After a long wait, Empowering Economics is back with a "Businesswoman Spotlight"! Back in August, we posted our very first spotlight, focusing on Melanie Perkins, CEO and founder of Canva. Now, we are so excited to introduce one of the most influential females in the business world: Ursula Burns, CEO of Xerox.
Ursula Burns was raised in a low-income on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, but her mother's hard work allowed her to attend Cathedral High School, where she discovered her passion for math.
Burns earned her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from New York's Polytechnic Institute and then received her master's degree from Columbia University (ayo, dream school check!) while also managing an internship at Xerox.
After graduating from Columbia, she began to work full time at Xerox, playing an influential role in the product development department. Her hard work and talent eventually led her to become the company's senior vice president of corporate strategic services (Basically, she led production operations LOL). And, finally, in 2009, Ursula Burns became the CEO of Xerox!
Ursula Burns' accomplishments made her the FIRST African American woman to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. One of Empowering Economics' favorite quotes of hers is to "Believe that there are no limitations, no barriers to your success--you will be empowered and you will achieve!"
We hope you enjoyed this short biography of one of our favorite female businesswomen and take her advice into your daily life and mindset! To learn more about Ursula Burns, click here!