Web3, the next generation of the Internet, is an exciting new space creating opportunities for entrepreneurs across multiple industries. While the field is still somewhat male-dominated, several influential women entrepreneurs are significantly influencing the Web3 space.
Here are fifteen influential women entrepreneurs on Web3 to celebrate this International Women’s Day – along with their contributions and achievements.
Nicole Munitz
Nicole Muniz is an entrepreneur and CEO of Yuga Labs, creator of the popular Bored Ape Yacht Club Nonfungible Token (NFT) collection. She has a background in advertising and marketing, having worked as a producer at J. Walter Thompson and managing accounts at B-Reel, including Google.
Muniz is known for her creative marketing and brand strategy expertise that has helped Yuga Labs grow and become a leading player in the NFT space. Her work in the Web3 space has been instrumental in shaping the future of blockchain-based digital art and collectibles.
Elizabeth Stark
Elizabeth Stark is co-founder and CEO of Lightning Labs, a company developing a protocol for fast and scalable Bitcoin transactions. She is also an advocate for blockchain technology and has been featured in several publications including The New York Times and Forbes. She has presented at venues such as TEDx and the MIT Media Lab.
Stark has also been involved in the development of various other blockchain-related projects. Before working in the blockchain space, Stark taught computer science at Yale, Harvard, and Stanford Universities.
Caitlin Lang
Caitlin Long is a prominent entrepreneur, attorney, and blockchain advocate known for her work in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industries. She is the Founder and CEO of Custodia Bank, a Wyoming-based digital asset bank that aims to provide banking services to the cryptocurrency industry.
Previously, Long was chairman and president of Symbiont, the smart contract platform specializing in smart securities. She has also held various positions on Wall Street, including managing director at Morgan Stanley and head of corporate strategy at Credit Suisse.
Cathie Wood
Cathie Wood is an American entrepreneur and founder of ARK Invest, a global wealth management firm specializing in disruptive technology companies, including those involved in blockchain and cryptocurrency. Wood is known for her bold investment strategies and forward-thinking approach to disruptive technology.
Wood was named CEO of the Year at the 2021 Markets Choice Awards and speaks frequently on finance and technology topics.
Kathy Hackl
Cathy Hackl is the Founder and Chief Metaverse Officer of Journey, an innovation and design consultancy. A popular futurist, speaker and advocate for augmented reality (AR), Cathy Hackl is also a recognized expert in branding and marketing techniques for virtual and augmented reality. Hackl is a regular contributor to Forbes and has been named one of the top 10 tech voices on LinkedIn.
She has worked with several well-known companies such as AT&T, Magic Leap and Vive. Hackl also co-authored Marketing New Realities: An Introduction to Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Marketing, Branding & Communications.
Hey I
He Yi is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges. She was instrumental in Binance’s early growth, contributing to the exchange’s brand development and user growth. She also became the head of Binance Labs in 2022. Previously, Yi held the position of marketing director at another cryptocurrency exchange, OKCoin.
She has received recognition for her work in the blockchain sector and was included in the Forbes 30 under 30 Asia list in 2019. He Yi also founded Binance Charity, a non-profit group that uses blockchain technology to support charitable causes worldwide through her work at Binance.
Brittany Emperor
Brittany Kaiser is a former Cambridge Analytica employee-turned-whistleblower and prominent figure in privacy and political campaigning. She rose to fame while working for Cambridge Analytica, the political consulting firm at the center of controversial data collection during the 2016 US presidential election. Kaiser became an advocate for privacy and openness in political campaigning after leaving Cambridge Analytica.
She has spoken at various conferences and events around the world and addressed the UK Parliament on the Cambridge Analytica controversy. Kaiser founded the Digital Asset Trade Association, a nonprofit group dedicated to improving data rights and promoting the ethical use of data in the digital age. She is also co-founder of the Own Your Data Foundation – which works to get citizens reclaiming their data – and author of the book Targeted: My Inside Story of Cambridge Analytica and How Trump Won.
