Women To Watch In 2026: The Leaders Building For Sustainable Scale

Growth doesn’t have to come at the expense of clarity or well-being. When ambition is paired with thoughtful strategy, scaling becomes less about pushing harder and more about building smarter—setting goals that stretch, prioritizing what truly matters, and designing operating plans that can actually carry the weight of success.

Today’s most effective leaders are redefining what healthy growth looks like. Rather than chasing momentum at all costs, they’re investing in systems that support their teams, creating space for innovation, and staying nimble as their industries evolve. The result is progress that feels energizing instead of exhausting.

Leaders from the Dreamers & Doers community are embracing this more intentional approach to scale. Ahead, they share the growth priorities they’re focused on this year—and the strategic shifts helping them expand with confidence, adaptability, and long-term impact.

Lakeya Cherry

CEO & Founder of Lakeya Cherry LLC, a dynamic executive coaching and consulting business that empowers leaders and organizations to maximize their potential. 

I’m expanding and refining my core message as an entrepreneur through more speaking opportunities this year. Instead of grinding toward that goal in isolation, I’m choosing a more untraditional path, allowing my community to hold me, challenge me, and keep me aligned to the pace and purpose I want to lead with.

Deirdre Purdy

Co-Founder of Purdy Marketing Co., a modern marketing firm helping tech-enabled brands turn complex ideas into clear, compelling campaigns.

We’re deepening our niche in health-tech marketing in 2026—focusing on supporting speciality medical-device startups—and looking to align ourselves with spaces where we can show up as a trusted resource when health-tech founders need it the most. By staying connected to these niche networks, I’m confident we can grow our pipeline organically without running ourselves into the ground.

Fatima Teos

Founder of Vita Nova Media, a boutique brand and content studio, and Co-Founder of NJK Partners, a private equity platform focused on acquiring and scaling Main Street businesses. 

My biggest opportunity this year is expanding two ventures that prioritize aligned partnerships, intentional profitability, and meaningful, community-centered outcomes. I am committed to building legacy-driven companies that scale sustainably instead of urgently and proving that women can build ambitious companies without sacrificing family or wellbeing. 

Amanda Hofman

Chief Swag Officer & Founder of Go To Market, the anti-boring branded merch & swag experts.

I’m excited to bring new team members on board so we can serve more clients and keep our pace comfortably human. I’m aiming for growth that feels like a good long walk, not a sprint—steady, breathable, and good for everyone on the team. That means protecting our calendars, leaving space between meetings, and making sure no one carries more weight than they should.

Yewande Faloyin

CEO & Founder of OTITỌ Leadership & People Development, partnering with scale-ups and hedge funds to build strategic leaders, high-performing teams, and a culture that drives measurable results.

I’m most excited about co-creating a Women’s Leadership Retreat in Switzerland this year that brings together strategy, coaching, mentorship, and creativity. Untraditionally, I’m building it through integration rather than separation. Leaders often feel they need to compartmentalize their gifts to suit the audience or environment, but the integrated approach I’ve honed over seven years energizes me and delivers powerful results.

Vishakha Raghuram

Founder of FYI: Forever YoungIsh, a digital community empowering women to choose themselves through mind, body, soul, and everything in between. 

In 2026, I’m evolving Forever Youngish from a digital diary into a full wellness brand and long-term creative venture. Instead of succumbing to the hustle culture, I’m taking an untraditional growth approach, creating only when I am feeling inspired, prioritizing authenticity over aesthetics, and letting my lived experiences guide the message and direction.

Routh Chadwick

Founder & Head Coach of Joie de Vivre Coaching, helping achievers shift out of hustle and burnout into work-life harmony and sustainable success.

In 2026, I’m expanding my message to reach more people and help spark the kind of societal shifts we’re collectively craving. Increased visibility requires energy, and I’m mindful of how easily that can tip into overextension if I’m not careful. Thankfully, over the years, I’ve gotten much better at staying attuned to my energy fluctuations, working when I feel in a flow state and giving myself full permission to ease off the gas when my body or intuition says “not now.” 

