Anu Bhardwaj is a serial entrepreneur, media expert, and blockchain influencer who got her MBA in from the Stockholm School of Economics and was a Fulbright scholar. Now, she’s using that extensive network to build Women Investing in Women Digital, which is a media platform focusing on global women’s issues, investment, and entrepreneurship. She says the key to all her ventures, including a radio network focusing on issues relevant to women, is hiring a strong team. “When people see that you’re after excellence, that’s when they want to follow, ultimately. It’s not about what you say, it’s about what you do.” –Gabrielle Bienasz

With so many Americans isolated in their homes this year, more and more people are investing into making their homes a luxury stay-cation. This has especially benefited brands with a strong online presence, like home goods startup Parachute. With a background in marketing and a personal affliction for home design, Ariel Kaye launched the Venice, California-based company in 2014 as an online, direct-to-consumer brand that sold high-end bedsheets and towels.

The company has since grown to have brick-and-mortar stores around the country, and has leaned into the “stay at home” luxury experience, selling products as varied as dog beds to table linens. Most recently, Parachute broke into apparel, launching a line of premium $100 bath robes and loungewear. As a first time founder, Kaye says that her success as a leader is largely rooted in the entrepreneurial community around her. “Being a leader can be a lonely, isolating experience and it's easy to get caught up in what you're doing,” she says. “Community and connection with other founders is essential to surviving the highs and lows and it's such a reciprocal experience to give your time and step out of your world to see what's going on in others.”