The Top 20 Influential Women in the World Today Part 2

	13. Barbara Walters When it comes to news and special reports, no other woman is better recognized than Barbara Walters, a fixture on American television doing work on The View, Today, 20/20, ABC Evening News, and more recently ABC World News Tonight. Barbara was the first woman to be named co-anchor of a network evening news program, paving the way for future female journalists. Walters’ career began in the 60s, working as a writer and researcher for CBS and NBC. She was soon tasked with reporting on light stories, and quickly moved up to doing her own stories and interviews. She managed to work her way to the top, only to stop short of achieving equal footing when her coworker made certain demands: he would the right to ask the first question when conducting interviews, she would not be given the title of “anchor”, etc. It was not until his death in 1974 that Walters was given the title of “co-anchor”. And even then, she was the subject of animosity among some of her co-workers. Nevertheless, Walters’ career continued to thrive, and she was even chosen to moderate one of the Presidential debates between Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford. She also continued to do numerous specials and memorable interviews with celebrities and world leaders. Currently, Barbara Walters co-hosts the all-women panel of The View, which she describes as a place for women of “different generations, backgrounds, and views.” The show has enjoyed enormous success, albeit with a dose of controversy, and provides a forum for women to discuss the world from their point of view. For all that she has been through, Barbara Walters is a true pioneer among women, breaking the glass ceiling in the world of TV journalism. 14. JK Rowling A British author known for the Harry Potter series, which have sold more than 400 million copies worldwide and won numerous awards, JK Rowling has become one of the world’s most successful and influential novelists. Aside from her literary work, Rowling has established and contributed to charitable organizations to fight poverty and social inequality throughout the world. Taking inspiration from real events in her own life, including her school days, the death of her mother, and struggles in her personal and professional life, JK Rowling was inspired to write the story of Harry Potter, a young boy growing up under difficult circumstances who suddenly finds himself being invited to attend a magical school. The succeeding books (7 total) have become some of the most beloved and successful (and controversial) in the world –- she is the first person in the world to become a billionaire (in US dollars) just from authoring books. Since becoming so wealthy, Rowling has donated funds to several different charities, especially in the areas of poverty and multiple sclerosis (the disease from which her mother died). Her contributions, as well as her volunteer work, have been an example to millions of young readers. Rowling has been criticized by many for the nature of her books, with many accusing her of promoting witchcraft among children. Rowling denied the claims, but made no statement about the role of religion or belief as she was writing her books. Since publishing the final book, however, Rowling has stated that she is a Christian, but that she didn’t want to publicize her faith until the books had all been published. Her reason for this was that she was afraid that people would be able to “guess what’s coming in the books.” Don’t worry, you won’t get any spoilers from me. 15. Meg Whitman If you’ve ever heard of Hasbro, Playskool, Mr. Potato Head, Disney, Procter & Gamble, or eBay, you’ve been influenced by Meg Whitman, who is considered one of the most powerful corporate executives in the world. Having joined eBay as the company’s Chief Executive Officer in 1998, she saw the company grow from 30 employees to over 15,500, with revenue growing from over $4 million to over $8.64 billion. Meg Whitman is a prime example of how a woman can succeed in business. Meg Whitman is also an example of how important entrepreneurial ingenuity and integrity are in growing a stable business, creating new jobs, and using advances in technology to establish new industries. Whitman’s keen business sense and ability to thrive in unfamiliar territory have even brought her into the political arena, with Republican presidential nominee John McCain naming her as a potential Treasury Secretary. She may not be interested in the position, however; Ms. Whitman has hinted at running for Governor of California in 2010. She has already hired advisors to look into it. If she is elected, she would be the first woman to serve as governor of California. Named one of the most powerful persons in the world, Meg Whitman has exerted influence over the business world, the Internet, economics, and politics. Her example is an encouragement to women everywhere who have hopes of succeeding in new areas of business. 