Success no longer has an expiration date.
That’s the big takeaway from Forbes and Know Your Value’s second annual “50 Over 50” list, which was unveiled on Thursday. Expanded since the list’s inception, the 2022 list spotlights 200 dynamic female entrepreneurs and leaders over the age of 50 who have achieved significant success later in life, often overcoming formidable odds or barriers.
“Not only do these women reject the conventional wisdom that their best years are behind them, they are dedicated to lifting up other women,” said Mika Brzezinski, Know Your Value founder and “Morning Joe” co-host. “We are really witnessing a generational moment. Women over 50 have definitely arrived.”
“The women on this year’s ’50 Over 50′ list are thriving in life’s second half – and inspiring the women and men around them to do the same,” said Maggie McGrath, editor of ForbesWomen. “By highlighting the diverse stories and triumphs of these remarkable women, our aim is to shatter prevailing misconceptions about age and gender in the workforce. These women are continuing to influence industries, culture, and capital in their 50s and beyond.”
The 2022 “50 Over 50” List is divided into four categories – Lifestyle, Entrepreneurs, Impact and Money. Notable list makers for each category include:
Impact: Hoda Kotb. The longtime NBC News and Dateline correspondent was 54 in 2018 when network execs tapped her for the role of a lifetime: taking the seat Matt Lauer had once occupied as co-anchor of the Today show. That made Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie the first all-female anchor team in the morning show’s 70-year history.
Lifestyle: Kris Jenner. Jenner famously put the Kardashian family on the map in 2007 with their reality TV show, “Keeping Up With the Kardashians.” Led my matriarch Kris Jenner, the Kardashians have forged an empire powered by a combined 1 billion social media followers that spans denim and makeup, tequila and skin care for babies.
Entrepreneurs: Bobbi Brown. In 1995, Brown signed a 25-year noncompete agreement after selling her eponymous cosmetics brand to Estée Lauder for a reported $74.5 million. On the day her noncompete expired, she launched a new venture called Jones Road, which hit $20 million in sales in 2021.
Money: Theresia Gouw. In 2019, Gouw launched Acrew Capital, a San Francisco–based early-stage venture capital fund with a focus on software, cybersecurity and financial services. Acrew now has $1 billion in assets under management and stakes in companies such as Coinbase, fintech Plaid and Gusto, which makes payroll software.
Other notable list makers include:
- Dolly Parton, 76, Singer and Philanthropist
- Angela Bassett, 64, Actress and Producer
- Frances Arnold, 66, American chemical engineer and Nobel Laureate
- Revathi Advaithi, 54, CEO of Flex
- Claire L. Babineaux-Fontenot, 58, CEO of Feeding America
- Sofia Chang, 52, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA
- Susan Huang, 60, Global Co-Head of Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley
- Anu Aiyengar, 52, Global Co-Head of Mergers and Acquisitions at JPMorgan Chase & Co
To coincide with the launch of the “50 Over 50” list, Forbes and Know Your Value will host its second 30/50 Summit in Abu Dhabi in March 2023. The global event will bring together the most powerful global leaders, including honorees from both the “30 Under 30” and “50 Over 50” lists, with the mission of forming world-changing alliances.
Brzezinski said that the list demonstrates to younger women that their career runway is long and that there is no need to rush.
“You are not at the mercy of a ticking clock,” said Brzezinski. You have many years to fulfill your dreams —-all of them.”
