Forty Under 40 Making History

See the ladies blazing a path in sports, music and more.

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)
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)
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)
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)Nicki Minaj on wanting to be a mother by her fifth album release: - "If I'm done with my fifth album and I don't have a child by then, no matter how much money I have, I would be disappointed, as a woman, because I feel like I was put here to be a mother."(Photo: Samir Hussein/Getty Images for MTV)

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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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