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Introduction by Oni Aningo, Executive Director and Founder, Global Group Media and Creator, ‘Rising Woman’ Series
As we unveil the March 2026 Women’s History and Heritage Month edition of the Rising Woman series, I am honored to spotlight an extraordinary global collective of women shaping the most critical frontiers of our time. Now in our eighth year, this series continues its mission to elevate women who are not only influencing today’s world but actively architecting its future.
This edition brings together leaders driving transformation across a powerful spectrum of industries, including ethical AI and frontier technology, global governance and public leadership, sustainable finance and economic development, digital health and biomedical innovation, and women’s health and social impact entrepreneurship. These women stand at the forefront of groundbreaking work that spans nations and sectors, pioneering change, reshaping systems, and opening doors for generations to come.
Oni Aningo, Executive Director & Founder, Global Group Media, on the background and impact of “Rising Women Series” and “Global Women Thought Leaders Series.”
Their achievements serve as a powerful reminder that progress thrives where courage meets purpose. This year’s honorees are CEOs, ministers, founders, strategists, cultural innovators, and humanitarian leaders whose influence transcends borders and whose vision is helping build a more just, sustainable, and interconnected world.
It is a profound privilege to celebrate these remarkable women. Their stories reflect what is possible when leadership is bold, inclusive, and unafraid to reimagine the future.
Together, we rise—with clarity, courage, and a shared commitment to shaping a better world.
Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister of Japan
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Sanae Takaichi made history in October 2025 as Japan’s first female prime minister, breaking a long‑standing barrier in one of the world’s most traditionally male‑dominated political landscapes. Her leadership marks a new era for Japan—demonstrating that the nation’s highest office is no longer out of reach for women. Her rise inspires younger generations, reshapes expectations of political representation, and symbolizes a critical shift toward greater gender inclusion in national leadership.
Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO, Thrive Global, USA
Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global, has become a leading voice in redefining workplace well‑being and mental resilience. Through Thrive’s science‑backed Microsteps, she champions sleep, stress management, movement, nutrition, and social connection as essential pillars of health. Her mission gained urgency following her own experience with burnout, inspiring her to build tools and initiatives that help individuals and organizations prevent exhaustion and improve overall well-being.
Alice Ruhweza is President of AGRA, a leading African institution working at every level of the food systems value chain: at the farm, ensuring smallholder farmers access quality inputs, improved seeds, and viable markets; at the policy level, engaging governments to formulate policies that support farmer prosperity; and in investment spaces, mobilizing the public and private financing needed to translate ambition into measurable impact.
At AGRA’s helm, Ruhweza sits at the intersection of everything that defines Africa’s future: food, climate, nature, energy, human health, and gender equality. She brings nearly 30 years of experience working across social, economic, and environmental policy and practice. Before AGRA, she held senior roles at WWF International, shaping sustainability policy across Africa, Asia‑Pacific, and Europe. Earlier, at UNDP, she served as Task Leader and Technical Adviser, partnering with more than 40 Sub‑Saharan African countries to design programs that unlocked public and private investment at scale.
Ruhweza holds degrees in Economics and executive training from Harvard, IMD, and Oxford. She was named a Top 100 Climate Leader of 2025 and a Top 50 African Leader of 2024. She co‑chairs the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Nature and Security and sits on its Stewards Group on Food Systems.
As AGRA marks 20 years, her vision is ambitious: Africa’s farmers prosper, so that all of Africa prospers.
Joy Albright, Director of Legal Services, Afreximbank, Egypt
Joy Albright is the Director of Legal Services at the Afreximbank, a leading multilateral financial institution focused on advancing intra- and extra- African trade. Albright oversees legal strategy and delivery of banking legal services. She is recognized for her role in structuring complex cross-border financings and high-impact projects, including the Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), the AfCFTA Adjustment Fund, and the African Trade Transformation Fund (ATTF), a groundbreaking $5 billion concessional finance window. She is a recipient of the 2025 IFLR In-House Market Maker Award.
