Suneera Madhani

She was rejected 300 times but still managed to build a $1B fintech company.

Suneera Madhani, the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, heard “no” more than 300 times when pitching her idea for a subscription-based payment platform.

So she did what any visionary entrepreneur would do: she bet on herself.

In 2014, Suneera launched Stax, a fintech company that revolutionized credit card processing, making it simpler and more affordable for businesses of all sizes.

Stax now processes $40B annually, supports over 30,000 customers, and has become one of America’s fastest-growing companies.

As the first female CEO to lead a unicorn company out of Florida, she’s acutely aware of the challenges women face in entrepreneurship.

That’s why she founded CEO School, a platform empowering women to scale their businesses and shatter the $1M revenue barrier.

A milestone only 2% of female founders ever achieve.

“Why not me?” became Suneera’s mantra as she navigated bias, rejection, and the demands of motherhood.

Her advice? “Command your seat at the table. No one’s going to give it to you.”