Women Leading the Charge: Innovators, Motivators, and Beacons of Hope Over 50, as Featured by Forbes 2025
In the world of business, entrepreneurship, and innovation, age is just a number. This is evident in the fifth annual Forbes 50 Over 50 list for 2025, featuring 200 women over the age of 50 who are making significant professional strides across four broad categories: impact, investment, innovation, and lifestyle.
These women, including Halle Berry, Saira Malik, Alice Wong, Priscilla Almodovar, Suma Krishnan, Ada Monzón, Chéri Smith, and Thasunda Brown Duckett, are not just defying stereotypes, but redefining success in midlife and beyond.
Halle Berry, renowned for her acting prowess, has bravely ventured into the world of entrepreneurship despite a career marked by injuries, having broken ten bones during filming. Her courageous spirit led her to found a business after winning a Best Actress Academy Award for her role in "Monster's Ball".
Saira Malik, the chief investment officer for Nuveen, oversees a business with over $1 trillion in assets under management. Her company's success is reflected in its substantial worth, estimated at over $4 billion. Malik is joined on the list by Suma Krishnan, whose biotech company, Krystal Biotech, focuses on gene therapy for rare diseases and cystic fibrosis, and is valued at over $4 billion, boosted by gene therapy patents that hold answers for a rare skin disease and cystic fibrosis.
Priscilla Almodovar, the first woman to lead the $4.3 trillion Fannie Mae, has become a leading voice on the national housing affordability crisis. Her tenure at Fannie Mae has seen her provide crucial services, making her a lifeline to Puerto Rico's 3 million residents during Category 4 and 5 hurricanes, as is the case with Ada Monzón, Puerto Rico's first female meteorologist.
Alice Wong, survivor of childhood and founder of the Disability Visibility Project, received a MacArthur "genius" grant in 2024 for her work on the project. Chéri Smith, the founder and CEO of the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, believes being over 50 has given her focus and resolve.
Thasunda Brown Duckett, the CEO of retirement savings juggernaut TIAA, is using her position of influence to increase retirement savings literacy. Karen Clark, founder of a catastrophic risk modeling company, maps risk exposure across America's buildings and homes, with her company today assessing some $100 trillion in total risk exposure.
These women, and many more on the list, serve as a testament to the fact that success and impact have no age limit. Their stories, detailing their achievements and journeys, can be found in the July/August 2025 issue of Forbes magazine and on Forbes.com.
[1] Forbes. (2025). Forbes 50 Over 50 2025. [online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/50-over-50/ [Accessed 2025].
[2] Forbes. (2025). Forbes 50 Over 50 2025: The List. [online] Available at: https://www.forbes.com/power-women/forbes-50-over-50/list/ [Accessed 2025].
[3] Know Your Value. (2025). Forbes 50 Over 50. [online] Available at: https://www.knowyourvalue.com/forbes-50-over-50 [Accessed 2025].
- The Forbes 50 Over 50 list for 2025, showcasing 200 women aged 50 and above, underscores the fusion of science and health-and-wellness, as Halle Berry, a renowned actress, who bravely entered entrepreneurship after winning a Best Actress Academy Award, and Cheri Smith, founder of the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, illustrate.
- Financial prowess and business savvy abound in this list, with Saira Malik, chief investment officer for Nuveen, managing over $1 trillion in assets, and Priscilla Almodovar, the first female leader of Fannie Mae, providing essential services that became a lifeline for Puerto Rico during hurricanes.
- Lifestyle choices and entrepreneurship come together in the stories of Alice Wong, a disability rights advocate and founder of the Disability Visibility Project, and Karen Clark, a catastrophic risk modeler whose company assesses $100 trillion in total risk exposure, highlighting the interplay of innovation and aging in today's society.
