The Most Inspirational Women Leaders Impacting the World in 2018 by 30Seconds Mom

Equal Pay Day (April 10) means it's time to celebrate the amazing individuals who have overcome gender biases to accomplish incredible feats in business, politics, science and philanthropy as we strive for equal pay standards for all. Business.org has created one national and one international map to highlight the most influential women around the world. They spent weeks evaluating the accomplishments of women from each state in the U.S. as well as each continent in the world to build a list and a visual representation of the most inspiring female leaders across the globe. Ready to see which female powerhouse shares your home state? Here’s a sampling!

Mia Hamm (Alabama): Mia played for the U.S. Women’s Soccer team for 17 years and is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup Champion. She is also the founder of a non-profit, national organization that raises funds and awareness for families in need of a marrow or cord blood transplant.

Photo: Twitter @MiaHamm

Chelsea Clinton (Arkansas): Chelsea is Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, an organization that seeks to improve global health, create opportunities for women, and promote economic growth. She also serves on the board of The School of American Ballet and on IAC’s board of directors.

Photo: Twitter @ChelseaClinton

Jessica Alba (California): Jessica is an award-winning actress and founder of The Honest Company, a consumer goods company that emphasizes household products to supply the marketplace for ethical consumerism. Her company is estimated to be worth $1.7 billion.

Photo: Facebook @JessicaAlba

Glenn Close (Connecticut): Glenn is an actress who has won multiple Golden Globe Awards, Tony Awards, SAG Awards, and Emmy Awards. She was also honored with a GLAAD Media Award in 2002 for promoting equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Photo: Twitter @TheGlenClose

Sara Blakely (Florida): Sara is a billionaire businesswoman and founder of Spanx. She was listed as one of Forbes’ Most Powerful Women in 2016 and was named one of the publications Top Self-Made Women in America in 2017.

Photo: Facebook @SaraBlakely

Lisa Davis (Idaho): Lisa currently serves as the Chair and CEO of Siemens. Forbes named her the 9th Most Powerful Woman in the World in 2017.

Photo: LinkedIn Lisa Davis

Peggy Whitson (Iowa): Peggy is a biochemistry researcher, NASA astronaut and former NASA chief astronaut. She was the first female and first non-pilot to serve as chief astronaut. She won the NASA Space Flight medal in 2002 and the NASA Outstanding Leadership medal in 2006.

Photo: Twitter @AstroPeggy

Jennifer Lawrence (Kentucky): Jennifer is an Oscar Award-winning actress and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2013. She was the highest-paid actress in the world in 2016 and 2017 and has appeared in films grossing over $5.5 billion worldwide.

Photo: Facebook @JenniferLawrence

Ellen Degeneres (Louisiana): Ellen is a comedian, television host, actress, writer, producer, and LGBT activist. Degeneres has won multiple Emmy Awards for Outstanding Talk Show. She was named the 50th Most Powerful Woman in the World by Forbes in 2015.

Photo: Facebook @ellentv

Oprah Winfrey (Mississippi): Oprah is a media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer, and philanthropist. She has won multiple awards including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. Forbes named her the 21st Most Powerful Woman in the World in 2017.

Sarah Silverman (New Hampshire): Sarah is a comedian, actress, writer, and producer. She’s known for her satirical comedy and has won two Emmy Awards for her work.

Photo: Facebook @SarahSilverman

Tory Burch (Pennsylvania): Tory is the Chairman, CEO, and Designer of Tory Burch LLC. She is also the founder of the Tory Burch Foundation which supports women in America by giving them small business loans and providing them with entrepreneurial education. She is also a member of the board of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Photo: Instagram @toryburch

Beyonce (Texas): Beyonce is widely known as a singer/songwriter and American businesswoman. In April 2016 April she launched Ivy Park, a leisure clothing brand joint venture between Parkwood and Topshop, as well as investing in WTRMLN WTR, a water start-up, founded by women.

Photo from: Instagram @beyonce

Sheryl Sandberg (Washington, D.C.): Sheryl is an executive, activist, and author. She currently serves as the COO of Facebook and is the founder of Leanin.org.

Photo: Twitter @sherylsandberg

See the complete list of inspirational women by state and global via Business.org!