The Real MVPs: 24 Female Millennial Influencers You Should Know
When hearing the phrase “influencer,” vapid selfie queens, bootylicious party hosts and Instagram babes come to mind. But these Insta-famous few were never the ultimate definition of cool.
Likes and Twitter followers aside, true pop culture heroines are women who use their star status to make an impactful, worldwide change.
Whether they’re in the limelight or diligently working behind the scenes, women are influencing youth in every industry, from arts and entertainment to human rights and politics.
But TBH, many of us don’t know who these powerful women are.
We know it’s tough to stay up to snuff on every woman worth knowing. As a reminder, here’s a quick cheat sheet on 24 Millennial women changing the world in insurmountable ways.
Who: Amna Farooqi, President Of J Street U
Age: 21
Why she’s cool: As J Street’s first ever Pakistani-American Muslim president, Farooqi balances her senior year at the University of Maryland with the job of overseeing roughly 4,000 active members of the pro-Israel organization. While promoting peace and fighting for a two-state solution in the Middle East, Farooqi stands by Israel but not its policies.
Who: Zendaya, Actress
Age: 19
Why she’s cool: Following her dreadlocks incident with Giuliana Rancic, Zendaya is an actress who combats ignorance surrounding African American beauty in mainstream media. Taking note of Zendaya’s attempt to diversify beauty, Barbie created a doll in her honor.
Who: Malala Yousafzai, Human Rights Activist
Age: 18
Why she’s cool: At just 15, Yousafzai survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban for her advocacy of young girls’ education and human rights in Pakistan. For her constant fight against the suppression of children and young people, Yousafzai became the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate at the age of 17.
Who: Jazz Jennings, Transgender Teen Activist
Age: 15
Why she’s cool: Jennings, star of the TLC reality show “I am Jazz,” was born male and transitioned with the help of her parents in preschool. Now, she stands as an ambassador for trans youth.
Earlier this year, she landed a deal with Clean & Clear for a beauty campaign that actively encourages all teens to stay true to who they are, whomever they may be.
Who: Tanya Burr, YouTube Superstar
Age: 26
Why she’s cool: With a badass Spice Girls-approved accent, Burr became ambassador to the United Nations’ Global Goals initiative. The program aims to help end poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change over the next 15 years.
Out of the 17 targeted goals established by 193 UN world leaders, the popular blogger’s number one focus is gender equality.
Who: Ingrid Nilsen, Beauty Vlogger
Age: 26
Why she’s cool: Long before her stint on “Project Runway: Threads,” Nilsen influenced young girls with lively DIY vids. But it wasn’t she threw her own coming out party for over three million of her subscribers that the vlogger became an unofficial ambassador for gay youth.
Who: Amandla Stenberg, Actress
Age: 16
Why she’s cool: Though Stenberg’s feminist ideals may come in the form of Instagram comments, the “Hunger Games” actress promotes intersectional feminism with the wisdom of women twice her age.
Who: Lara Setrakian, Founder of Syria Deeply
Getty Images
Age: 33
Why she’s cool: As an award-winning journalist, Setrakian founded Syria Deeply, a single issue news website (one of the first of its kind) covering the civil war in Syria.
She runs an independent digital media group while using new technology to add greater depth to conversations surrounding global crisis.
Who: Andreja Pejić, Trans Model
Age: 24
Why she’s cool: This Bosnian queen became Vogue’s first-ever openly transgender model profile.
Who: Emma Watson, actress and UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador
Age: 25
Why she’s cool: As UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador, Watson initiated #HeForShe, a solidarity movement that asks men and boys to participate in the fight for gender equality.
For this successful campaign and her overall feminist efforts, Watson landed on the TIME 100 list this year.
Who: Shay Mitchell, Actress
Age: 28
Why she’s cool: Mitchell is more than a “Pretty Little Liar.” When she’s not taping the hit ABC Family series, she promotes a healthy lifestyle with her website Amore & Vita. She also recently launched Fit To Wander, an activewear collection for Kohl’s.
Who: Behnaz Shafiei, Iranian Motocross Rider
Age: 26
Why she’s cool: In a country where it’s illegal for women to ride motorcycles in public, Shafiei’s determination to ride despite the ban is revolutionary. Alongside five other women, she fights for a woman’s right to partake in motorsports and is one of only six women the Iranian government has granted permission to ride on off road areas.
Who: Priyanka Chopra, Actress/Singer
Age: 33
Why she’s cool: As the leading lady of ABC drama, “Quantico,” the former Miss World pageant winner is shattering more than Nielson ratings. Since becoming the highest paid Bollywood actress, Chopra has not only gone on to become an award-winning singer but is also a testament that glass ceilings can be broken for women of color.
Who: Aja Brown, Mayor of Compton, Calif.
Age: 33
Why she’s cool: Brown was elected mayor of Compton, Calif. by a landslide, making her the youngest ever to hold the position. Brown’s vision is to change the perception of the rough Los Angeles county neighborhood by implementing after-school programs and making it safer for young residents.
Who: Freida Pinto, Actress
Age: 30
Why she’s cool: A stunning Indian actress, Pinto dedicates her time to global issues like gender equality. When she’s not hugging it up with FLOTUS and Kerry Washington, she joins women empowerment campaigns like #62MillionGirls and #IAmGirlRising.
Who: Vani Hari, Founder of Food Babe
Age: 35
Why she’s cool: Heralded for her views on food safety, Hari’s heavy criticism of the food industry helped change the ingredients in food served by companies like Chick-fil-A and Subway.
Who: Michaela DePrince, Ballet Dancer
Age: 20
Why she’s cool: Before the age of four, DePrince became a war orphan but was later adopted by an American couple. Now, as a professional dancer for the Dutch National Ballet, the Sierre Leonean-American ballerina hopes to challenge racial bias in modern ballet.
Who: Lizzie Velásquez, Motivational Speaker
Age: 26
Why she’s cool: Although born without any body fat, which altered her appearance, Valásquez overcame her self-esteem issues. As an advocate for self-love, she’s used her own experience with hurtful Internet comments as a catalyst in her fight to end cyberbullying.
Who: Chibundu Onuzo, Author
Age: 24
Why she’s cool: The Nigerian author won the prestigious Desmond Elliot Prize for her debut novel, “The Spider King’s Daughter.”
Who: Malina Suliman, Artist
Age: 25
Why she’s cool: As an artist who emerged from war-ravaged Afghanistan, Suliman creates art as a socio-political statement.
Who: Tima Shomali, Arab Comedian/Actress
Age: 30
Why she’s cool: Shomali first gained widespread attention when her web series “FemaleShow” went viral. Dubbed the “Tina Fey of the Arab World,” the Jordanian comedienne not only challenges stereotypes about women in her home country, but also Western ideas about Arab women.
Who: Caitria & Morgan O’Neill, Founders of Recovers.org
Age: 24, 28
Why they’re cool: After a tornado hit their hometown, the O’Neill sisters launched a software program that helps cities build a toolkit to use before and after natural disasters strike.
Who: Kathryn Budig, Founder of Aim True Yoga
Age: 33
Why she’s cool: As a self-proclaimed warrior for self-acceptance and honesty, Budig contributes her yoga knowledge to Women’s Health magazine, Yahoo! and Yoga Journal. She’s also a sponsored athlete for Under Armour, an ambassador for Ford’s “Warriors in Pink” and the founder of her animal project, Poses for Paws.
The Real MVPs: 24 Female Millennial Influencers You Should Know
Credit: Elite Daily » Women
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