New York — The 2025 Forbes Power Women’s Summit, themed “Building What’s Next,” brought together trailblazers across industries to redefine influence, equity, and innovation. Held in New York City, the summit featured voices from philanthropy, tech, media, and sports—each driving transformation in their own lane.
Opening the event, Melinda French Gates and Regina Dugan announced a $100 million partnership between Pivotal Ventures and Wellcome Leap to accelerate research in women’s health—targeting underfunded areas like cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, and mental health. “A woman’s trajectory starts with her health,” Gates emphasized, calling for systemic investment in wellness as a foundation for education, work, and civic participation.
In tech, May Habib, founder of Writer, and Lucy Guo, cofounder of Scale AI, urged women to lead in AI development. Habib warned that without inclusive leadership, AI could deepen inequality. Guo added that AI is lowering the cost of entrepreneurship, enabling creators to scale faster and smarter.
Media icon Kara Swisher reflected on her decades covering Silicon Valley, challenging the audience to ask harder questions and shape AI standards democratically. “I’m not nervous about AI—I’m nervous about the people using it,” she said, advocating for civic engagement in tech governance.
The summit also celebrated the rise of women’s sports. Keia Clarke, CEO of the New York Liberty, shared how the WNBA franchise grew from 3,000 to 16,000 attendees and reached a $450 million valuation. Meanwhile, Susie Wolff of F1 Academy emphasized breaking gender norms in motorsport, where female drivers compete indistinguishably from men.
Entrepreneurship took center stage with Hoda Kotb launching Joy 101, a wellness platform, and Sara Blakely unveiling Sneex—high-heeled sneakers designed to disrupt footwear norms. Both shared candid lessons on rejection, intuition, and building from personal pain points.
Closing the summit, civil rights legend Dolores Huerta, actress Selma Blair, and activist Aurora James called for collective action. “Organize, organize, organize,” Huerta urged, as the room echoed her iconic chant: “Sí, se puede.”
The 2025 summit wasn’t just a celebration—it was a blueprint. From boardrooms to grassroots, women are not waiting for permission. They’re building what’s next.