Jaime Leverton
Jaime Leverton is a Canadian businessman who has held leadership positions at various technology companies, including CEO of Hut 8 Mining and Chief Operating Officer of hyperscale data center company eStruxture. Leverton founded Hut 8 in 2017. The company offers high performance computing, digital asset mining and miner repair services.
She has over 20 years of experience in the telecom and technology industry with expertise in strategic planning, business development and operational management.
Lisa loud
Lisa Loud is a highly skilled entrepreneur and fintech strategist with a proven track record at major blockchain and technology companies such as BitMEX, ShapeShift, Apple and PayPal. As co-founder and CEO of Fluidefi, Loud’s deep technology experience has fueled her passion for the future of money.
Her analytical perspective, strategic leadership and ability to anticipate industry trends have earned her a spot on the Rising Women in Crypto Power List for 2022 – and many more accolades.
Eugenia Kuyda
Eugenia Kuyda is a Russian-born entrepreneur and computer scientist based in the United States. She is best known for being the co-founder and CEO of Replica, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbot app designed to simulate human conversations. Since 2020, Replica usage has increased by 35%, reaching over 10 million users worldwide in 2022.
Before founding Replica, Kuyda co-founded Luka, a messaging app that used AI to recommend local restaurants and coffee shops. Her first software, Bribr, which allowed users to secretly track bribery attempts, was developed shortly after she became a journalist for one of Russia’s leading daily newspapers.
Jinlan Wang
Jinglan Wang is the co-founder and CEO of PlasmaPay, a decentralized finance platform that allows users to buy, sell and store cryptocurrencies. As PlasmaPay’s CEO, Wang is focused on driving the company’s growth and expanding its reach in the global payments market. She has been active in the cryptocurrency sector since 2013, with numerous organizations such as the Blockchain Association of Ukraine recognizing her contributions to the sector.
Jutta Steiner
Jutta Steiner is a computer scientist and entrepreneur best known for her work in the blockchain industry. She is co-founder and CEO of Parity Technologies, a blockchain infrastructure company focused on developing software solutions for the Ethereum blockchain. Steiner held several positions at cybersecurity firm McAfee before starting her career in the blockchain space. She was also a researcher at the University of Edinburgh.
She has also participated in several open source software initiatives and is a passionate supporter of decentralized technologies and their potential to revolutionize many industries. Steiner has delivered keynote speeches at several conferences and gatherings worldwide and is recognized as a leader in the blockchain sector.
Linda Xie
Linda Xie is the co-founder and CEO of Scalar Capital, a cryptocurrency investment firm. She is also the co-founder of CryptoSight, a platform that allows cryptocurrency investors to track and analyze their portfolios. Xie is a household name in the cryptocurrency space, appearing in multiple publications including Forbes and Fortune.
swan sits
Swan Sit is a marketing and branding professional who has worked with various companies in the technology and startup space. Swan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Harvard and a Masters of Business Administration from Columbia University. Swan was the head of digital marketing at Nike, Revlon and Estée Lauder, where she led teams dedicated to digital transformation.
Sit has also been dubbed “the queen of the clubhouse” by Forbes. She received this title for successfully using the audio-based social media app Clubhouse to build her personal brand and connect with other tech and startup professionals.
Jaim Schmidt
Jaime Schmidt is an entrepreneur and co-founder of Schmidt’s Naturals, a personal care brand known for its natural and innovative products. Schmidt is also co-founder of Color Capital, an investment fund specializing in Web3 and consumer products. In 2022 she founded BFF, a decentralized organization that supports a growing community of women and non-binary individuals seeking equal access to knowledge, opportunity and financial rewards in the evolving Web3 landscape.
In a short period of one month, the community has grown an impressive 14,000 members. Schmidt is a regular contributor to Fast Company and Entrepreneur, and has also been recognized as one of the 100 Most Fascinating Entrepreneurs (Goldman Sachs, 2017, 2018) and PNW Entrepreneur of the Year (Ernst & Young, 2017), among others.
