2016 was a phenomenal year for women. However it is important to remain motivated to give women the same respect you would a man. In 2016, only 24 of Fortune 500 companies had women as CEOs, which is a dismal 4.8% of relevant companies. These women made an impact which inspires, motivates and challenges conventional thinking. Here is a reminder of those women who have changed your life in 2016.

Michelle Obama

Perhaps the most famous of these women on this list, the First Lady of the Obama Administration, started the Let’s Move! Campaign encouraging children to exercise 60 minutes per day. You probably have seen commercials motivating you to stay fit, instead of binge-watching a little too much cable television. She also advocated for struggling military families, encouraged national service, and acknowledged working women with families.

Ertharin Cousin

Arguably one of the most admirable people of 2016, Cousin is the Executive Director of the World Food Programme. She has helped over 80 countries and 90 million people receive the food they needed. Appointed U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food, she served from years 2009-2012. Along with helping our present hunger issue, she is also looking ahead, as she is a board member for Compact2025. Compact2025 is a partnership providing and circulating advice for those interested in helping stop world hunger one step at a time.

Indra K. Nooyi

In case I haven’t made you hungry enough, from Lay’s Potato Chips to Gatorade, you have probably enjoyed the sweet or salty joy of Pepsi products. Indra K. Nooyi became the CEO of PepsiCo after attending the Yale School of Management. The CEO led her company to surpass her main competitor, The Coca-Cola Company, since 2005 in revenue. When not pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors, she is being recognized by her native country: India awarded Nooyi the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in the country awarded by the President of the Republic of India.

Mary T. Barra

In April of 2014, you might have seen Mary Barra’s face on the cover of TIME’s “100 Most Influential People in the World”. Mary Barra came from a working-class family; her father working as a die marker for Pontiac for over 39 years. Mary would later become CEO of GM, the company that used to own Pontiac. Mary T. Barra has re-established General Motors on a successful path after their bankruptcy in 2009. Mary has been as one of Forbes’s most powerful women for over 5 years in a row.