Women Have Been at the Forefront of Innovation and Business Success Throughout History

From trailblazers like Estée Lauder and Coco Chanel, to modern-day leaders like Indra Nooyi and Sophia Amoruso, women have been at the forefront of innovation and business success throughout history.

Despite facing systemic barriers and discrimination, women, like many WPO members, have continued to break through glass ceilings and pave the way for future generations. 

Explore and celebrate these women entrepreneurs who have left a lasting impact in our business world.

WPO Chicago I Member Ellen Wheeler Is Nationally Ranked in Chambers USA 2025 for Derivatives Enforcement

We are thrilled to announce that WPO Chicago I member Ellen Wheeler, Partner, Foley & Lardner has been nationally ranked in Chambers USA 2025 for Derivatives Enforcement.  "Grateful to my clients for their trust and support and proud to celebrate this alongside my many other colleagues who were recognized," says Ellen.

We are proud of longstanding WPO Chicago member Ellen Wheeler and wish her many more accolades in the future for her important work.

Learn more on Foley’s 2025 Chambers rankings - https://lnkd.in/g9G5ExdS

WPO Chicago's Host Foley & Lardner Opens New Nashville, TN Office

WPO Chicago host Foley & Lardner LLP recently announced the opening of its newest office in Nashville, Tenn., with the addition of three corporate partners to support the firm’s growing Health Care & Life Sciences and Manufacturing Sectors. The location is Foley’s 27th office worldwide and 24th within the United States. 

New partners Jesse Neil, Brent Bowman, and Jon Gaston join the firm from Holland & Knight LLP. The group advises clients on a variety of regulatory, transactional, and tax issues. Additionally, two Foley litigation partners, Kevin Hyde and Lauren Loew [WPO Chicago II chapter member, pictured], will work from Nashville to help establish and grow the office. 

Read the news release here.  Our congratulations to Lauren!  We are so proud of you.

WPO: The 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies

©2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"The 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/Led Companies list honors the remarkable accomplishments of women who are not only driving impressive revenue growth but also redefining the future of business,” said Camille Burns (second from left), CEO of the Women Presidents Organization. 

“Their leadership demonstrates the profound economic and societal impact of women at the helm. With a strong commitment to innovation, purpose, and people, these companies exemplify the essential role women-owned and led businesses play in building a more sustainable and inclusive economy. This recognition is more than a milestone—it’s a powerful affirmation of the transformative influence women have in shaping modern business.”

Read more here.  Full list of winners can be found here.

Presidents Turn to Music to Calm a Nation

On Memorial Day, between the flags and parades, we have an opportunity—to remember those we've lost and to reflect on what brings us together.

In times of national grief or uncertainty, music has often been the thread that stitches people back into community.

Some of our greatest American leaders knew this. Long before neuroscience could explain it, presidents were turning to music to steady a nation, calm collective nerves, and kindle hope.

Today, on Memorial Day, I invite you to use music to connect across generations and reflect with purpose.

The Only Certainty Is That Executives Should Focus on Creating More Resilient Organizations

As noteworthy as the magnitude of the tariffs, is the unprecedented uncertainty introduced by their scale and ever-changing nature. The only certainty is that executives should focus on creating more resilient organizations to navigate this historically volatile environment.

As the new tariff regime reshapes the global business landscape, resilience should be at the top of every executive’s and business owner's agenda.

Learn more here by reading the full report.

This is WPO Chicago (Home of Pope Leo): WPO Entrepreneurial Excellence Forum (EEF) 2025

A glimpse of WPO Chicago members in action at the Women Presidents Organization Entrepreneurial Excellence Forum (EEF) 2025. More can be found here.

If you are not a WPO member yet, you need to be.  Ping me and I'll introduce you to the right person to start the ball rolling.

Photo credit:  2025 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

How to Tell a Great Story

Storytelling is a key business skill.  Telling a good story can help you connect with your audience on an emotional level. It can make complex data easier to digest, and make your arguments more persuasive.

So how do you tell great stories, particularly great business stories? Here’s how to make your narratives more persuasive.

See You in Antonio, TX at the WPO EEF 2025!

If you haven't signed up, here's what you are missing.  The 2025 forum (28th annual) agenda can be found here. 

