Forbes 50 OVER 50: IMPACT
Age can be your superpower. Just ask any of the entrepreneurs, investors, inventors, and artists on our third annual Forbes 50 Over 50 list. The women over 50 are founding brands used by millions, breaking world records and forging technological breakthroughs. They are proof positive that success and innovation can happen at any age.
Transformational leader
In 2021, at 51, Karen Knudsen became CEO of the American Cancer Society (ACS). Though a collection of women called the Women's Field Army is credited with scaling up the ACS almost a century ago, Knudsen is the first woman to officially serve as CEO.
Knudsen is also the first basic scientist—she is a National Cancer Institute-funded researcher—and the first former director of a nationally-recognized cancer center to lead the organization.
In her most recent prior role, she served as executive vice president of oncology services and enterprise director for the nationally-recognized Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health.
Knudsen's research contributions have helped to further the understanding and treatment of prostate cancer—which currently affects one in eight American men.
In May 2022, Knudsen launched a health equity partnership with the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association and others to improve healthcare access in communities of color.