16. Nancy Brinker The sister of a breast cancer victim, Nancy Brinker founded and organized “Race for the Cure” and the Susan G. Komen Foundation (named for her sister), and rallied more than 1,000,000 supporters from around the world. Breast cancer mortality rates have decreased significantly as a result of her work. In 2007 she was appointed Chief of Protocol of the United States, a role in which she advises, assists, and supports the administration of the US on official matters of diplomatic procedure. She herself is a breast cancer survivor, and continues to serve on the board of the Foundation she established. Lots of people see tragedies and think, “Something should be done about that.” Nancy Brinker went out and did it. After her sister died of breast cancer in 1982, Brinker established Susan G. Komen for the Cure in her honor. Today it is the largest breast cancer-related charity in the United States, and has affiliate organizations in 122 countries around the world –- quite an achievement for a woman who started out working for Neiman Marcus. Her success in both business and the founding of a successful and effective charity organization brought her to the attention of the White House, and she was nominated to be the US Ambassador to Hungary in 2001. She served in that office until 2003. In 2007 she was appointed Chief of Protocol of the US, under the State Department, for which still holds the title of Ambassador. Aside from advising the administration, Ambassador Brinker is the face of the White House to diplomats visiting the US. How many women have had the opportunity to be so influential in two entirely independent roles? 17. Lisa Randall The first women ever tenured in the physics departments of Princeton, MIT, and Harvard, Lisa Randall is hard at work in the areas of particle physics and cosmology, part of a journey to determine the makeup of the universe. In 2004 she held the distinction of being the most cited theoretical physicist of the past five years. She continues to do ground-breaking research in particle physics and cosmology, and currently serves on the editorial boards of several theoretical physics journals. Some of Randall’s most exciting work involves the concept of higher dimensions. 3D? How quaint. One of her more revolutionary ideas is that “we might be living in a 3-D sinkhole in a higher-dimensional universe.” In more practical terms, her research is helping to provide the key to learning why gravity isn’t as strong as current physics theories say it should be. If you’ve ever heard of the Large Hadron Collider, which was powered up for the first time this year, you’ll be impressed to learn that some of Randall’s research is just the kind of thing that the LDC is being used to test. Not only are her theories intriguing, but they are now capable of being tried and tested. She is also working with some of NASA’s instruments to test some of her theories. In short, Randall is a pioneer in the modern world of theoretical physics, and she’s paving the way for current and future scientists in a field that still has many more questions than answers. 18. Suze Orman Having written 6 consecutive New York Time’s Bestsellers, and as host of her own show on CNBC, Suze Orman has encourage millions across America who are battling with their finances. She has also been the single most successful fund raiser in history for public television and is the top seller on home shopping network QVC. Her popularity and success has inspired more women to enter the financial sector. The financial sector was not the most obvious destination for Suze Orman to take her career. In college she majored in social work, ending up working as a waitress in California. One day, a favorite customer loaned her $50,000 to help her establish her own restaurant. She tried to invest the money, but her stock broker pulled a con and took it. She decided to take matters into her own hands and enrolled in Merrill Lynch’s training program. She was subsequently hired by the investment firm, and became so successful at the job that she was offered the position of VP of investments at Prudential. She left Prudential to start her own firm, then left active work there to pursue writing. Since then Suze has found success in books and television, both as a financial advisor and as a saleswoman. Suze’s success in the world of finance has opened new doors for women in the financial and investment sectors. She has shown that a woman does have what it takes to make it in those tough industries, and has paved the way for women in those fields. 19. Pat Head Summitt Coach Summit began coaching the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team in 1974, and has since become the all-time winningest coach in the history of NCAA basketball. She has also authored two books, been inducted in to the women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and is the only person to have two NCAA Division I basketball courts named in her honor. Her dedication and success in the field of women’s sports has encouraged young women everywhere to pursue their athletic dreams. Coach Summitt has been with the Lady Vols 1974 -– a long record for any coach. She herself was an Olympic women’s basketball player, competing in the 1976 Games (the team won silver). Under her tutelage the Lady Vols have appeared in every NCAA Tournament –- ever. In 2008 the Lady Vols won their 8th consecutive national championship. Several of her players have gone on to play professional basketball in the WNBA. Coach Summitt’s legacy is grand, though it’s not over yet. There are no signs of her retiring in the immediate future. Already the winningest coach in NCAA basketball, she continues to drive her team forward. She has also authored two books: Reach for the Summitt and Raise the Roof. The first is an autobiography laced with motivation and inspiration, while the latter is about her team. Coach Summitt is a living legend in the world of women’s sports. She has never been one to give speeches, or make protests, or call foul, but she has arguably done more for women in sports than any woman before or after her. And she’s still out there on the court doing what she loves –- taking her team to victory.