Demi Oloyede

Founder & CEO of Limpiar Inc, building the smart operating system for commercial properties.

In 2026, I’m scaling Limpiar into a national leader in automated property maintenance while expanding partnerships across commercial real estate and sustainability organizations. My untraditional approach is building from a place of energetic alignment rather than constant urgency, protecting my clarity, delegating boldly, and designing systems that let the business run without me micromanaging. The more I regulate my pace, the faster the company grows.

Kim Surko

Founder & Executive Coach of Surko Coaching, specializing in helping women, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC leaders step into their power and partnering with executives and teams to strengthen culture, improve alignment, and cultivate modern, human-centered leadership.

I’m evolving past individual “hand-raisers” in 2026 to focus on executive team partnerships, building deep trust to dismantle organizational silos and drive success. The truly hard, counterintuitive strategy for this shift is recognizing that I have to say no to certain one-on-one clients. That decision is painful, but it is also the only way I can prioritize scalable impact without burning out.

Katrina Purcell

Founder of Katrina Purcell LLC, a growth operations consultancy empowering tech startups to optimize their operations and achieve ambitious growth goals.

My growth opportunity for the new year is to triple the number of minority-led organizations my consultancy serves. I’ll achieve this aggressive goal without burnout by embracing operational laziness, which means formalizing all internal SOPs to ensure the company’s infrastructure scales faster than the client list. With this disciplined commitment to process, I’ll ensure I can remain focused on high-value strategic input, reserving my energy for the ambitious problems that only I can solve.

Julie Nguyen

Co-Founder of SYS Social, a modern relationship ecosystem helping exceptional people find and sustain extraordinary love and connection. 

In 2026, I’m launching a women’s coaching program that brings true sisterhood back into the center of the dating journey, helping women feel empowered rather than exhausted by the process. I’m helping women trade perfectionism for radical self-acceptance, building rituals that create clarity and a way of living that makes them magnetic in love without burnout.

Allison Ullo

CEO & Founder of Leaves of Leisure Tea, a luxury low- and zero-caffeine tea brand inspired by nostalgic leisure activities. 

Instead of chasing constant content or high-pressure scaling tactics this year, Leaves of Leisure is evolving into a truly relationship-driven brand built through real human connectionMy growth plan is intentionally slower, softer, and more sustainable than anything I’ve done before: fewer but more meaningful collaborations, small but consistent outreach, and carving out protected time for creativity rather than living in reaction mode. 

Lauryn Warnick

Founder & CEO of Villain Branding, a brand strategy firm that treats brands like a financial tool, not a cosmetic exercise. 

I’m planning to grow by making the company painfully simple. Complexity is sneaky; it creeps in under the banner of “professionalism.” Suddenly, your whole week is maintenance. Every time I strip out a step, a meeting, a process, or an offer that doesn’t pull real weight, I regain hours of brain space I didn’t realize I was leaking. 

Kellie Okonek

Founder & CEO of Iron Lady Consulting, helping companies and leaders move from functioning to flourishing. 

In 2026, I’m kicking off my Alaska Immersion for team transformation. Counterintuitively, I believe in putting vitality—individual and collective thriving—at the root of business. I always ask myself and the teams on my retreats: Are we embedding old structures that stifle genius or creating a culture that allows big ideas to become reality?

Emma Tessler

Founder & CEO of Ninety Five Media, a woman-owned and operated digital marketing agency specializing in creating high-converting content. 

Our clients can look forward to an even better white-glove experience in 2026, refining every touchpoint so they feel supported and genuinely delighted throughout their journey with us. Counterintuitively, we’ll be focusing on sharpening what already works instead of adding more, elevating our standard of excellence with intention. The result is a richer, more luxurious client experience that fuels growth without burning out.

Patty Williams Downs

CEO & Founder of BreakingBounds®, a consulting firm delivering high-impact solutions for business transformation.

