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Girl Power - We're celebrating the fierce females under 40 who have blazed a trail, broken new ground or otherwise made us proud. Each of these women are making history — right now. Here are our picks for 40 Under 40... (Photos from left: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Smashbox Studios, Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Architectural Digest, Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

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Misty Copeland - In 2007, the 32-year-old became the third African-American female soloist in the history of the American Ballet Theatre, the first in nearly 20 years. In 2014, she starred in a powerful Under Armour ad campaign empowering women to “will what they want.” She will dance the lead role of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., this April. (Photo: Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS /Landov)

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Mankofit - Massiel Arias, or more widely known as Mankofit, became Insta-famous due to her large following on Instagram. Each day, the celebrity personal trainer and online coach, 25, encourages her more than one million followers to lead a healthy lifestyle with exercise tips, nutritious recipes and fit-spirational selfies. You also might recognize the Dominicana as the fit chick lifting weights in Trey Songz's "Na Na" video. (Photo: Rob Loud/Getty Images for JBL by HARMAN)

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Keke Palmer - America's youngest TV talk show host (BET’s Just Keke)….Broadway’s first Black Cinderella. Yep, Keke’s already hit a number of milestones at the tender age of 21, and the future’s only looking brighter for this actress/TV personality. She next appears in the upcoming Fox comedy Scream Queens later this year. (Photo: Tracylynne Williams/BET)

Photo By Photo: Tracylynne Williams/BET

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Laverne Cox - She may play an inmate on Orange Is the New Black, but in the real world, Laverne Cox, 30, has completely broken free from societal restraints. In 2014, she became the first transgendered person to cover Time magazine and was the first trans woman to be nominated for an Emmy. She continues her work as an advocate for the LGBT community.  (Photo: Time Magazine, June 2014)

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Quvenzhané Wallis - At age 9, this adorable starlet became the youngest Oscar-nominated star in history (for 2012’s Beasts of the Southern Wild). Now 11, she’s still breaking barriers as the first celebrity spokes-model for Armani Junior and the first Black actress to play the titular role in Annie on the big screen. (Photo: Armani Jr)

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Serena and Venus Williams - Together, Serena, 33, and Venus, 34, have won three gold Olympic medals in women’s tennis doubles competition, the most of any other competitors, and together they hold 26 Grand Slam Titles. (Venus with seven and Serena with 19.) From humble beginnings in Compton, California, they prove that it doesn’t matter where you come from, but how hard you’re willing to play to make it to the top. (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)

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Rihanna - She's conquered music (13 singles on Billboard's Hot 100, as many as Michael Jackson), social media (11 million followers on Instagram, 34 million on Twitter) and fashion (she's done four collections with British mega-brand River Island). Now, the chart-topper and style icon seems to be shifting her focus on giving back. Last year, Rihanna launched her Clara Lionel Foundation to help needy children and the Diamond Ball to get some of her celeb friends to part with their cash for a good cause. Has our favorite bad girl gone good? (Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for The Clara Lionel Foundation)

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Jourdan Dunn - From the Victoria's Secret runway to the cover of British Vogue, 2015 is most definitely the #YearoftheDunn. The gorgeous model ended a 12-year streak of only white cover girls on the fashion bible, becoming the first Black model to grace the cover since 2002. Dunn has also teamed up with another trailblazer in the fashion world, Naomi Campbell, for Burberry's Spring/Summer campaign. (Photo: British Vogue Magazine, February 2015)

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Zendaya Coleman - Starting out on Disney’s Shake It Up, Zendaya has parlayed her success into successful ad campaigns for Madonna’s Material Girl fashion line. But she’s more than a pretty face: the 18-year-old is currently developing her next Disney TV show, K.C. Undercover, for which she’s also an executive producer.   (Photo: Fortunata / Splash News)

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Joan Smalls - In 2011, this Puerto Rican beauty became the first Latina to land a contract with Estée Lauder. By 2013, she was one of the top 10 highest-paid models of the year. We can't wait to see what this psychology major (she graduated magna cum laude) from Hatillo, P.R., has in store for us this year. (Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

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Zoe Saldana  - This A-Lister, 36, is unwavering about her commitment to staying true to herself, Hollywood standards be damned. As a Latina, she refuses to be typecast, instead choosing projects that stretch her creative muscles. Case in point? Starring roles in the blockbusters Avatar, the top-grossing film in history, Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Trek.   (Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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Beyoncé - Bey is one of those rare artists who both sets the standards and knocks them down. After making history just over a year ago by dropping a whole album, complete with music videos, unannounced, Bey finally gave fans a peek into her personal life and marriage with her On the Run tour, a joint venture with husband Jay Z, which grossed nearly $110 million.  (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Parkwood Entertainment)