Oh, and you might still be able to attend if you move on it now.  We have 16 Chicago members attending and I can't wait to connect and learn together. 

The program takes place from May 7-9, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort and Spa.

See you in San Antonio!

From Side Hustle to Shower Curtain Empire

Lisa Schulner-Fine (along with photographer husband Michael Fine) had been frustrated with the lack of shower curtain options on the market for a while. She and Michael both had an eye for design — she worked as a director of styling at Madewell and he as a freelance fashion photographer — and the couple struggled to find aesthetically pleasing bathroom accessories on retail shelves. To make matters worse, most of the items available were far from sustainable.

And so a side business becomes a multimillion-dollar business.  It's called Quiet Town.

For: Thinkers. Makers. Leaders. Learners.

UK-based Creative Review (CR) has been bringing the creative community together since 1980, first as a print magazine and now across more platforms than ever. They deliver the sharpest opinion, analysis and advice on life in the commercial creative industries.

CR is for everyone involved in commercial creativity, anywhere in the world. They share insight and inspiration across disciplines and borders, connecting brilliant minds to make brilliant things happen.

Learn more how creative thinking and design make businesses and brands more successful, dynamic and engaging for audiences.

How to Build a Multimillion-Dollar Business That Is Like Lightening in a Bottle

Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce, wedding industry veterans of more than 20 years, met in the early '90s while working at The Walt Disney World Resort, where they grew Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings to a $100 million per year operation. "It was a little bit like lightning in a bottle the first time that we had the chance to work together," Grinnals tells Entrepreneur. "We had the chance to collaborate on some really cool projects, and it was a really formative time."

What they discovered along the way was there wasn't an event that brought together different buyers, suppliers and vendors focused on luxury weddings.

So Grinnals and Arce established a conference to do just that: Engage! Summits, now a multimillion-dollar brand.

Find out more here.

Smart, Driven Women Support Other Smart, Driven Women

Three smart, driven women share advice on mentorship, growth and career success.  Here are a few highlights.

Smart, driven women, like WPO members, always support other smart, driven women.

Building Your Own AI Assistant

Gen AI can save you time, but once you’re using it frequently, the process of repeatedly uploading the same background files and re-entering prompts for common tasks can really eat into your efficiency gains.

That’s why many generative AI platforms allow you to create custom AI assistants: what ChatGPT calls a “custom GPT,” Claude calls a “Project,” and Google Gemini calls a “Gem.” These assistants store elements of a prompt that you might want to use over and over so you don’t have to include them every time you ask the platform to help you with your recurring tasks and challenges. 

Listen and learn more here.

Creating Helpful AI Agents

OpenAI released two new solutions aimed at helping developers create AI-powered agents capable of going beyond just answering questions and actually taking actions, like approving refunds or buying plane tickets. Executives from OpenAI and cloud storage platform Box say these new development tools will make it much easier for businesses to take advantage of the cutting-edge tech. 

A word of caution, though: Don’t overwhelm agents with an excess of information. With too much context, your agent may be a jack of all trades, but a master of none.

The One and Only Camille Burns, CEO, Women Presidents Organization

©2025 Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global®.  All right reserved.

Read the inspiring wegg® Showcase interview published by Women Entrepreneurs Grow Global® (a partner to WPO) with Camille Burns, CEO, Women Presidents Organization.

Jump in, Like and say a few words here in a LinkedIn post.  Many of you have met Camille and know she is a caring and fearless leader.

Women of Influence 2025 from Success

Women have always demonstrated a remarkable capacity for resilience—whether balancing careers and families, navigating systemic barriers or overcoming personal hardships, they find ways to move forward. Despite the obstacles they face, especially now with so much change economically, women continue to lead with empathy and vision. 

At SUCCESS® magazine, they celebrate women through their annual Women of Influence awards campaign, recognizing trailblazing women who are not only shaping the present but are also laying the groundwork for future difference-makers to thrive.

Discover who these women are here.

How to Reduce Your Dependency on Social Media With a New Marketing Strategy

TikTok’s future in the United States remains uncertain as President Trump’s extension of ByteDance’s deadline to sell looms. Will there be a deal in time? Will the Chinese social giant hold firm? The app’s American future is unclear. But this isn’t TikTok’s only problem—Australia recently raised its minimum age for using social media to 16.