With women in senior leadership roles such as Executive Vice-President Kanayo Awani, Afreximbank is actively breaking the glass ceiling for women in African business by actively promoting female diversity through targeted financial interventions, capacity-building, and leadership initiatives, aiming to empower women in trade, business, and finance. The bank focuses on breaking barriers like limited financing and market access for women entrepreneurs, utilizing programs such as partnerships with ImpactHER to drive economic growth.
Milou Lammers is a cybersecurity and privacy tech lawyer, founder, consultant, and self-proclaimed compliance nerd known for helping scale global startups with creative compliance. Driven by a passion for compliance, Lammers founded Compliance Counsel in 2023 to help companies stay on track, transforming compliance, security, IT, legal, and trust into a competitive advantage. She also manages Cyber Counsel, a cybersecurity and tech law firm that advises clients on technology contracts, data breach and incident response, regulatory investigations, global privacy, and cybersecurity legal matters. In 2026, she launched Torote Co. in Austin, TX, a startup accelerator and community workspace known as the “Shop.” She co-hosts the Socializing Security podcast with Brian Knudtson, making complex security conversations more approachable and accessible. The proud daughter of Dutch immigrants, Lammers is the first in her family born in the U.S. and is deeply committed to community impact through pro bono work.
Dr. Olga Tzortzatou Nanopoulou is an Attorney at Law and a global advocate for ethical technology and AI health literacy. Her career reflects a deep and sustained commitment to ensuring that technological progress advances with justice, ethics, and human rights at its core. A recognized expert in privacy and bioethics, she has contributed to major European and international dialogues shaping the responsible governance of emerging technologies, including work with the European Commission, the European Research Council, and within the United Nations system—all with a focus on strengthening accountability in the digital age.
Beyond her legal and policy leadership, Dr. Tzortzatou Nanopoulou was recently appointed as the UN NYC Representative for Women for Water Partnership, a global alliance spanning 100 countries working at the intersection of water security, sanitation, and gender equity. She views access to clean water as a fundamental human right and a critical pillar of community resilience.
As CEO and Co‑Founder of the Nanopoulos Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and its flagship Digital Health Literacy and Policy Hub, she is dedicated to ensuring that medical AI evolves safely, transparently, and in ways that are accessible to all- allowing people to understand trust and benefit from it.
Anu Jain, Head of Women’s Health, Viome, USA
As Head of Women’s Health at Viome, Anu Jain is focused on helping women not only live longer, but to thrive. Her work is rooted in a simple belief: women deserve informed, evidence-based healthcare—not guesswork. Too often, women are left navigating under‑researched life transitions with a one-size-fits-all approach. Jain is committed to helping women live their most vital lives through science and education powered by precision health plans and personalized nutrition and products. By focusing on long-overlooked areas in women’s health, including the gut-brain axis, heart and metabolic health, as well as oral and cellular health systems that influence every stage of a woman’s life, Jain is demystifying women’s healthcare and the systems that influence every stage of a woman’s life, from early adulthood through perimenopause and menopause.
Jain is also an active early‑stage investor supporting innovators advancing women’s health. She has served on the UC San Diego Health Board of Advisors and currently contributes to its Science, Technology, and Global Initiatives Committee. Through her family foundation, and as a member of Women Moving Millions, she champions bold solutions in health, education, and gender equity. She also serves on the board of XPRIZE, helping launch prize competitions that award visionary innovators in women’s safety and ovarian health.
Marie Meliksetian is a Director and Advisory Board Chair who partners with private companies to strengthen governance, accelerate transformation, and create lasting value. Drawing on senior global leadership roles at IBM—where she led complex, multi-market transformations—she brings a practical, results-oriented approach to today’s leadership and governance environments.
A 2025 Directors to Watch honoree by the industry publication Private Company Director, Meliksetian advises leadership teams and directors navigating growth, risk, and disruption as emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing become foundational capabilities. She helps elevate traditional oversight to more agile, data-driven governance, ensuring that strategy, risk, and ethical frameworks evolve alongside innovation.
Meliksetian works with boards at critical inflection points, from scaling and transition to strategic reinvention, guiding directors to shift from reactive oversight to forward-looking stewardship. Her work emphasizes strategic foresight, ethical leadership, and adaptive governance, enabling companies to navigate complexity with clarity and deliver long-term sustainable value.
