Wu Yajun

The property market may have cooled in China, but it still makes for good business. Longfor, the real estate firm Yajun founded with her (now-ex) husband in 1994, saw revenues climb 22% to $8.3 billion in 2014, while profits grew 13%. The company develops properties in 24 first and second tier Chinese cities, including lifestyle projects like its “Paradise Walk” malls. Longfor has worked to adjust to the slowing economy by strengthening inventory management. And Yajun assures investors that urban migration is a wave Longfor can ride for many years to come. —Erika Fry