Women To Watch In 2026: Growing Impact While Grounding In Wellbeing
Burnout doesn’t have to be the price of ambition—it’s just a sign the strategy and mindset need adjusting.
By now, you’ve seen the stats on the downsides of chasing big goals at full speed. Big dreamers know the signs well: exhaustion, overwhelm, diminished creativity. It’s not pretty—but it’s also not inevitable. When protecting your energy is part of the plan from the start, burnout doesn’t get to be a milestone on the way to success.
With big goals for the new year in sight, leaders and founders from the Dreamers & Doers community are raising the bar without running themselves into the ground. They share their boldest aspirations for 2026—and the intentional, mental-health-first strategies helping them pursue those goals with clarity, momentum, and staying power.
Founder of BodyCon the Brand, a clothing brand exclusively for fuller bust women.
Rayna Carter
This year, I am focused on learning to grow through community accountability instead of isolated self-optimization. The longer I’m in business, the more I realize that the “self-made” individual is a myth. Creating small mentorship circles and attending networking events will lead to the kind of friendship and community that drives long-term growth.
Brand and Marketing Strategist & Founder of CJC, bringing the strategy behind billion-dollar brands to small businesses.
Katie Ward
For 2026, my growth plan is simple: don’t try to be everywhere. Instead, I want to go deeper in the places where I already love showing up, including the entrepreneurial communities that already include thousands of women I’m well-positioned to support.
Founder of Alternative Coaching Methods, redefining health and wealth through plant medicine.
Jay Barhelios
I’m most looking forward to writing a book and scaling my impact beyond the one-on-one work I’ve been doing for years. The counterintuitive part is that I’m planning to work less, not more. I’ve learned that my best ideas come when I’m traveling or in a ten-day silent meditation, so I’m treating rest and expansion as non-negotiable parts of the creative process rather than rewards I earn after everything else is done.
Keynote Speaker, Communication Coach, Author of The Power Of The Only & Founder of Angela Chee/Zen Media Inc.
Lesley Bohm Photography
In 2026, I’m most looking forward to deepening my intentional connection to my work and others while growing my business. Strategies like slowing down while working smart, more nervous-system resets, real conversations and handwritten notes, and reconnecting with ancient Chinese wisdom and healing foods will support a more grounded and sustainable way to grow without burnout.
Multi-hyphenate corporate lawyer, contemporary art curator, educator, entrepreneur & investor of MW Projects LLC.
Melinda Wang
Making more room for serendipity is my biggest growth opportunity, whether it’s an experience that sparks a new creative project, a chance meeting that turns into a meaningful collaboration, or a new pattern emerging across the different disciplines I work in. To cultivate this intentionally, I’m adding weekly unstructured hours to my calendar for intellectual wandering, exploration of New York City’s hidden gems, and following threads of curiosity wherever they may lead.
Founder of L Leon Virtual Assistance LLC, providing high-level virtual and executive support that anticipates needs before they’re spoken, stands steady through high-stress seasons, and delivers unmatched assistance with genuine care.
Samantha Fandino
In 2026, I’m stepping into the most powerful version of my personal brand yet by expanding my mentorship work and building a movement for women who are done shrinking. The untraditional part? I’m growing by getting louder and lighter, which means asking for more, saying no faster, and only building what feels like a full-body yes. This next chapter is strategic, spacious, and wildly magnetic.
President of Known, a pioneering private equity and financial services platform committed to innovation and long-term sustainability.
Impaqto
Known is poised for a number of large pivots and changes in 2026, and I’ve found that my personal decision to spend more time with my family in South America has turned into a competitive advantage, opening up opportunities and bringing potential regional partnerships our way. Moving my home base might not seem like the most strategic move, but it turns out that when I lead with decisions that are good for my health, the business follows my lead.
Founder of Smart Podcast Solutions, a boutique content-ops engine transforming founder podcasts into demand-driving assets.
Melissa Douglas
Throughout 2025, I used ChatGPT to map my energy levels and emotions surrounding my business. Heading into the new year, I know that my burnout cycles run about 56 days. I’ve built seasons into my calendar accordingly and plan to onboard during peak seasons and rest during the cocoon seasons.
Founder & CEO of Team Peri Foundation, amplifying marginalized voices, challenging societal norms, combating ableism through our Step Out of Line podcast, speaking engagements, and online community.
Peri Finkelstein
This year is going to be a lot about writing. I’m finally diving into my memoir while developing my Substack into something deeper and more consistent. Instead of forcing long writing sessions, I’m committing to 15 minutes a day. Some days, those 15 minutes will turn into an hour; other days, they’ll be all I can manage, and that’s enough. I’m also using a color-coded reminder system to keep myself on track without feeling overwhelmed.
Founder of LvL Studio, creating groundbreaking new storytelling work.
Erica Reade
This year, I’m planning to scale my creative business to a new level of success while only working on projects that light me up. If I don’t feel excited, I’m not taking it on. Instead, I am choosing to believe that by leaving work on the table, I will be creating space for better opportunities that are aligned.
Founder of Warm Robots, an award-winning social strategy agency, and global keynote speaker with nearly half a million followers across platforms.
Posy Quarterman
In the year ahead, I’m looking toward connecting further with my community and speaking on more stages. One path to getting there is hyper-focusing on communities that I’m part of: the AAPI community, the author community, and the creative community.