Devi Sahny, CEO and Founder, The Edge and Ascend Now, Singapore
Devi Sahny, CEO and Founder of the ed-tech ventures The Edge and Ascend Now, is redefining education by making entrepreneurship and life skills more accessible for young students worldwide. Through her innovative programs, she empowers students by supporting schools with life-skills curriculum. Before starting her businesses eight years ago, Sahny was an investment banker at Goldman, and she now serves on the Advisory Board of Georgetown University’s Baratta Centre for Global Business. She has been recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30, Prestige 40 Under 40, and is the winner of the prestigious Spark Fellow innovator award from Sequoia Capital. Additionally, Sahny is a TEDx speaker and a St. Gallen Symposium Leader of Tomorrow.
Dr. Beatrice Murage, Global Governance, Healthcare and Sustainable Impact Strategist, Community Advocate, Public Speaker, Netherlands, USA, and Kenya
Dr. Beatrice Murage is a trailblazer in impact-driven leadership, thriving at the intersection of governance, innovation, sustainability, business growth, and global health systems transformation. With extensive experience across Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia, she brings a global perspective and expertise to her work. A trusted advisor and accomplished leader, she is known for shaping strong, purpose-driven organizational cultures.
A seasoned and in-demand speaker, Dr. Murage advocates for responsible leadership and systems strengthening. Whether guiding executive teams, contributing to policy frameworks, or empowering entrepreneurs, Dr. Murage works to build a legacy of multigenerational impact through community-driven development.
Monica Elias, CEO, Elias World Media, Award-Winning Producer, Philanthropist, USA
A global thought leader and media authority, Monica Elias shapes how brands, institutions, and social-impact organizations within luxury, jewelry, beauty, and fashion sectors use storytelling to drive visibility and change. As CEO of Elias World Media, a world-class multimedia company at the forefront of elevating initiatives through strategic storytelling and broadcast production, Elias centers her work on using media as a catalyst for education.
Elias has traveled to natural diamond–producing countries to document their socio-economic impact and partners with the jewelry industry to reshape consumer awareness through purpose-driven narratives that highlight the positive role natural diamonds play.
A humanitarian who bridges influence with impact, Elias forges cross-sector alliances among the private sector, NGOs, and nonprofits that advance healthcare equity and pediatric cancer care. Elias also mentors emerging creative talent and provides financial support for professional development.
Peggy Grueninger, Founder and CEO, Diversity Compass, Switzerland
Peggy Grueninger is a global expert in intercultural leadership and organizational transformation. With over three decades of experience across international public and private health sectors, she has developed a unique framework for navigating the intersection of culture, identity, and power. As the founder of Diversity Compass, she works with leadership teams to uncover blind spots, align decision-making, and transform cultural complexity into strategic advantage. Her work empowers organizations and executives to turn diversity into measurable innovation, collaboration, and long-term value.
Tera Carissa Hodges, Founder, Success Bullying, USA
Tera Carissa Hodges, an internationally celebrated women’s life coach, global philanthropist, and advisory board member for The Water Light Save Initiative, is making an impact on advancing women’s equality internationally.
An affiliate of The Workplace Bullying Institute, founder of Success Bullying, a trademarked term and movement geared to empower professional women, Carissa Hodges believes women have the right to bask in their hard-won accomplishments without experiencing bullying and abuse on the job or throughout their industry. A certified clinical hypnotherapist, she understands the impact bullying can have on future achievements if it is not addressed.
An ambassador for The Institute of Economics and Peace, publisher of the Global Peace Index, she has also co-authored, alongside Les Brown, Your Story Sells, available on Amazon, a how-to guide on using adversity as fuel for your success.
Dr. Basma Albuhairan is a global architect of responsible, human‑centered innovation. Holding a PhD in Public Health and Health Services Research, she works at the intersection of science, policy, and technology in ways rarely seen in global leadership. Her career across the public and private sectors reflects a model of authentic leadership grounded in empathy, accountability, and shared purpose.