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Solange Knowles  - The world knew her first as Beyoncé little sister, but the 28-year-old has more than garnered her own claim to fame through her soulful music, style savvy and business acumen. In 2013 she launched a music label, Saint Records, releasing her own music and developing new artists, and she’s currently the creative director of her own footwear line with Puma.  (Photo: Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

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Kerry Washington - From Della Bea Robinson, the wife of Ray Charles, to Washington’s fearless fixer, Olivia Pope, the 38-year-old actress owns every role and brings an undeniable humanity to each of her characters. When Scandal debuted in 2012, a smash hit, she became the first African-American actress to lead a network drama in almost 40 years, opening the doors for more Black female-led dramas to take the stage. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Ursula Stephen - No doubt about it, celebrity hairstylist Ursula Stephen is a cut above the rest, and her body of work proves it. She’s worked her magic on the manes of Rihanna, Mary J. Blige and Kerry Washington, just to name a few. She’s currently the Global Ambassador for Motions Hair Care. (Photo: Ursula Stephen via Instagram)

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Lupita Nyong’o - Along with taking home the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slave last year, the Kenyan beauty, 31, became the face of Lancôme, the brand’s first Black brand ambassador ever! We can’t wait to see her return to the big screen in December’s Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens and The Jungle Book, opening in 2016. (Photo: Lancome Paris)

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Angela Simmons - Watching Ang grow up on her family’s reality show, Run’s House, it was always clear that her ambition would lead her to success. In 2013, the fashion designer, 27, launched Angela I Am, an e-commerce website featuring edgy street-wear. For the past few seasons, she has showcased the line during New York Fashion Week. (Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images)

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Alek Wek - With her rich, ebony skin, cherub cheeks a closely shorn head, the South Sudanese model broke down the barriers of mainstream beauty and continues to enhance the path for women following in her footsteps. Outside the world of modeling, the 37-year-old continues her work as a humanitarian, serving on the U.S. Committee for Refugees Advisory Council since 2002. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images For Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week)

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Mo’ne Davis - The 13-year-old pitcher’s athletic prowess made her a household name during last summer’s Little League World Series, and she went on to be named by the Associated Press as the 2014 Female Athlete of the Year, the youngest athlete to ever receive the honor. She told BET.com of her success, “Well, about girl power…girls are just better than boys. I gotta keep girls up there on the same level of boys like, ‘You could do anything a boy can do.’” (Photo: Sports Illustrated)

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Rachel Johnson - All-star athletes turn to Rachel Johnson when they need to get glam for the red carpet. She has worked her magic on Amar'e Stoudemire, LeBron James and Serena Williams. Johnson also started her own company, Thomas Faison Agency. Fashionable and business savvy! (Photo: Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

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Gina Rodriguez - The Jane the Virgin actress is no doubt a breakout star. This year, she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress at this year’s honors, a huge feat considering it was her first time being nominated. As the 30-year-old Puerto Rican beauty memorably said in her tearful acceptance speech, “My dad used to tell me, ‘Today’s a great day, you can and you will. Well, dad, today’s a great day, and I can and I did!”  (Photo: Danny Feld/The CW)

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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 37, is an award-winning Nigerian novelist and poet. Beyoncé notably sampled a piece from Adichie’s 2012 TEDx Talk, entitled "We should all be feminists,” on her hit song “Flawless.” Adichie’s efforts to bring equality for women, specifically in the African and African-American communities, handily earns her a spot on our list.  (Photo: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)

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Sasheer Zamata - When she was cast on Saturday Night Live, the show’s first Black cast member in six years, in early 2014, there was a lot of hype to live up to. The 28-year-old, an alum of the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe, has continued to keep us rolling with her impressions of Rihanna, the first lady, Michelle Obama, and Beyoncé. (Photo: Dana Edelson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank)

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Claire Sulmers - Who’s the designer of Kim Kardashian’s bag? Where can you score Rihanna’s romper? Chances are, fashion blogger Claire Sulmers has the 411. After getting her footing in the magazine industry, the Harvard grad started fashionbombdaily.com in 2006 and has become one of the most influential urban fashion websites around. In a market where people of color aren’t always equally represented, she’s making a place at the table.  (Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty Images)