Founder & Principal Reputation Consultant of Haranis & Company, helping leaders and brands own their reputation and rise above the noise with communications that actually resonate.
Merieta B. Photography
In 2026, I’m putting a twist on the old conventional wisdom of working smarter instead of harder: Scope smaller, be smarter. Instead of chasing big retainers or maxing out our offerings and invoices, I’m leaning into modular, time-bound engagements that protect my clients and me from burnout. This approach helps clients move faster with clarity—and helps me deliver big results without ever running on fumes.
Leadership Coach of KCH Coaching and Advisory, supporting change-makers to unlock their gifts, vision, and creative power as they become mapmakers of this new era.
Alix Schwartz
I’m writing a book this year designed to encourage all of us to see ourselves as visionary leaders. Rather than writing it in isolation, I’m relying on a creative process built on connection, curiosity, and collective intelligence. I’m building it in public, shaping the manuscript through real-time conversations, and sharing the ideas as they evolve.
CEO & Co-Founder of UnlimitMe Technologies, LLC, creating spaces where young people discover their purpose, build authentic connections, and grow into resilient, impactful leaders.
Anchored Images
For 2026, I’m focusing on what I call “Being Goals.” These personal and business objectives prioritize inner growth alongside external achievements. As a founder navigating the ups, downs, and uncertainties of building a company, I’ve learned that focusing solely on external milestones can lead to burnout. “Being Goals” are about cultivating balance, peace, and resilience, while continuing to grow and improve each day, proving that inner work is just as critical as outward success.
CEO of Belgian Boys, creating whole ingredient breakfast options that allow families to prep less, smile more, and indulge better.
Ursula Prinz
This year, I’m planning to scale joy. Yes, the company is growing fast—but the real growth I’m chasing is the kind that can be felt: more delight on busy mornings, more connection around the kitchen table, and more magic in the mundane.
Wealth and Tax Advisor to High Earners & Owner of Green Bee Advisory, helping driven leaders grow their wealth with intention.
Britt Perkins
Personally, I’m hoping to grow into a few crafty hobbies that are transportable, allowing my mind to relax and flow into creative mode more often. Hopefully, that will serve as another way to fuel growth at my day job, where my priority is to help my beloved clients optimize their wealth trajectory while minimizing taxes in our constantly changing economic landscape.
Co-Founder of 8Rue Branding, building thriving beauty & wellness brands with the perfect mix of Sephora polish and founder hustle.
James Korin
In 2026, I am focused on bigger stages and bigger founders, but with an intentionally slower approach. I am creating more white space in my schedule so I can think, see patterns, and create iconic brand work. The more I step back from the grind, the more powerful the work becomes.
Founder of Hey Ease, designing intentional systems and automations that help founders and teams free up time, turn complexity into clarity, and build the structure to grow with ease.
Anastasiia – All In Brand
For 2026, I’m choosing to go deeper into what already feels right. I want to pursue work that feels natural, energizing, and aligned; to continue focusing on the type of clients I know my work truly serves; and to build my business in a way that genuinely fits my life, values, and boundaries. Instead of adding new offers, audiences, or platforms, I’m deepening what’s already working. I’m saying no to more, so I can say yes to better.
CEO & Co-Founder of Jam Family Calendar, an AI-powered Chief of Staff for families that streamlines scheduling and logistics for busy parents to give them back time and energy.
Brandon Andre
In 2026, I’m aiming to reach even more busy parents who need help managing the invisible weight of daily life—but not with a “growth at all costs” mentality, which is the fast track to burnout and often failure. Instead, we pursue growth through quality products and human connections with our customers, prioritizing community and sharing. This fuels us creatively and professionally, but ultimately leads to a more sustainable and successful growth trajectory for Jam as well.
Director of Operations at PsyMed Ventures, a VC fund investing in the future of mental health, brain health, and human augmentation.
Caitlin Ner
In 2026, I want to grow my social accounts to educate people more about frontier treatments for mental illnesses and brain illnesses. Instead of treating content like a daily grind, I’m going to run it like a clinic: once a week, I’ll batch-create and schedule posts. My goal is to take the frontier topics I am seeing in the startup and venture industry and make them accessible to millions of people around the world—without burning myself out in the process.
Marketing Strategist of Julie Zhu LLC, an award-winning marketing strategist based in NYC.
Julie Zhu
To grow in 2026, I’m looking forward to simplifying my business offerings and continuing to explore projects like teaching and consulting, focusing on work that feels energizing.
CEO & Managing Partner of SupportYourApp, a Support-as-a-Service company that has been providing secure technical, customer support, and CX services to growing companies around the globe.
SupportYourApp
In 2026, I’m most excited about growth through focus rather than scale—both professionally and personally. Instead of moving faster, I’m prioritizing depth: fewer meetings, earlier delegation, and systems that truly work. I’ll treat recovery with the same discipline as performance because calm, well-rested leaders scale better than exhausted ones.
All individuals featured in this article are members of Dreamers & Doers, a highly curated community and PR Hype Machine™ amplifying extraordinary women entrepreneurs and leaders through authentic connections, credibility-boosting visibility, and opportunities that accelerate big dreams. (Learn more about membership here.)