As Managing Director of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Saudi Arabia (an affiliate of the World Economic Forum), hosted at King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, she shapes governance frameworks for frontier technologies, influencing national and international policy. A renowned Eisenhower Fellow and co‑author of Living with Purpose, she continues advancing inclusive, purpose‑driven innovation for societal benefit.
Dana Gilland, Chief Legal Officer, Enveritas, Inc., USA
Dana Gilland is a global legal and business strategist shaping forward-looking approaches to leadership, governance, and enterprise growth. Her work spans more than two decades, and she has advised organizations from startups to Fortune 500 companies on complex global matters spanning mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, marketing strategy, and risk. She has guided global brand launches, corporate transformations, and multibillion-dollar transactions. Gilland steadfastly holds the belief that leadership is most powerful when it creates opportunity for others. She champions women’s leadership and entrepreneurship, building executive communities that broaden access to corporate board service, and serves on nonprofit boards supporting entrepreneurs and families. Her leadership has been recognized by the U.S. President’s Volunteer Service Award and other national awards.
Juli Cho Bailer, Cultural Entrepreneur and Founder, ArtLuxe, Switzerland
Juli Bailer’s work spans museum institutions, wellbeing communities, and technology sectors globally. As the founding CEO of a pioneering AI-blockchain art authentication company in Switzerland in 2018, she has applied a curatorial logic to complex challenges of value proposition and execution. Simultaneously, she founded ArtLuxe, an initiative that guides entrepreneurs through her curatorial brand architecture method for cultural luxury, marking this year with the launch of ArtLuxe’s own flagship venture, Evil Eye Candles, a Greek living brand rooted in the mythology and ethos of Milos. Through her work, Bailer brings an innovative perspective on cultural positioning, niche construction, and anchored narrative strategy to help projects grow with meaning and authenticity.
Sharesz T. Wilkinson, Founder, Resilient Power®, USA, Singapore
Sharesz T. Wilkinson is positioned at the forefront of global leadership resilience, serving on the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council and as a USA Senior Senator for the WBAF. Her new book launched in 2026 at Stanford University, “Success Engineering in a World of Disruption,” provides a strategic blueprint for leaders navigating high-stakes chaos. Her company focuses on engineering rapid, high-level buy-in and building unbreakable team momentum in complex, conflict-adjacent sectors, as well as crisis-resilient leadership top-down. Through Resilient Power®, she is working on a specialized, AI-enabled resilience infrastructure that serves as a risk-mitigation asset alongside cyber and physical security.
Jean Criss, Author and Award-Winning Entrepreneur in Media, Tech, and Fashion, USA
Jean Criss is an award-winning media strategist, impact innovator, fashion designer, and 5X author with 25+ years’ experience at the intersection of digital media, fashion, and emerging technology. She is the founder of Jean Criss Media, CRISSCROSS Intimates, JeanetiX, and Pink Skins, and is also a visionary multimedia producer. Along with her dynamic career in media, she holds patented innovations spanning post-surgical and immersive fashion, digital gaming, jewelry design, wearable MedTech, mobile technology, and factory automation.
A recognized thought leader, Criss advances women’s leadership through technology, entrepreneurship, and sustainable innovation. She is also a Sr. Executive Fellow at The Digital Economist. Her sixth book, in development, Fearless by Design, explores purpose-driven leadership and turning adversity into impactful innovation. Criss will appear on Next Level CEO, a Daymond John TV series, streaming on Inside Success TV in summer 2026.
As Founder of UNBRICKABLE™, public speaker, award-winning author, and emotional intelligence expert, Nikki Torres Langman is transforming lives worldwide. Renowned for her groundbreaking approaches to mental health and emotional intelligence training, she empowers individuals and organizations through her signature UNBRICKABLE™ program. Torres Langman’s passion drives profound contributions to leadership and personal transformation, emphasizing resilience, authentic confidence, and emotional savvy in every setting.
Her recent engagements include attending the Yale School of Medicine and international conferences, earning three 2025 Silver Stevie Awards, and recognition as Australia’s Most Inspiring Influential Leader. In a world craving connection, Torres Langman leads the charge toward unbreakable strength.
