on the cover of Forbes, representing the list of 20 most powerful women in Brazil. The cover is considered historic for being the first Brazilian cover – and one of the first in the world – to feature a pregnant woman as the protagonist of a business and economics magazine edition.

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Heloísa “Zica” Assis

Another important figure on the list is the entrepreneur Heloísa Assis. Known as Zica, Heloísa worked as a nanny, cleaner, and salesperson before finding her true calling: the beauty industry.

At age 21, Zica began her studies to become a hairdresser.

During this period, she noticed the lack of specific products for treating curly, frizzy, and wavy hair. With what she learned in the course, Zica began developing products suitable for these hair types.

After years of testing the products on herself and her family members, she was able to achieve the final result she was looking for.

Only then, after much effort and with the help of 3 other founding partners, was the Beleza Natural salon born in 1993.

Located in Tijuca, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, the salon's mission was to cater to these hair types. Despite a small initial investment, it didn't take long for the institute to expand, leading to the creation of its first affiliated salons in Duque de Caxias and Jacarepaguá in 1995.

In 2004, Cor Brasil Cosméticos, Beleza Natural's own factory, was inaugurated. Then, in 2013, the American magazine Forbes included Zica in its list of the 10 most powerful women in Brazil.

Currently, the Instituto Beleza Natural is one of the leading references in treatment.

and care for curly, wavy, and frizzy hair throughout Brazil, ensuring that Zica Assis is one of the leading figures in the beauty and wellness industry.

Patricia Bonaldi

A well-known name in the fashion world, the Minas Gerais-born designer Patrícia Bonaldi began her career through a multi-brand store specializing in party supplies.

After working in sales and dealing with a wide variety of clients, Patricia realized that many of them were looking for more customized and unique pieces.

It was from there that the designer began to focus on creating her own designs, launching her own brand, which bore her name.

After much effort, the brand carved out its place in the world of innovation, resulting in the launch of its second brand, PatBo, in 2012. This launch occurred 10 years after the launch of the first brand.

Both brands became huge successes, and today, Patrícia has become a reference in fashion here in Brazil. Currently, the brand has 9 of its own physical stores, in addition to selling its products to more than 100 multi-brand stores throughout Brazil, the United States, and some European countries.

Carla Sarni

And last but not least, we have dentist Carla Sarni.

Coming from a humble background, Carla had to work as a traveling salesperson, selling clothes and accessories to pay for her dentistry degree. After graduating, Carla began working in the field.

However, right from the start, she realized that most dental treatments were quite expensive, making them inaccessible to people with lower incomes.

It was with the aim of serving this segment of the population that the dentist created Sorridents.

The venture became a success and, today, has grown into a franchise network, being the largest network of dental clinics in Latin America.

All this success helped make Carla one of the most successful female entrepreneurs in the country.

Conclusion

After reading this, we can conclude that, if it depends on the representation these female figures carry, the future of entrepreneurship in Brazil tends to be increasingly present in the lives of women, allowing them to break down the barriers built by sexism and conquer their rightful spaces in the business world!

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