In 2026, I’m elevating the social good sector through a business education experience for nonprofits. I like to grow in a way that is intentionally untraditional; leading with belief, partnership, and purpose, proving that sustainable empires are built through alignment, not exhaustion.

Lis Best

Founder of Girls Club Collective, the intentionally intimate leadership lab for feminist change agents.

In 2026, I’m launching the QB. hive, an invitation-only network for sustainability and impact leaders. I’ve been ideating with other founders about this idea since 2023, and we’ve been building it without burnout by spending the past six months interviewing folks we respect and trust, piloting in-person roundtables with our friends and clients, and listening to what our dream members really want. I am feeling so energized about this new avenue for collaboration, signal sharing, and amplification of the real-life humans who are building a better future.

Jia Rizvi

Documentary Filmmaker at Amina Fire Productions, an independent film company dedicated to creating powerful, socially conscious documentaries that illuminate the complexities and inequities of the American justice system. 

In 2026, I’m releasing my feature documentary, Sixteen Years. This means growing its audience in a way that sparks real conversation about wrongful convictions. Instead of relying solely on traditional distribution and press cycles, I’m taking a more untraditional, community-driven approach by hosting educational screenings at colleges and universities, as well as partnering with nonprofit organizations. 

Clara Ma

Founder & CEO of Ask a Chief of Staff, a boutique executive search and career development platform dedicated to placing and empowering the next generation of strategic operators.

In the new year, I’m most excited about expanding Ask a Chief of Staff’s offerings for operators themselves, particularly doubling down on in-person experiences and regional gatherings that deepen connection for people in a role that can feel isolating. The twist is that we’re not doing this by working more hours, but by building smarter: investing in strategic brand partnerships and empowering our existing community members to co-host and lead. 

Joan Gallares

Founder & CEO of The Lifescribing Co, offering writing retreats, workshops, and guided programs that help people turn their memories into legacy stories to be shared across generations.

In 2026, I’m expanding my writing retreats and legacy-story workshops to reach more women and families globally. My growth strategy is deliberately spacious, with generous white space between retreats for deep creative work and rest. I’m building impact and income while keeping my nervous system, family life, and joy at the center of every decision.

Seisei Tatebe-Goddu

CEO of Tandem Consulting Group, helping mission-driven organizations navigate growth, develop leaders, and strengthen teams using neuroscience-backed facilitation, coaching, and workshop design. 

In 2026, my team and I are building scalable learning experiences based on the hundreds of clients and thousands of coaching and training hours we’ve put in, so we can reach more people without cloning ourselves. I believe that the best way to stay fresh is to be grounded in creative play instead of perpetual optimization, so to combat burnout, I’m writing a children’s book that taps into my Japanese heritage and my experience with my rescue dog. 

Kylee McGrane-Zarnoch

Founder & Executive Director of A Moment of Magic, a nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of play to spark joy, foster connection, reduce isolation, and support the mental health and emotional healing of medically vulnerable children and their families.

In 2026, I’m focused on taking some big, intentional swings that allow us to expand our impact. My priorities are to create hospital partnerships in new areas, increase our brand visibility, and find ways to foster our community. It’s counterintuitive, but I’m actually slowing down enough to choose the right swings instead of operating in constant urgency. I’m creating space to think strategically, protect my creativity, and make decisions that are bold, but aligned.

Viviane Tschanz

Founder of Apollo Consulting, providing project-based and fractional support to banking and fintech leaders across operational scaling, risk management, and banking-fintech partnerships.

My biggest growth play for 2026 is going straight to where the innovation is happening: connecting with the women who are scaling fast, launching bold products, and reimagining banking infrastructure. These connections don’t drain me; they light me up. I believe when you follow curiosity and surround yourself with the right people, the revenue takes care of itself.

Ashley Reed

CEO & Executive and Transformational Coach of Ashley Reed Collective, helping high-achieving leaders reprogram their inner operating systems so they can break unconscious patterns, access deeper clarity, and create results from a place of ease rather than force. 

