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On Wednesday, I had the privilege of sitting down for a conversation with Ali Truwit, a Paralympic athlete with two silver medals to her name. Ali’s story will be familiar to those of you who watched the Games this summer or tuned into the Forbes Power Women Summit in September—Ali gave a brilliant speech that, whether you’ve watched it before or not, merits five minutes of your time today.
The recording of our conversation is not yet on Forbes.com, but I wanted to give you loyal ForbesWomen newsletter readers a bit of a preview, in part because I think Ali’s message is so needed in this current moment. Less than two years ago, Ali survived a shark attack that took part of her left leg. Today, Ali is a Paralympic athlete with a foundation that just donated its first prosthetic limb to a young girl in need. She told me that the “February 2023” Ali would likely not be able to believe everything she would overcome and achieve in just two years.
Ali likes to say that she may be unique in having been attacked by a shark, she is not unique in facing hardship. So whether you are someone who has lost their job amid mass layoffs in the public or private sector this year, someone who is undergoing a severe health scenario or personal matter—or someone who is supporting a loved one through a troubled moment—Ali’s message to you is this: “You are stronger than you think.”
Cheers!
Maggie
Exclusive Forbes Profile: These Scientists Are Using AI To Spot Financial Scams Before They Begin
Yinglian Xie and Fang Yu have dozens of academic papers and 11 years of startup struggles under their belts. Today, the company they cofounded in 2013—the Mountain View, California- based DataVisor—has finally broken through in the hot area of protecting financial firms and their customers from fraud. With Xie as CEO and Yu as chief product officer, DataVisor’s revenue shot up 67% in 2024 to $50 million, helping it land for the first time on Forbes’ Fintech 50 list recognizing America’s most innovative fintech startups. Its customers include SoFi, Affirm and Marqeta.
ICYMI: News Of The Week
Forbes released its annual list of America’s most generous philanthropists this month, and the lifetime giving of the nation’s top 25 philanthropists through December 30, 2024 rose to $241 billion–$30 billion more than last year’s total. Still, that 14% increase in giving came at a time when collectively, their fortunes rose 18.5%. To see the full list of top givers, which includes women like Mackenzie Scott, Marilyn Simons and Lynn & Stacy Schusterman, click through here!
A new report from Inshur and Censuswide found that more women than ever—especially those under the age of 34—are turning to on-demand driving for flexibility, financial independence and greater control over their schedules. According to the findings, women now make up nearly half of all on-demand delivery drivers in the U.S.
Taylor Swift matched one of Elvis Presley’s records this week: Her Lover (Live from Paris) reappeared at No. 1 on the U.K’s list of the most-consumed albums in the country. It’s her 13th No. 1 on the U.K. albums chart, officially tying The King and earning a place among the most popular foreign artists ever in the U.K.
We released the first-ever 50 Over 50 Global list last month, and among the 50 women highlighted was Mexico’s “queen of tequila,” Melly Barajas. Today, the 60-year-old is the founder and head distiller of Leyenda de Mexico, one of the first female-owned tequila companies and one that runs an all-female operation. “I really think this industry needed the female touch,” Barajas told Forbes’ Maria Gracia Santillana Linares in an exclusive interview.
In other news from our North American neighbor: Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum moved forward Monday with her threat to sue Google over the company renaming the “Gulf of Mexico” as the “Gulf of America” on Google Maps, warning the government will take action if Google continues to claim the entire body of water—not just the U.S.-controlled area—now has President Donald Trump’s preferred name.
The Checklist
1. Prepare for off-beat interview questions without sounding scripted. One way to prepare for left-field questions about your experience or weaknesses during a job search? Use the STAR Method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), but keep it natural. Here’s what else you need to know.
2. Overcome chronic overwhelm. Addicted to busyness? Here’s how to spot the signs and make intentional shifts to reclaim your energy, focus and sense of balance.
3. Understand the ways Black women are set up to fail in the workplace—and work to change this reality. New research from Harvard Kennedy School finds that when Black women start their careers working with a higher percentage of white colleagues, they are more likely to leave their jobs and less likely to be promoted. Read more about the study here and also learn about actionable steps to take to address these systemic barriers.
The Quiz
Netflix’s popular documentary series American Murder: Gabby Petito details the 2021 murder of the 22-year-old creator by her fiancé, but it’s raising eyebrows for a decision made in the production process. What is it?
- Releasing the documentary without the approval of Petito’s family
- Using AI to recreate Petito’s voice
- Using AI to generate Petito’s likeness
- Including intimate footage from Petito’s personal devices
Check your answer.