Colombian-native and Co-Founder of the global Cultural Intelligence® Marketing and Business Solutions Network, Culture+ Group Lili Gil Valletta, joins Inc.’s eighth annual Female Founders list highlighting the nation’s top business leaders.
(PRUnderground) March 11th, 2025
Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future, today announced its eighth annual Female Founders list, honoring a bold group of 500 women whose innovations and ideas are leading their industries forward. These resilient entrepreneurs expressed grit and drive to collectively attract approximately $9 billion in 2024 revenue and $10.6 billion in funding.
Each year, Inc. editors review thousands of applications, highlighting female founders who are challenging the status quo and tackling some of the world’s biggest problems. They cull applicants through three rounds of judging, looking specifically at an entrepreneur’s bona fides in the past year. Criteria include quantifiable metrics such as revenue, sales, growth, funding, and audience size. Inc. also looks for qualitative metrics, including social media momentum and impact stories.
“Female founders know what struggle is, but they’re also experts of improvisation, adaptability, and creativity. The women featured on this year’s list exemplify these qualities. Through times of uncertainty, their unwavering dedication and steadfast leadership are not only inspiring but vital to driving progress,” said Inc. executive editor Diana Ransom.
Honoree selection is also honed through the evaluation of the program’s advisory board: Cate Luzio, founder and CEO of Luminary; Dany Garcia, founder, CEO, and chairperson of the Garcia Companies; Pinky Cole Hayes, founder and CEO of Slutty Vegan; Anu Duggal, founding partner at Female Founders Fund; Katherine Power, serial entrepreneur and partner at Greycroft; Tiffany Dufu, president of the Tory Burch Foundation and founder of the Cru; and Kay Koplovitz, co-founder and chair at Springboard Enterprises, founder of USA Network.
“Making the Inc. Female Founders 500 List is more than an accolade—it’s a powerful reminder that when women lead with purpose, we don’t just build businesses. We redefine industries and change lives. To this year’s honorees: Keep believing, scaling with heart, and daring to lift each other up along the journey,” said Lili Gil Valletta, Co-Founder and CEO of Culture+ Group.
The founders span all industries and bring unique success stories from each stage of the entrepreneurial journey—from startup to going public, being acquired by big buyers, or spending decades at the helm of an organization.
Under her leadership, and in partnership with her co-founder Enrique Arbelaez and a majority-female leadership team, Culture+ Group has been recognized three years in a row on the Inc. 5000 List as one of America’s fastest-growing privately owned companies and listed by MM+M as one of America’s Top Healthcare Agencies. The company has set a new benchmark in Cultural Intelligence® solutions ranging from AI-driven insights to marketing and growth strategies for some of the world’s most iconic brands and Fortune 500s to tap into high-growth diverse markets.
Over the past year, Culture+ Group has led transformative sessions for Fortune 500 C-suite executives and expanded its impact through the formation of a unified independent network of companies integrating CIEN+, CIEN+ Health, Human Dot Plus, and The Choice+ to drive culture-first business strategies and open a runway for M&A and joint ventures.
These achievements have earned Culture+ Group major industry accolades, including recognition as one of Ad Age’s ‘10 Independent Agency Networks for Brands to Know’ and placement on the MM+M Agency 100 as one of America’s Top Healthcare Agencies, being the only independent, culturally focused and minority-owned.
Beyond her company’s success, Lili Gil Valletta continues to break barriers. She is one of the few Latinas serving on public boards, holding an independent director role at the global lifestyle retailer Zumiez. She was honored as one of the Top 101 Most Influential Latinas and the U.S. Hispanic Business Person of the Year. She also serves on the board of RCN Television and is an investor and value partner at AUA Private Equity Partners.
From hosting the Health Equity Forum during the United Nations General Assembly to being a recognized and regular business contributor on national television and shaping the future of business across board rooms, Lili Gil Valletta and Culture+ Group continue to drive impactful change, proving that culture is not just a demographic—it’s a growth engine.
“This recognition reflects the dedication of our team, the trust of our clients, and our commitment to data-driven growth—because demographics don’t lie. High-growth, diverse audiences are the new mainstream, and we help brands turn this shift into a competitive advantage. We don’t just market to culture; we build at its speed, continuously innovating with technology, new business models, and scalable solutions. It’s a dynamic journey, and we embrace it boldly—always keeping purpose and people at the center.” concludes Lili Gil Valletta, Co-Founder and CEO of Culture+ Group.
Several honorees will be featured in Inc. magazine’s Female Founders issue on newsstands on March 18, 2025. To see the complete list of honorees, please visit: https://www.inc.com/profile/liliana-gil-valletta
About Inc.
Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for entrepreneurs and business leaders who are shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
About Culture+ Group
Culture+ Group is an independent marketing solutions network built to help brands thrive in a fast-changing, diverse world where culture drives growth. With decades of expertise in Cultural Intelligence® Solutions, the group fuses business transformation, organizational design, and agile creative and innovation strategies to accelerate impact and business results. Its ecosystem of specialized agencies—CIEN+ (culture-first marketing), CIEN+Health (inclusive healthcare marketing), Human Dot Plus (AI-driven insights/ innovation consultancy), The Ideatelier+ (branding/ luxury/ trend foresight), and The Choice+ (shopper/experiential marketing)—positions Culture+ Group to tackle business challenges at the speed of culture. By blending cultural insights, strategic foresight, and data-driven clarity, the group empowers brands to adapt, evolve, and seize new growth opportunities.
As a certified minority- and woman-owned business and NMSDC Corporate Plus® Member, Culture+ Group is committed to advancing inclusion and innovation across all industries. The group has teams based across the U.S., Latin America and Europe. For more information visit: www.cultureplusgroup.com
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