Plus, How This Entrepreneur Exaggerated And Self-Promoted Her Way Into Turmoil |
If you got last week’s ForbesWomen newsletter, you’ll know that we released the 5th annual Forbes 50 Over 50 list, a franchise that continues to prove that women can defy societal expectations and create their greatest professional impact in the second half of their lives.
This week’s newsletter continues on that theme, because there are some stories and links that were published after launch day that I think are worth sharing. Keep reading to learn about an entrepreneur who built a $4 billion business on the back of a topical gene therapy treatment—that she invented herself. And don’t miss my sitdown with Maria Shriver, who founded the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement after realizing that women get diagnosed with the disease at higher rates than men do. She gave me her best advice for all of us who want our brains to remain healthy as we age: “Exercise, prioritize your sleep and eat in a way that nourishes your brain,” Shriver says.
No matter what you click on from today’s newsletter and the 50 Over 50 package, my hope is that what you read and watch brings you as much insight and joy as it did to those of us who spent the last many months putting it together. And never forget: there is no deadline for success, fulfillment, or innovation.
Cheers!
Maggie
P.S: If you’re curious about where some of our 50 Over 50 alumni are working and what they’re up to, you’re in luck! I joined Know Your Value founder Mika Brzezinski—our partner in all things 50 Over 50—for a special “where are they now” segment on Morning Mika, and you can catch it here! |
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| Longtime drug developer Suma Krishnan was in her late 40s when she had the idea for a topical gene therapy to treat a rare and terrible skin disorder in which the skin becomes as fragile as butterfly wings. In 2016, at 51, after a few months of modeling the idea and starting the process of patenting it, she and her husband Krish Krishnan, cofounded Krystal Biotech. Just 18 months after launching the Pittsburgh-based company, the Krishnans took it public on the Nasdaq stock exchange. Today, Krystal has a market cap of $4.4 billion with one FDA-approved therapy, Vyjuvek, for that rare skin disease and other gene therapies, including for cystic fibrosis and lung cancer, in various stages of clinical development. “You have to be brave and bold to do this,” Krishnan says. “I was never afraid of risk-taking. I never felt like I needed a stable job.” |
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ICYMI: Stories From The Week |
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Entrepreneur Daniella Pierson’s high profile owes itself to brains and hustle—and, it turns out, a consistent history of large exaggerations and extreme self-promotion, those latter two traits reinforcing the other. Over the course of the last three months, Forbes spoke to more than a dozen people who’ve worked closely with her and reviewed documents, press releases and videos of all four of her recent business ventures. What emerges is someone who fails to understand the difference between entrepreneurial zeal and extreme hyperbole—and now faces a potential reckoning.
AgTech founder Julia Somerdin nearly closed her company in 2022. Today, her startup, Labby, works with farms to detect mastitis-infected milk before it leaves the farm. Mastitis affects 250 million cows each year, worldwide, costing the global dairy industry $32 billion. “When I started, a farmer in Massachusetts said, ‘Julia, I don’t need a toy,’” Somerdin says. “Why do I do this? Help the dairy, help the people, help the planet.”
Women’s health research is getting a shot in the arm from the Gates Foundation. With the Trump administration previously threatening to cut funding for certain programs, the foundation announced on Monday that it is committing $2.5 billion over the next five years to fund women’s health research and development.
With direct-to-fan support from Patreon, Charisma Carpenter’s new Buffy and Angel first-watch podcast, The Bitch Is Back, is redefining what creator ownership looks like, one staked vampire at a time. “It has to be in my voice, I have to run it,” Carpenter told Forbes. “Patreon made me the CEO of my vision.”
Kelly Bishop took her first professional job as a performer at 18, and every year since, has pushed forward with purpose to her next professional stepping stone. Now, the Forbes 50 Over 50 listee (and famed ‘Gilmore Girls’ alum) says she’s still not done. She also spoke to ForbesWomen editor Maggie McGrath, Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski and 30/50 Summit vice chair Huma Abedin on Thursday about what drives her and what advice she has for those who are looking for their next step. |
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 | 1. Make and hold your own money. This advice came from multiple people, but as Lipi Roy elaborated, “Money is power. Don’t let a man hold that financial power over you.” |
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| 2. Wear sunscreen on your face and neck. This was also a popular piece of advice, and those who gave it emphasized: Do this every day. |
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| 3. Protect your energy. “Trust your gut, and stop trying to be ‘liked,’” writes user @fiftyandbold. “Being respected will take you farther.” |
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| | For more than 40 years, Wheel of Fortune’s Vanna White has been an iconic part of one of Hollywood’s longest running game shows. The 50 Over 50 listee could end up challenging another TV mainstay for her Guinness World Record for longest television career for a female entertainer, who currently holds the record? | | A. | Angela Lansbury | | B. | Betty White | | C. | Cloris Leachman | | D. | Julie Andrews |
| | Check if you got it right here. |
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| We are thrilled to announce that philanthropist and Pivotal Ventures founder Melinda French Gates will be taking the stage at the 2025 Forbes Power Women’s Summit. Join us and hear first-hand how her vision and influence continue to define this critical moment for gender equity. |
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