Sara Blakely

Sara Blakely is the American entrepreneur who turned $5,000 in savings and a pair of altered pantyhose into Spanx, the shapewear company that made her, in 2012, the youngest self-made female billionaire. She built the brand without outside investment or traditional advertising, relying largely on word of mouth, and in 2024 launched the footwear label Sneex. Her book, The Belly Art Project, extends that instinct for connecting with women: a photographic collection of painted pregnant bellies celebrating motherhood.