Sheryl Sandberg

Before I delve into this revolutionary woman, I wanted to talk a little about how her work has personally affected me. Essentially, I got introduced to the concept of women empowerment through taking part in a Lean In Circle Meeting, involving the #IamRemarkable workshop. This was a monumental experience for me because I was surrounded by all these incredible, determined women who were pursuing their passions, even well into their careers. The feeling of support struck and resonated with me. Even though I am still in high school, the experience empowered me and inspired me to spread the knowledge I had gained. Thus, it led to me starting this blog, creating my app, becoming an #IamRemarkable facilitator, and hosting my own Lean In type circle at my school.

Currently, Sandberg is the Chief Operating Officer at Facebook, and she was named the 22nd most powerful women of 2020. As COO at Facebook, she led the company from a $56 million loss in 2008 to $18.5 billion in profits in 2019, and she helped increase ad revenue by 27% to $69.7 billion during 2019. In June 2012, she was elected to Facebook's Board of Directors, becoming the first woman to serve on its board.

"The seeds of resilience are planted in the way we process the negative events in our lives" - Sheryl Sandberg.

In 2010, Sandberg's Ted Talk on the ways women are held back inspired viewers around the world to share their own stories. This response led to Sandberg eventually publishing her own book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, where she shares her personal stories, highlights gender differences through research, and offers advice to women. Now, more than 50,000 women have started Lean In Circles, based on the book, in 184 countries. These circles consist of women of all different backgrounds and allow them to come together to help and empower one another.

"We want a world where people of every gender can pursue their dreams without bias or other barriers holding them back. Where girls grow up to be confident, resilient leaders. Where more women run companies and countries" - the mission of Lean In.

To learn more about Lean In and even start your own circle, click here.