Unlocking the secrets of the most dynamic women in business.

The pandemic drove women out of the workforce—and then spurred an entrepreneurial explosion. And despite persistent disparities and funding challenges, these founders aren’t backing down.

The Female Founders 500 list comprises women at the top of their games–those who are leading public and private companies and (for the first time ever) nonprofits. Through three rounds of judging, looking specifically at an entrepreneur’s bona fides in the past year, judges considered quantifiable metrics such as revenue, sales, revenue growth, funding, and audience size, as well as qualitative metrics such as social media momentum and stories of impact. Inc. considered only entrepreneurs running entities based in the United States. See our methodology