These changes have raised alarm bells for businesses relying solely on social media to drive sales. If a social platform goes down, so does any business heavily reliant on that platform. With the shifting reality of social media, developing a marketing strategy that doesn’t rely on social media is the safe option.

Try your hand at reducing your dependency on social media with a new marketing strategy.  Here are some ideas.

Female Founders On What Helped Them Level Up

The best advice on building to last, breaking through the noise, what helped them level up and more from Inc.'s inaugural Female Founders board of advisers.

These celebrated founders know all too well the challenges business owners need to overcome to grow flourishing companies--and the role persistence plays in success. These seven Inc. board members analyzed Inc.'s Female Founders list and highlighted stand-out honorees who they believe exemplify the key principles of entrepreneurship.

Exploring Ways to Integrate AI Into Your Business

AI (artificial intelligence) is a game-changer for business owners looking to increase revenue, streamline operations, and maximize efficiency. With AI becoming more accessible than ever, businesses now have powerful tools at their fingertips to automate tasks, optimize decision-making, and drive sales with greater precision.

Let's explore ways to integrate AI into your business.

The Elite Women Presidents Organization (WPO)

Only 1.9 percent of women-owned businesses make it to the $1 million annual revenue mark. But why is this the case, and more importantly, how can women entrepreneurs break through this barrier?

We need to focus on empowering women with the resources, strategies, and mindset shifts to break through this threshold and increase that number. Once you breakthrough, WPO is the organization to join to keep growing. All WPO members generate more than one-million in annual revenue.  Average revenue of member companies is $15.7 million.

More women making $1 million in business means more wealth, influence, and opportunity for women to lead and inspire future generations of entrepreneurs.

How AI Changed the Game for a Global Manufacturer

When Coberg, Germany-based Kaeser Kompressoren started on a journey to improve its data quality, little did it know that artificial intelligence (AI) would become a major game-changer for its business.

With a workforce of around 8,000 and a global sales and services organization operating in more than 140 countries, Kaeser is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and providers of compressed air solutions and services.

Together with SAP, Kaeser wanted to improve data quality and optimize its core business processes.  “AI was on our radar screen back then, but it wasn’t our starting point,” recalls Dr. Norbert Enge, chief business consultant for SAP Business Transformation Center.

The proportion of SAP Business AI in Kaeser’s data project rose from less than 10% in the first year to over 30% in the third. Today, the team is now 100% focused on SAP Business AI and has developed 12 specific use cases targeted at adding value for customers.

Discover more at the Fast Company article.

AI and Its Impact on Work

You have an idea for a new AI tool. Now what?  Two Northwestern Kellogg researchers offer tips on how to get AI development right. It's a podcast but a transcript is available, too.

Be careful how you approach this.  You don't want a rush to nowhere.

AI Picks in 2025 from MIT Technology Review

For the last couple of years MIT Technology Review had predicted what’s coming next in AI. A fool’s game given how fast this industry moves. But they're on a roll, and they've done it again.

So what’s coming in 2025? We’re going to ignore the obvious here: You can bet that agents and smaller, more efficient, language models will continue to shape the industry. Instead, here are five alternative picks from the MIT Technology Review AI team.

Strengthen Your People

To seize opportunities in an evolving global order, leaders will need to build geopolitical resilience by investing in three domains: insight, oversight, and foresight. There is, however, a fourth dimension that, without fail, arises in our [McKinsey's] discussions on geopolitical resilience with CEOs and board directors: people. The questions that come up include the following:

• How should I talk to my employees about sensitive geopolitical topics?
• How do I balance transparency with confidentiality around the work our company will not do in a market—a stance that, if it became known publicly, may jeopardize our organization’s operations, people, and reputation in that market?
• How should I upgrade our processes, from employment background checks to internal controls on unauthorized access to data, amid growing stakeholder and regulatory expectations and requirements?
• How can I strengthen unity within our organization and signal that we are committed to being global and inclusive in a changing world?

The question becomes:  How you plan to strengthen your people in 2025?

To learn more, access the entire article here.