Malicka Mukubu, Board Chair, National Tourism Office, Democratic Republic of Congo
Sally Allen, Executive Coach, Author, Podcaster, President, International Association of Women Las Vegas Chapter; Founder of The Mindset Conference, USA
Sally Allen is a leadership strategist helping leaders show up with confidence, clarity and build high-performing, people-centered teams.
A two-time Stevie Award winner, Allen has authored two books, Triumph Over Failure and Fear and The MINDSET Framework. She is the Founder of The Mindset Conference and serves as President of the International Association of Women Las Vegas Chapter.
Allen volunteers both locally and globally, with a focus on anti-human trafficking and work with vulnerable women, children, and communities.
Viji R, Global Leader in Strategic Transformations, UK
A London-based corporate leader, Viji drives human-centered digital transformation across Fortune 500 organizations through value creation and empathy. Her British, Indian, and Wellington background helps her advise boards and executives on billion-dollar strategies and commercial agreements as geopolitics reshapes global priorities. She coined “ethical industrial AI” and advances it by building coalitions across industry, policy, and communities. Her career spans Asia and Europe, advising geopolitical think tanks, strategy consulting leaders, and deep-tech founders. A charity trustee and philanthropist, she focuses on advancing healthcare, women’s health, and community peace while investing in ethical technology and hospitality. An engaging keynote speaker, she leads an over 20,000-member LinkedIn community.
Kristen Schmidt, Co-Founder, UtopIQ, USA
Kristen Schmidt, Co‑Founder and CEO of UtopIQ, is redefining the future of digital public infrastructure by integrating blockchain with agentic AI to deliver verifiable, preventive cybersecurity. Addressing critical gaps in securing autonomous systems, she promotes rapid innovation without compromising safety across high‑risk sectors such as energy, defense, fintech, and healthcare. Since its incorporation in 2025, UtopIQ has moved at an unprecedented pace with admission to Capital Factory, accelerating toward an early-adopter launch this summer. Through UtopIQ Rising, she also advances youth awareness of AI’s societal impact, ensuring future generations are equipped for the digital landscape they will inherit.
Maïna Fonsat, Founder and CEO, Holiya, UK
Originally from Martinique, Maïna Fonsat founded Holiya in October 2025, an AI-powered health platform supporting women with chronic conditions, tailored to their work environments. Her work earned her the Innovate UK Growth Catalyst award as a new innovator. She spent over 15 years working between London and Paris, leading finance and strategy roles across FTSE 250 and CAC 40 pharmaceutical and financial services companies. Drawing on her experience delivering large-scale transformation, she is now shaping the future of women’s health.
Beatrice de Salles, M.A., Global Affairs and Diplomacy Specialist, Cultural Heritage and Global Leadership, Multilingual Interpreter, International Journalist, Board Member, Mentor, USA
For Beatrice de Salles, diplomacy begins with understanding cultures, languages, and the stories that connect people. A Global Affairs and Cultural Diplomacy Specialist, she has advanced intercultural dialogue, education, and humanitarian collaboration across more than 65 countries. A multilingual interpreter, global journalist, and cultural heritage advocate, she has supported presidents, diplomats, and international institutions at the highest levels. Recognized with multiple United Nations awards and named Inspirational Woman of 2026 by the Los Angeles Times, she also serves on over ten international boards and advisory councils. Through diplomacy, storytelling, and global education, she mentors emerging leaders and espouses cultural intelligence as a cornerstone of future global leadership.
She has collaborated with global leaders, educators, diplomats, and policymakers to advance international understanding and cooperation. Her board and advisory service spans organizations such as the United Nations Association of Orange County, World Affairs Councils of America, G100 Global Women Leaders, and multiple humanitarian and cultural diplomacy initiatives. Her career includes leadership fellowships, contributions to global women’s leadership networks, journalism and research for UNESCO-aligned platforms, involvement in Olympic and sports diplomacy programs, and work as an interpreter for FIFA World Cup events, using language to bridge cultures worldwide.
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