10 hottest women of business From fashion runways to Project Runway, Heidi Klum’s goldilocks and 1,000 watt smile has lit up magazine covers, stages and screens from here to Milan since 1992. Bronze and toned, her body splashed the cover of Sports Illustrated and earned her the coveted “Angel” position with Victoria’s Secret. She has appeared in several television shows and movies, which led her to pitch and secure the phenomenally popular and only reality-show winner of the Peabody Award “Project Runway” on Bravo as Host, Judge and Executive Producer. (AGENCY) Sara Blakely literally embodies the can-do spirit that lies within the heart of just about all of us. A few years ago, when frustrated in her search to find a pair of pantyhose that would offer some slimming features, she took $5,000 from her savings and started her own company to produce exactly that kind of product. With that product, called SPANX, Sara Blakely quickly became a hero to women all over the world while, at the same time, helping to revive an industry that had been in a slump for more than a decade. (AGENCY) Beyonce Knowles: After ditching Destiny’s Child to go solo in 2003, the Houston native has released two platinum albums and built a wildly successful entertainment empire that includes fashion, film and publishing deals. She sold $50 million in tickets on a recent tour. Her endorsement contracts, with L’Oréal, American Express and others, bring in $10 million annually. (AGENCY) A successful model most of her life and an young female African-American role model to many, Tyra Banks could have stopped there, but has only risen since. Starting in May 2003 her creation-America’s Next Top Model started modestly and has grown into a worldwide hit and is embarking upon its 10th cycle. The most recent edition was the network’s top-rated series, averaging 5.2 million viewers weekly. And The Tyra Banks Show - a broad mix of women’s issues and frothy fare - is now a talk-show force to be reckoned with: 4.3 million adult female viewers tuned in weekly this past November sweeps, and, with a median age of 40, Tyra has the youngest talk-show audience in daytime. (AGENCY) Gina Bianchini: Bianchini co-founded Ning, a customizable social networking platform, with Netscape founder Marc Andreessen in 2004. This Stanford MBA and former Goldman Sachs financial analyst has guided Ning’s unique platform, where users build their own features, to astonishing rates of success, from unnecessary $60 million VC rounds to phenomenal growth rates. She is also really hot. (AGENCY) In fewer than seven years, Rachael Ray, 39, has radically changed the way America cooks dinner. Her perky-girl-next-door swagger, her catchphrases for techniques and her dinner ideology of simpler, less expensive and just in time have sold billions of books and placed her at the top of the talent love heap at the Food Network, which has changed its focus from information exchange to helpful encouragement. (AGENCY) Arianna Huffington: The dynamic founder of the Huffington Post also boasts well-preserved good looks. She has quite the journalistic background, ranging from a panelist position on the BBC radio to co-hosting an Air America show. She used to be a vehement anti-Clintonian conservative; the HuffPo shows she has swung the other direction. Her hot qualities, meanwhile, stayed the same. (AGENCY) Marissa Mayer was one of the first 20 employees at Google, so she has obviously been influential in steering the company towards its massive success and market share dominance. She currently serves as Google’s VP of Search Product and User Experience and de facto spokesperson. Her job is to verify whether Google products are ready for user release. Early on, Melissa used to date Google co-founder Larry Page, but has since moved on to other pastures. She is free for the looking for everyone. (AGENCY) Alexis Glick: Is the hot on-air personality that (we think) is the main reason that millions of men watch Fox Business Network each week. She is hugely influential in the business world because of her control over strategy and programming decisions at Fox Business Network. (AGENCY) Oprah Winfrey (GETTY IMAGES) Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Whats App Pin Interest