Forbes 50 Over 50 List, 2026
Clockwise from left: Tracee Ellis Ross By Jamel Toppin for Forbes-Tracy Palandjian For Forbes By Jamel Toppin-Jennifer Garner by Ethan Pines for Forbes-Ritu Narayan by Cody Pickens for Forbes
NEW YORK (August 11, 2026) – Today, Forbes has released its “50 Over 50” list, in partnership with Know Your Value and its founder Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MS NOW’s Morning Joe. The 2026 annual list spotlights a cohort of 200 women proving that experience is a powerful force for reinvention, leadership and lasting impact, with many reaching new heights and opening new doors well into the second half of their careers.
Forbes highlights women across four categories – lifestyle, impact, innovation and investment – spotlighting entrepreneurs, innovators and artists who are turning decades of experience into bold ideas, breakthrough achievements and lasting impact.
The sixth annual 50 Over 50 list spotlights powerful, influential women from all industries, who are shaping their fields and communities through their leadership, innovation and impact including:
- Cara McNulty, CEO, Vibrant Emotional Health, leading the organization that administers the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifelines, the NFL Life Line, NYC Well, and other crisis intervention services across the country (Impact)
- Mikie Sherrill, Governor of New Jersey, and the first woman military veteran to be elected governor of any U.S. state (Impact)
- Lauren Antonoff, CEO, Life360, overseeing a tracking platform for people, pets and more with 97 million users (Innovation)
- Caterina Fake, General Partner & Investor, Yes VC, and previously founded photography platform Flickr (Investment)
- Whoopi Goldberg, entertainment icon and EGOT winner who recently cofounded the All Women’s Sports Network (AWSN) (Lifestyle)
- Michelle Wong, Producer, Warner Bros/Sony/KPOP Demon Hunters, a key figure on the largely women-led team for the Oscar-winning movie KPOP Demon Hunters (Lifestyle)
“Our sixth annual 50 Over 50 list continues to showcase that some of the most pivotal chapters of a career can come after 50,” says Maggie McGrath, Editor, ForbesWomen. “What stands out about the women on the 2026 list is the scale and breadth of their impact. Across industries and communities, these women are challenging the status quo, solving complex problems that affect many and creating opportunities for the next generation. Their achievements show that experience can be a catalyst for bold ideas, and that there is no age limit on innovation, ambition or impact.”
“What continues to inspire me about this list is the sheer breadth of what women are accomplishing after 50 — across industries, countries and communities,” says Mika Brzezinski, founder of Know Your Value and co-host of MS NOW’s Morning Joe. “We’re celebrating women who continue to evolve, lead, innovate and reach new heights, while building a global community that makes the path wider for those who follow. That sends an incredibly powerful message to younger women: there is no expiration date on ambition, impact or opportunity.”
This year’s list also includes four callouts for each category:
- Tracee Ellis Ross, (Lifestyle) – who has been acting since her 20s, but at age 53, reached a new milestone: her Broadway debut. Ross is also the founder Pattern Beauty, the haircare company she launched in 2019 to better serve people with textured, coily hair.
- Jennifer Garner, (Impact) – who in February, rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange to celebrate the $724 million IPO of the company she co-founded, Once Upon A Farm. Alongside her brand, Garner’s acting career spans recent hits like Deadpool & Wolverine and The Five Star Weekend, earning her at least $125 million over the course of her career, Forbes estimates.
- Tracy Palandjian, (Investment) – Co-Founder of Social Finance, having raised more than $500 million from investors, helping refinancing predatory home loans to give low-income borrowers better terms and Claude Corps, a new partnership with Anthropic and CodePath to put AI-trained employees inside nonprofits.
- Ritu Narayan, (Innovation) – a veteran Silicon Valley exec, now leading a $1.7 billion (valuation) startup called Zum, bringing AI to the yellow school bus, by connecting those buses to an app that allows parents and teachers to track the buses on their routes.
Additional feature stories running within the 50 Over 50 package include:
The Forbes 50 Over 50 List is produced in partnership with Mika Brzezinski’s Know Your Value.
To celebrate this year’s list and mark five years of the Forbes 30/50 Summit, Forbes and Know Your Value will host an intimate, invitation-only gathering this fall in New York City, honoring women from Forbes’ 50 Over 50 and 30 Under 30 communities. Led by Mika Brzezinski, Huma Abedin and Maggie McGrath, the immersive experience will bring together dynamic women across generations for meaningful connection, rich conversation and mentorship, creating enduring alliances, and insights for every stage of a woman’s career. Cisco is the Presenting Sponsor of the 50 Over 50 list and celebratory event.
For the full list, package and methodology, visit:
To follow the conversation online, use #Forbes50Over50.
Media Contacts:
Christina Vega Magrini, cmagrini@forbes.com
Feryal Nawaz, fnawaz@forbes.com
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