The 10 women that inspire me

A week ago, my friend Karla asked me if I had a female mentor in the Bay Area, so she can feature us in her Cuyana Mother's day campaign.

My first reaction was one of disappointment: I do not have a female mentor or any mentor! 

However, this invite got me thinking of the many women who have mentored me knowingly or unknowingly without having to be my official mentor. Every single woman that was taking a risk, looking within, giving generously and following her passion.

In this post, I want to pay tribute to the 10 women that have pushed me, guided me, given me hope and taught me that anything is possible; and share with you why they inspire me. 

- Sorry Sheryl, you did not make the cut - 

1- Yolla Semaan - mother and entrepreneur

Born in a modest family of 9, birthing me at 16, my mother and her minimal school education, started her company in Lebanon, at 21. She survived bankruptcies, heartbreaks, wars, and continues to be a restless warrior. Today she runs a very successful company of 40+ employees and is a wonderful mother of two. 
And if I may say, her love for life and cigars lighten up every place she is at. If it were not for her drive and inspiration, I would not be anywhere close to where I am now.

2- Frida Kahlo - artist and revolutionary

If I had to choose the phrase to describe my muse, it would be her famous quote:

"I was born a bitch i was born a painter."

Despite the tremendous pain she endured through her existence, Kahlo lived her life with passion and courage. …

"one of history's grand divas…a tequila-slamming, dirty joke-telling smoker, bi-sexual that hobbled about her bohemian barrio in lavish indigenous dress and threw festive dinner parties for the likes of Leon Trotsky, poet Pablo Neruda, Nelson Rockefeller, and her on-again, off-again husband, muralist Diego Rivera."

3- Rumi - Poet and enlightened

Yes Rumi is a 13th-century Persian male poet and Sufi mystic, but in my eyes he represents the abundance and depth of the feminine divine.

Rumi's writing inspires me to start looking within, while his love story (or tragedy) with Shams, opened my eyes that it is impossible to know where your next inspiration may come from or who might aid furthering your growth.

4- Venetia Pristavec - creator and friend

I met Venetia the first day on the job at Airbnb. Little did I know that this lovely lady, is going to enrich my personal journey. It was such an inspiration to watch: her start her own project, and get more people into the habit of creating every day, embrace being single and find growth and peace in it. 

5- Simone De Beauvoir - Philosopher and feminist


Simone is the woman who ignited the fire of revolution and feminism in me and my high school friends. Author of the celebrated the Second Sex and an early feminist militant, Simone's life inspire me to rebel, make my own choices while keeping a big smile on my face.

6- Brené Brown - Research Professor and author 

I remember accidentally stumbling on her powerful TED talk, and falling for her. I used to secretly believe in the power of vulnerability, and thanks to Brené, the word on authenticity in the workplace is spreading. 

7- Margaret Thatcher - Prime Minister and leader

Whenever I start fearing that something is impossible, I picture the Iron Lady and her life from a grocer's shop in Grantham to the highest office in the land. There are many other reasons to admire her, but aside from her incredible leadership, Thatcher had a successful and loving partnership with her husband.

8- Marina Abramovic - Performance artist and luminary 

"Picasso pushed the limits of pictorial representation. Marina Abramovic does the same thing for comfort zones." Out of her confort zone, Marina pushes her body to extremes and creates art out of it. Watching Marina's performances inspire me to push the boundaries, and do what I do with heart and passion. Here is my favorite moment of her, in her Artist is Present act at the MOMA. Watch it..

9- Coco Chanel - Designer and genius

By thumbing her nose at the haute couture styles of the 19th century, Coco freed women from the clutches of corsets and bustles and created a fashion revolution that would influence every designer that came after her. Coco is the entrepreneur that Steve Jobs was in many ways: she worked really hard, did not follow the norms, and listened to her intuition to figure out what is the next revolution in fashion. And as an aspiring entrepreneur, Coco inspires me.

10- Elissa - Phoenician Princess and Founder

Our Phoenician ancestor, Princess Elissa was one of the female leaders who expanded Phoenicia (Lebanon) into the celebrated city Carthage, thanks to her wisdom and "mathematical intelligence". While her story remains a legend, Elissa and all the lebanese women, who on a daily basis refer to their wisdom to overcome our region's endless internal and external instabilities, remind me that whatever I am doing is not just for me, but for them too and the generations to come.

Share with me, which women inspire you? and why?