“I dream it, I work hard/I grind ‘til I own it…”

Jenny Chang / Via BuzzFeed

Kaya Thomas, developer

Mobile developer Kaya Thomas (center) is the cool big sister of tech; maybe you've seen her coding tutorials on YouTube, or caught her onstage with Michelle Obama on BET's Black Girls Rock? We Read Too, her iPhone app, features books written by authors of color, with characters of color. Oh yeah, she's also a junior at Dartmouth.

Kaya Thomas

Myleik Teele; founder and CEO, CurlBox

Myleik is a guru for modern entrepreneurial women, who seek her advice so much that she dispenses it across social media with the #MyTaughtYou hashtag. She's all about self-development, sharing everything from her favorite books to her inspirations, as she dominates the natural hair world through her product subscription service, CurlBox.

@itayshaphoto / Via Instagram

Carla Harris; vice chairman of wealth management, managing director and senior client adviser, Morgan Stanley

A famous boss once said, "Always stay gracious; best revenge is your paper." Carla Harris, a 20-year-plus Wall Street veteran, knows all about it and doesn't mind sharing how she made it to the C-Suite; check her book Expect to Win. And no big deal — she's also a singer who has performed four sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall.

Jonathan Leibson / Getty Images

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