Hope Katz Gibbs, author, Truly Amazing Women

Fran Drescher

Author Alice Hoffman

Karen Hanrahan, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Human Rights and Democracy, Obama Administration

Photographer Maggie Winters

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Author Adriana Trigiani

Marga Fripp, founder, Empowered Women International

Cancer survivor Debbie Gee

Photographer Anna Paige Gibbs

Carolina Garcia, LeoNora Gourmet Bakery

Trudi Lacey, head coach and general manager, The Washington Mystics

Screwtop Wine Bar owner, Wendy Buckley

Soprano Monica Yunus, co-founder "Sing for Hope"

Dr. Helen Fisher, author "Why Him? Why Her?"

Faux artist Adrienne van Doreen, author "The House That Faux Built"

Danielle Goldstone, Ashoka

Life Coach Martha Beck, Oprah magazine columnist, author, "Finding Your Own North Star, "Steering By Starlight," and her latest, "Finding Your Way in A Wild New World."

Julie Otsuka, author, "When the Emperor Was Divine" and "The Buddha in the Attic"

Philanthropist Edie Fraser

Jennifer Niven, author and screenwriter of the series, "Velva Jean Learns to Drive"

Pam Godwin, President of Change Partners, Inc.

Yoga teacher Annie Moyer, director, Sun & Moon Yoga Studio, Arlington VA

Andrea Keating, CEO and founder, Crews Control

Gina Schaefer, owner, ACE Hardware stores

International AIDS Activist Sabine Durier

Stephanie Bhonsay, founder, Garden U

Mary Seton Corboy

Molly Barker, founder, Girls on the Run

Kathi Kamen Goldmark

Entrepreneur Lisa Mecurio, founder, The Bedtime Network and SmashArts

Episcopal Bishop Katharine Schori

Fine artist and writer, J. Ruth Gendler; author of "The Book of Qualities,” “Changing Light,” and “Notes on the Need for Beauty.”

Alece Birnbach

Futurist Kristin Nauth Partner, Foresight Alliance

Journalist and author Kati Marton

Author Margie Warrell, "Find Your Courage"

Shoe Designer Xiomara Arroyo, owner and founder, Xiomara Lisette

Intuitive Guide Eliel Fionn

Principal Nardos King

Roz Schanzer

Laurie Strongin and baby Henry

Wendy Smith, author, "Give a Little"

Children's book author Beverly Cleary

Stephanie Bunt and her family

Lisa McLeod

Artist Sally Wern Comport, Art At Large

Kathleen Jo Ryan

Nell Merlino

Analena Valdes Graham, MASH PIT

Barbara Lee Shaw

Paulette Brown

Kate Ludeman

Meg Carnes

Immigration Attorney Linda Rahal

Activist Jane Barker is working to build the Turning Point Suffragist Memorial

Bestselling Author Caroline Leavitt, "Pictures of You."

Dr. Salma Haque, Simplicity Urgent Care

Rachel Machacek, author of "The Science of Single"

Lee Woodruff, author, "Perfectly Imperfect"

Miami photographer Cindy Seip

Joanna Barsh, author, "How Remarkable Women Lead"

Roxanne Ladd

Travel Writer Carla King

Travel Writer Lisa Alpine

Welcome

Truly Amazing Women, LLC, is an organization that honors, connects, and promotes the women who are making strides and changing lives.

What makes a woman truly amazing? That’s the question I have been excited to answer since April 18, 2008—the day this big idea was born. Having been a journalist since graduating from the University of Pennsylvania in 1986, I have written hundreds of articles about the fabulous work women do every day as they juggle careers and finances, family and responsibility to their community—and try to hold onto a little something for themselves.

Inspiration to create this project came on the warm spring day when I had the privilege of being surrounded by dozens of dynamic, invincible women determined to create change. I first attended a luncheon hosted by Nechama Shemtov, the leader of the influential Jewish DC organization, Aura, at the Dupont Circle residence of the Ambassador to Colombia. Speakers included actress and Cancer Schmancer founder Fran Drescher, Hadassah Lieberman, and Holocaust survivor Nesse Godin. I then scooted across town to attend a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton at the home of philanthropist Edie Fraser, where hundreds of women gathered to help elect the first female president.

As I sat sipping my coffee the next morning with my husband, illustrator Michael Gibbs, I told him that I felt compelled to do something to honor all of the women who work so hard, yet often go unnoticed. He smiled a knowing grin and lifted his eyes to mine. “You know,” he said, “you are going to have to write a book about this.” We clinked our mugs together, and got to work. Within weeks, Mike designed this website, and our Inkandescent PR web guru Max Kukoy programmed it. The book—and a TV series—is in development. Click here to learn about our plans.

I invite you to join us on this journey. Start by perusing the website, beginning with profiles of three amazing women posted below. These rotate, so refresh the homepage to meet three more ladies. To view all of the profiles, click on The Women. The profiles are also sorted by The Industries that these amazing women work in. Then click over to the Submit a Proposal page, and tell me how you are amazing!

I look forward to meeting you! — Hope hope@hopegibbs.com • Inkandescent PR

Meet more of our Truly Amazing Women

UN World Food Programme Leader Josette Sheeran

Who she is: 11th Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme

What she does: Since taking over the U.N. position in April 2007, Sheeran has led the organization that has fed more than 1.6 billion of the world’s poorest people and invested nearly $42 billion in development and emergency relief that was founded in 1963. From the organization’s headquarters in Rome, Sheeran partners with nearly 3,000 non-government agencies to distribute food.

Why she does it: “The solution to hunger is not quite rocket science,” Sheeran said in a 2010 speech. “Many nations have defeated hunger, and it doesn’t require some great new scientific breakthrough like discovering a cure for cancer. It is, on one level, quite simple: People need access to an adequate amount of nutritious food.”

Michelle Kownacki, Paws Pet Boutique

Who she is: Owner of a pet-friendly boutique is one of the best spots in Annapolis for cat and dog lovers to find reasonably priced, high-quality specialty items.

What she does: Kownacki’s motto is “Make a tail wag today.”

Why she does it: Kownacki notes that her ultimate goal is to improve the lives of as many people and animals as possible through her store and website, so in addition to offering her four-legged friends a pet behind the ears, free treat, and fresh bowl of water, Kownacki prides herself on being a small company that makes a big difference.

Smile Network International Founder Kim Valentini

Who she is: Kim founded Smile Network International in May 2003 after 25 years in public relations and marketing.

What she does: Her travels with Smile Network have taken her to the far corners of the earth and off the beaten path. She has met with dignitaries of foreign countries, traveled to remote, poverty-stricken villages, and met hundreds of families and children along the way whose lives have been changed as a result of the free reconstructive surgeries.

Why she does it: “Every year thousands of children are born in developing countries with facial deformities such as cleft lips and palates and suffer the humiliation and embarrassment of disfigurement,” explains Kim. “The mission of Smile Network International is straightforward: to reconstruct lives one bright, smiling face at a time.”

Click here to read the profiles of all of our Truly Amazing Women.