The 21st Century's Top Female Entrepreneurs | Can Amazon Manage A Smooth Succession? | The Post-Pandemic Entrepreneurship Wave

Plus: ‘Not At All Likely’ U.S. Will Reach Maximum Employment This Year: Fed Chair Powell

On this International Women’s Day, we celebrate inspiring women leaders in all aspects of life and business, including, of course, women in the C-suite. Parity must be a whole-team priority, as companies grow by building diverse and inclusive cultures—at all levels. Through our ForbesWomen and Small Business platforms, our C-suite networks and many more, we spotlight the women both driving and participating in that transformation.

Don’t miss ForbesWomen Editor Maggie McGrath’s inspiring “The Greatest Stories Of Female Entrepreneurs Of The 21st Century”—a roundup of the 21 most inspiring and enduring Forbes articles on the female entrepreneurs, executives and leaders who have defined the 21st century so far. McGrath spotlights the “countless stories on women who’ve risen above systemic barriers and who’ve overcome bankruptcy to run companies and build their nine- and ten-figure dollar businesses,” in Forbes magazine and online. It’s inspiration for all C-suite leaders. Enjoy.

Comings & Goings

The board of Texas’ energy authority, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, has voted to fire CEO Bill Magness amid fallout over the disastrous blackouts last month. Magness joins seven ERCOT board members who’ve opted to resign in the wake of the catastrophe.

Mark Nelson, Beyond Meat’s innovative CFO, will retire in early May, though he will continue on in a consulting capacity for several years to come. He notably led Beyond’s IPO, which skyrocketed 163% on its first day of trading.

Leadership & Strategy

McDonald’s is the latest business to face accusations of systemic sexism in its organization. In response, CEO Chris Kempczinki released a statement pledging to support those women who have made allegations, but he fell short of providing details. Leaders looking to address issues with their corporate cultures would do well to follow these steps.

Progressive Democrats’ push to include a $15 minimum wage in the Biden administration’s stimulus package has brought compensation back into conversation. While many small employers fear raising wages may put them out of business, others, particularly manufacturers struggling to attract talent, see this as a lifeline.

It can be challenging to ensure a successful transition of power, even when the successor has been hand-picked. Andy Jassey, Amazon’s new CEO, will have his work cut out for him. While he won’t have to turn around the e-commerce giant, sustaining its success is no small task.

By The Numbers

1.8 million

Jobs created by businesses owned by women and people of color from 2007 to 2012.

While the coronavirus pandemic has disproportionately affected the careers of women and people of color, if history is any guide, these groups could end up fueling a wave of post-pandemic entrepreneurship.

The CxO Profile

Across Forbes