This week we're shouting out some seriously inspiring women leading movements across the country. It’s called leadership for a reason.

@repmaxinewaters

Congresswoman Maxine Waters is considered by many to be one of the most powerful women in American politics today. She has gained a reputation as a fearless and outspoken advocate for women, children, people of color and the poor. Throughout her 37 years of public service, Maxine Waters has been on the cutting edge, tackling difficult and often controversial issues. She has combined her strong legislative and public policy acumen and high visibility in Democratic Party activities with an unusual ability to do grassroots organizing. Prior to her election to the House of Representatives in 1990, Congresswoman Waters had already attracted national attention for her no-nonsense, no-holds-barred style of politics.

@jessomatt

“I think that is the beauty of struggle–that you have an appreciation for the simple things in life,” Jessica said. “In life you have two choices: you can resolve to be the person who just lets life happen to you or you can be the person who gets up each day, and focus on what you can control and how you can make the most out of what God has given you.” Matthews, 28, is founder and chief executive officer of Uncharted Play, based in New York City. Her company began with the development of the Soccket–a soccer ball that could generate three hours of LED light after 30 minutes of play. The technology of the Soccket and another invention, Pulse–a jump rope that generates six hours of LED light or a 50% iPhone charge after 15 minutes of play–is now being applied to other energy-generated play products. 

@raquel_willis

As Communications Associate for the Transgender Law Center, black queer transgender activist Raquel Willis is dedicated to helping marginalized individuals in her personal and professional work. In response to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's controversial statement on trans women, Willis' op-ed for The Root, "Trans Women Are Women. This Isn't A Debate" was her most revolutionary moment to date.

@sherylsandberg

Sheryl Kara Sandberg is an American technology executive, activist, and author. She is the chief operating officer of Facebook and founder of Leanin.org. Sandberg is the author of the bestseller Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, which has sold more than a million copies and has been optioned as a film. Lean In inspired a global community group, LeanIn.org, which Sandberg founded to support women striving to reach their ambitions. From her COO post, Sandberg oversees Facebook’s business operations, specifically helping Facebook scale its operations and expand its global footprint. For her duties, Sandberg has been richly rewarded, and she made her way onto the billionaires’ list in early 2014, based on her stake in Facebook, which made its initial public stock offering in 2012, the same year that Sandberg became the first female member of the company's board of directors.

@repbarragan

Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán represents California's 44th Congressional District #CA44. Rep. Barragán has worked as a community advocate in Los Angeles as well as in Washington. She worked in the White House in the late 90’s and then at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People – focusing on racial and social justice issues. While serving as a Councilwoman, she stood up to an oil company to stop a proposal to drill thirty-four oil and water injection wells in Hermosa Beach and out into the Santa Monica Bay. She became the first Latina ever elected and the first woman in ten years. Rep. Barragán began her congressional career in January of 2017, where she is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Progressive Caucus. She serves on the Committee on Homeland Security and Natural Resources.
 

@kirstengillibrand

Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand is an American attorney and politician serving since 2009 as a United States Senator from New York, alongside the Democratic Leader of the United States Senate, Chuck Schumer. One of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s top priorities in the United States Senate is to rebuild the American economy. She is fighting every day for more good-paying jobs, more products stamped with the words “Made in America,” and more new small businesses around New York State. She is determined to make sure that all New Yorkers have the opportunity to reach their potential, and she has consistently been a voice for the voiceless across New York and all around the country.

@amyklobuchar

Amy Jean Klobuchar is an American former prosecutor, author and politician serving as the senior United States Senator from Minnesota. U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is the first woman elected to represent the State of Minnesota in the United States Senate. Throughout her public service, Senator Klobuchar has always embraced the values she learned growing up in Minnesota. Since arriving in the Senate, Senator Klobuchar has worked with Democrats and Republicans to get things done. She led the effort to pass landmark pieces of legislation to end human trafficking and to combat the opioid epidemic. She fought to pass the most significant consumer product safety legislation in a generation, keeping foreign toxic products off our shores and out of our stores, and pushed the cell phone companies to enact more consumer-friendly policies. Additionally, her efforts to protect consumers have resulted in the largest furniture recall in American history as well as millions of defective airbags being taken off the road.
 

@senatorheitkamp

Mary Kathryn "Heidi" Heitkamp is an American businesswoman, lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States Senator from North Dakota since 2013. As a former director of the one-of-a-kind Dakota Gasification synfuels plant, Senator Heitkamp has a long record of serving as a champion for North Dakota’s energy jobs and industry. Senator Heitkamp sits on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, where she has been fighting for North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers to make sure they get the resources and support they need to continue to feed North Dakota, the country, and the world. Starting on day one in the Senate, she helped write, negotiate, and pass a long-term, comprehensive Farm Bill which Congress passed in 2014.

@sarahsophief

Writer, activist, performer and mother, Sarah Sophie Flicker is truly a jack of all trades.  "We live in a world where so many people don't have official titles anymore, but there's this pressure to explain what you do, or know what you're gonna be when you grow up," Sarah says, "The thing that's cool about life is that that changes all the time." Between performing with her political cabaret The Citizen's Band, producing political PSAs, and picking up her babies from school, Flicker is paving the way for women everywhere to kick ass on their own terms.

Rep Patricia Todd

(honorary-- no IG avail, but we'd follow for sure.)

Patricia Todd is an American politician from Alabama. A Democrat, she is a member of the Alabama House of Representatives representing District 54 in downtown Birmingham. She was elected in November 2006. She is currently the Human Rights Campaign Alabama State Director and is the first ever openly gay elected official in the state of Alabama. Formerly she was the associate director of AIDS Alabama.

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