In 2026, I’m excited to continue to deepen my one-on-one coaching experience while expanding my audience through speaking, teaching, and developing self-guided programs. I scale through intention, prioritizing daily practices like meditation, movement, and strong boundaries. With this approach, growth unfolds from clarity and flow rather than depletion.

Julia Pimsleur

CEO & Founder of Million Dollar Women, a social venture that has been helping women entrepreneurs scale up and sell more since 2015. 

In 2026, we are excited about training thousands of women business owners in how to sell with confidence. To prevent burnout, we are revamping our online program so I can teach the live version just six times per year and let the online course do the heavy lifting.

Sarah Baldwin

CEO of Sarah Baldwin Coaching, specializing in multiple somatic modalities and therapeutic interventions. 

I have a concrete goal for 2026: to increase the listenership of my podcast—You Make Sense—by at least four times so it can reach even more people in need of support. I also plan to finish my book, which follows a similar framework and shares the podcast’s intention. But I also want to model what it looks like to have a nourished, balanced life. That means allowing my nervous system to build capacity to hold the life I am meant to live rather than pushing faster than is necessary and trusting the process. 

Stacie Sussman

CRO of RevUp Advisory, a growth consultancy specializing in empowering revenue leaders, particularly CMOs seeking stronger business acumen and a more strategic seat at the table.

I’m done staying quiet while brilliant CMOs can’t connect their lead numbers to actual revenue. I’m building a practice that upgrades marketing teams with real attribution infrastructure so they can finally match their sales counterparts. The twist? I use AI as a second brain to scale my expertise, making each client engagement feel like getting back on familiar skis instead of reinventing the wheel.

Sydney Sherman Arenas

Founder of The Hive, Etho, Summit Chasers, a serial founder and CEO scaling service, design, and hospitality brands across borders.

In 2026, I’m focused on offboarding roles, finding aligned partners, and reducing the fragmentation in my day so I can work with more intention and clarity. Instead of pushing harder, I’m working with coaches to help me understand why I’ve carried so much by myself for so long. By addressing the root patterns, I’m building a more focused, sustainable, and successful way of working.

Jessica Gold

CEO & Co-Founder of science-backed relationship consultancy Bliss Science and Digital Wisdom, which creates custom AI solutions for wellness brands and event spaces. 

I am looking forward to getting traction and raising our next round for Digital Wisdom while continuing to serve a select few Relationship Chemistry clients. Most days, my co-founder and I reserve an hour for lunch, time in the hot tub, and Zouk dance to help us switch on the “play” part of the nervous system. This combo never fails to refresh and inspire us.

Simone Steele

Founder & CEO of wellness and beauty clinic Queen Aesthetics and mineral sunscreen brand Simply Shady.

In the new year, I am growing our health and beauty product line and deepening our wellness partnerships across schools, workplaces, and community organizations. To do this, I’ll be building more ease into my operations by delegating early, embracing slow scaling, and protecting creative time instead of letting urgency drive every decision. 

Lisa Friscia

President & Founder of Franca Consulting, LLC, a boutique leadership and organizational development firm that helps mission-driven companies align their people strategy with their business strategy. 

In 2026, I’m creating accessible, high-impact people-and-culture resources for smaller mission-driven orgs and startups. Rather than rushing to perfect these things alone, I’m building through community testing and co-creation, which has been both grounding and energizing. A collaborative pace is exactly what keeps me from burning out.

Sudha Nandagopal

Principal & Chief Visionary Officer at Bend the Horizon, a strategy, social impact, and storytelling advisory studio that works with visionary leaders, funders, and climate justice advocates to turn bold ideas into real-world momentum.

I’m leaning into my own thought leadership and building the courage to share my most audacious insights in 2026. My counterintuitive approach to building without burnout is creating a community of co-conspirators with whom I can partner on advisory engagements, working with people I love who share my values, focusing on my unique genius as an energy-generating activity, and centering joyful troublemaking, creativity, and celebration in everything I do.

