This Woman’s History Month, we’re sharing a complex, brilliant, and diverse group of women who are shaping history. From Diana Nyad, professional long-distance swimmer and journalist, to Vernice “Flygirl” Armour, the first Black female combat pilot, these women have accomplished feats that will inspire anyone and everyone to go beyond what they think is possible.

Sara Blakley

Sara Blakley, the founder of Spanx, has made history as the titan of shapewear after revolutionizing the industry. From selling fax machines to becoming one of the world’s youngest self-made female billionaires, her product is a household name that sparked an empowering wave in women’s fashion.

Her business prowess is equally matched by her charitability. She founded the Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation which focuses on “empowering women to make the world a better place.” She also gifted her employees two first-class plane tickets to anywhere in the world and $10,000 to spend after going public. Unsurprisingly, Blakley has joined “The Giving Pledge,” a commitment made by the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to donate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.

She brings her innovative entrepreneurship and generous spirit to audiences everywhere, encouraging and inspiring teams to think outside the box and uplift each other.

Erin Brockovich

Erin Brockovich was thrust into fame in the early 2000s upon the release of the Oscar-winning film about her life titled Erin Brockovich. An American paralegal and environmental activist, Brockovich rocked the powers that be when she built a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) for groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California.

Despite being a dyslexic, divorced single mother of three, and an unconventional law professional, Brockovich took down Goliath and won the sick people of Hinkley $333 million, the largest settlement paid in an American direct-action lawsuit to date. She serves as President of Brockovich Research & Consulting and recently released Superman’s Not Coming: Our National Water Crisis and What WE THE PEOPLE Can Do About It.

Brockovich’s life achievements and keynote speaking continue to inspire younger generations of women and marginalized communities, especially amidst the worsening effects of climate change.

Vernice “Flygirl” Armour

Vernice “Flygirl” Armour made history as the first Black female combat pilot. Armour began her decorated naval career as number one in her class of twelve at the flight school at Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas. While at Camp Pendleton, Armour won Female Athlete of the Year two years in a row and was the running back for San Diego’s Sunfire Women’s Football League. She even fulfilled her lifelong goal of becoming a police officer on Nashville’s motorcycle squad—and was the first black woman to do so.

She consistently has squashed gender role expectations and paved the way for women from all backgrounds to follow in her footsteps. Armour served two tours of duty in Iraq as a Marine in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and flew the AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. On top of it all she is a diversity advocate, having served as a Diversity Liaison Officer to the Pentagon for Headquarters Marine Corps.

Her high-energy, enrapturing keynote speeches highlight her stories in combat and help others harness their bravery. She inspires audiences of all ages, ethnicities, and genders to always fight for what they want and never assume things are impossible just because they haven’t been done.

Diana Nyad

Diana Nyad is an American author, journalist, motivational speaker, and long-distance swimmer. Nyad pursued her marathon swimming career alongside academic pursuits and first gained national attention in 1975 when she swam twenty-eight miles around Manhattan in record time.

At age 64 in her fifth attempt to swim the 110 miles from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Florida, Nyad completed the swim 53 hours later. Nyad has been open about her experience with her previous Olympian and Hall of Fame coach who sexually assaulted her. She’s shared that her experience as a survivor pushed her to succeed in the sport. Nyad was inducted into the United States National Women’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1986. Over the course of Nyad’s life, she’s written four books: Other Shores, Basic Training for Women, Boss of Me: The Keyshawn Johnson Story, and Find a Way.

From athletic achievements to overcoming adversity and inspiring other women to do the same, Nyad shares her drive, determination, and inspiration with audiences everywhere.

Amy Purdy

Amy Purdy is an American actress, model, para-snowboarder, motivational speaker, clothing designer, and author. If that’s not impressive enough on its own, she’s also legless and a paralympic Bronze Medalist. At age nineteen Purdy contracted Neisseria meningitis, which is a form of bacterial meningitis, and was given a two percent chance of survival after losing both her legs, her kidneys, and her spleen. Her legs were amputated below the knee and she was forced to face an entirely new bleak reality.

Luckily, her loving father donated a kidney to Purdy the week of her twenty-first birthday, and her body immediately accepted it. A year after her legs were amputated, Purdy finished third in a snowboarding competition at Mammoth Mountain. She defied the odds and continues to inspire others with her drive. To persist in her inspirational journey, Purdy co-founded her own non-profit organization, Adaptive Action Sports, which empowers individuals with physical disabilities to engage in the “power of movement and sport.” She released her memoir, On My Own Two Feet: From Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life in 2015.

Purdy’s keynote speech inspires others to view their lives as limitless and to take charge and take care of themselves.

Michelle Stacy

Michelle Stacy was the former president of Keurig Inc. and is the Expert in Residence at the Harvard Innovation Lab at Harvard University. She was a member of one of the first classes of women to attend Dartmouth, and dove headfirst into her career as a changemaker.

As a senior leader and international advisor, Stacy scales businesses through her innovative and thought-provoking leadership. She cares enough about people to focus on the culture of a company, while also having the skills required to impact the overall financial success of the brand. Before her work at Keurig, Stacy worked at Gillette for twenty-five years. As a woman in a male-dominated environment, Stacy has excelled in her decades-long career because of her ability to fully engage with individuals.

Rather than admonishing women for being themselves, she encourages authenticity as a key tenant of leadership. Stacy is a perfect example of a successful career woman who did it all.

To book any of the above speakers in celebration of Women’s History Month and uplift the women in your organization, call Executive Speakers Bureau at 901-754-9404.