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Issa Rae  - Talented actress, writer and producer Issa Rae, 29, made it cool to be awkward. Inspired by the misadventures of her own life, the Stanford University grad created the Awkward Black Girl Web series in 2011, which helped her amass more than 180,000 subscribers on YouTube and spawned many more comedic series on her channel. She’s currently developing a new TV series with HBO. (Photo: Atria / 37 Ink)

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Alicia Keys - The songstress, 34, first stole our hearts with her debut album, Songs in A Minor, in 2001. Fifteen Grammy Awards and millions of records sold later, she’s still changing the world through her music. In 2014, she launched We Are Here, a global peace awareness campaign. She’s also been lauded for her work with Keep a Child Alive, which helps bring HIV/AIDS treatment to at-risk communities in Africa and India. (Photo: Alicia Keys via Instagram)

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Nicki Minaj - The Queens-bred bombshell, 32, has come a long way from the rainbow wigs and starship-inspired getups, but hip hop’s reigning queen has nonetheless done it with panache. Her fearlessness continues to open new doors for her, including her first high fashion campaign with Roberto Cavalli that was announced in late 2014, as well as an acting role in The Other Woman. (Photo: Samir Hussein/Getty Images for MTV)

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La La Anthony - This Brooklyn native first got her start in radio before landing a coveted job as VJ on MTV’s Total Request Live. Since finding love with husband Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks, the 35-year-old has conquered the literary world with her first book, The Love Playbook, a New York Times best seller. She’s set to release her second book, The Power Playbook, on May 5, and she currently stars in the TV drama Power on Starz. (Photo: Penguin Group publisher Celebra) La La

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Karen Civil - An entrepreneur whose Rolodex reads like a Who’s Who of hip hop, this business-savvy Millennial launched KarenCivil.com in 2008, promising an insider’s look into the world of hip hop, and notably pulling in interviews with then-relatively unknown talents including Drake and Nicki Minaj. Her philanthropic efforts include 2014’s Be You college tour. (Photo: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images for Hennessy)

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Skylar Diggins - A breakout star at Notre Dame, Diggins, 24, is still the university's all-time leading scorer with 2,357 points. Since 2013, she’s been lighting up the courts for the WMBA’s Tulsa Shock and has inked partnerships with Nike and BodyArmour.  (Photo: Leon Bennett/Getty Images)

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Lolo Jones - Refusing to limit herself athletically, the U.S. Olympic star, 32, has competed on the U.S. national team for both track and field (London 2012) and bobsledding (Sochi 2014). Outside the Olympics, fans will remember her run on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars last fall, proving that she’s ready to put in the work, no matter the challenge.  (Photo: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

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Andrea Brooks - Vlogger Andrea Brooks, better known on YouTube as AndreasChoice, brings California cool wherever she goes. Whether she’s teaching us a heat-less curl tutorial or how to DIY home decor, she always does it with a smile and her signature brand of humor.  (Photo: Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for NYX Cosmetics)

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Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs  - The duo behind luxury fashion label Cushnie et Ochs has gained some major credibility since launching in 2009. Among their celebrity clientele is the first lady, Michelle Obama. (Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)

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Queen Harrison  - The sprinter hurdler competed on behalf of the U.S. in track and field at the 2008 Summer Olympics and is the recipient of the prestigious Bowerman Award. In 2014, she was the runner up in the 2014 USA Outdoor 100mH competition. (Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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Angela Benton  - A business maven, Angela Benton is the CEO of Black Web Media. A web developer, entrepreneur and designer, she also founded NewME, a service that helps individuals grow their businesses.  (Photo: Steve Jennings/Getty Images for GLAM)

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Lyndsey Scott  - Part-time model (her contracts include Victoria’s Secret), part-time Web coder, the 25-year-old continues to prove that beauty and brains aren’t mutually exclusive. (Photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

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Chiara de Blasio - The daughter of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chiara de Blasio, 19, first drew attention for her edgy-hippie style, but she has now become a model for how to persevere, even while living in the spotlight. Last December, she bravely opened up about her struggles with depression and addiction, inspiring others that they too can overcome difficult circumstances.  (Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Gabrielle 'Gabby' Douglas - At the London 2012 Olympics, the American gymnast, now 19, made history as the first African-American to win the gold medal in the individual all-around event in Olympic history. (Photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

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Meagan Good - The 33-year-old actress has been on the scene for a minute, and with each role she continues to challenge herself. Multi-talented, she’s proven her range, from the dramatic in the short-lived NBC soap Deception to her comedic chops in the ultra-successful Think Like a Man franchise. Vocal about her Christian faith, she’s stood up to her critics with grace and conviction, and that’s always a good look. (Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images)