Erin Cunningham

CEO of RecycleBalls, a nonprofit building a world where the power of sports is used to make our communities and planet healthier.

We’ve already recycled 18 million balls! While making this impact, I learned firsthand that what gets you to one level won’t carry you to the next. In 2026, I’m rebuilding our international collection system to allow for bigger scale, but instead of simply pushing through, I’m allowing a strategic plateau to build the new infrastructure that can hold our next level of growth.

Liz Morrison

Story Coach & Narrative Navigator of Liz Morrison Strategic Storytelling, guiding purpose-driven professionals and innovative teams through crossroad moments.

I’m excited to expand how I help people navigate life and career transitions in 2026, moving beyond traditional coaching to include movement, art-making, tarot, and play. My burnout prevention is trading Zoom fatigue for more in-person Narrative Navigation circles where we gather, create together, and learn from each other’s experiences. In the age of AI, I truly believe that authentic human storytelling is how we build the connection, confidence, and impact that actually matters.

Domonique Worship

CEO & Founder of The Institute of Exceptional Alignment, a high-touch leadership development experience reimagining success for high-achieving women and the organizations that invest in them.

This year, I’m launching The Institute of Exceptional Alignment, a transformative leadership experience for high-achieving women who are ready to lead powerfully without sacrificing their well-being. The counterintuitive part is that I’m building it slowly and intentionally, resisting the hustle culture playbook that says you have to sacrifice yourself to scale. Leading women toward alignment means living it myself first.

Catalina Parker

Co-Founder & CEO of Relatable Nonprofit, helping nonprofit leaders build profitable, sustainable consulting businesses aligned with their values.

The new year is about scaling our business without buying into the idea that bigger always means better. In December 2025, we made a counterintuitive decision to downsize our team after realizing we needed far less than we’d been told to grow—and that trying to do everything was the real source of burnout. By focusing on fewer priorities and letting go of the pressure to build a “big” empire, we’re growing in a way that actually feels grounded and sustainable for the long haul.

Kelley Troia

Founder of Clandestine Events + Experiences, designing and executing critical gatherings for leaders who need it handled.

Rather than scaling volume or visibility, the growth opportunity I’m most excited about in 2026 is building my company into a trusted operating layer for high-stakes executive hospitality. The counterintuitive part is growing by narrowing: fewer clients, clearer stakes, and repeatable judgment, which removes decision fatigue and actually prevents burnout instead of creating it.

Lauren Bercuson

Trademark Attorney of Storylock Legal, a modern trademark and IP law firm focused on helping founders build, protect, and scale brand assets.

In 2026, I’m focused on expanding Storylock Legal’s premium offering to help founders strategically grow and protect multi-mark trademark portfolios. Instead of chasing constant output, I’m creating space for deep, strategic work by simplifying my calendar, outsourcing more, and embracing slower, stronger growth. 

Ada Chen

Founder & CEO of Erleia, an AAPI-woman founded earth-friendly skincare brand.

Erleia experienced a lot of growth last year, and I’m looking forward to continuing to grow our distribution and reach in 2026. One way we’re planning on growing without burning out is by using automation to scale our marketing campaigns.

Kelly Hubbell

Founder & CEO of Sage Haus, helping busy households reclaim time by building their village.

Our families have been asking for additional services, and I’m excited about launching them in 2026. We’re doing it by building a strong network of team members, contractors, and experts so I don’t have to wear all the hats. I’m discovering that deliberately not doing everything myself actually accelerates growth while protecting our culture.

Kimberly Tara

CPA, CTC & Founder of The Tara CPA Firm, LLC, the premier tax strategy firm for women entrepreneurs seeking a high-touch, year-round partnership.

This year, I’m most excited to support my team of female CPAs in thriving in their careers without sacrificing their own well-being. After all, it’s not just about preventing my burnout! When my team grows well, our impact, our mission, and our sustainability grow with it. 

‍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.)