A list of women breaking the mold, and shaping the city today.
San Francisco has always led the way in breaking down barriers and creating a nurturing environment for excluded communities. It was the first city to legalize gay marriage in the US, the first city to have a transgender cultural district, the first to have a female African-American tram operator (who happened to be Maya Angelou) and in the last few years, it’s steadily continued to uphold this legacy. These are the influential women of San Francisco who are shaping the future and leading the way for future generations.
1. Katie Sowers
Katie Sowers, the 49ers’ assistant coach, is the first female, openly gay, offensive assistant, in Super Bowl History. While she is leading the way for females in a male-dominated sport, she is also leading the way for NFL players that identify as LGBTQ+.
2. Dominique Crenn
Dominique is the first female chef in America to earn 3 Michelin stars with her restaurant, Atelier Crenn. Her smaller projects in the Bay Area have also been highly successful, such as Bar Crenn, which also earned itself a Michelin star. The culinary powerhouse is slowly changing the SF food industry for women, one highly-acclaimed project at a time.
3. Honey Mahogany
Mahogany has recently been elected to the Democratic County Central Committee, making her the first black, transgender person to be elected in Californian history. She is also the co-founder of the first Compton’s Transgender Cultural District, which is the first of its kind in the world.
4. Sukhinder Singh Cassidy
Meet the owner of Joyous, VP of Stubhub with over 20 years of experience in companies like Amazon, Google and Polyvore. Singh is one of the very few women of color in a senior position at a top tech firm and she aims to change that. Aside from her incredible accomplishments, she is also currently working on The Boardlist, which matches qualified women with private tech companies.
5. Linda Harrison
Linda Harrison is the executive director of the Museum of the African Diaspora (MOAD). She had previously been an executive at Fortune 50 companies when she made the decision to channel her business acumen into the arts. She has been shaking up the art scene by showcasing diverse talent, which has been catalytic in cultivating a powerful and integrated community of artists.
6. London Breed
London Breed is the 45th Mayor of San Francisco and the city’s first female, African-American Mayor. Breed grew up in poverty, lost her sister to a drug overdose and her brother is currently in prison. She is breaking down the race and gender barriers in politics, in spite of the odds.
7. Doris Fisher
The 89-year-old co-founder of The Gap, is one of the wealthiest self-made women in America. Fisher was one of the first females to graduate from Standford Univesity with an Economics degree, so it’s no surprise that the philanthropist has a keen focus on education. She is among the premier art collectors in the world with 1,100 pieces by the likes of Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein which are housed at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Follow us on Facebook for more inspiring news!
[Featured Image: Jamie Squire / Getty Images North America / Getty Images via AFP]