Petra Ecclestone, heiress, model, and founder of Stark

Net Worth: Petra's father, Bernie Ecclestone, is estimated to be worth $4 billion.

How She Got To Where She Is: She founded FORM, a line of high-end menswear carried in large-scale stores like Harrods. For the past two years, Petra's been focusing on Stark, her line of luxe handbags which are seriously elegant. No wonder Intermix, Curve, and Saks Fifth Avenue have begun stocking them.

Notable Accomplishments: Besides her work in fashion, Petra is highly dedicated to a cause close to her heart: Meningitis. She serves as an ambassador for the Meningitis Trust and works to educate others on recognizing the symptoms and dangers of the disease.

And That's Not All... She's running the show with her own company and balancing charity work, all with a bun in the oven! The Brit just announced that she and her husband, James Stunt, are expecting their first kidlet.

Key to Success: Hard work always wins. The businesswoman discussed the difficulties of mixing business and pleasure and growing a business at a time when price points have dramatically changed, but emphasized that honing one's focus on the business is supremely beneficial. She's been working tirelessly to make her designs a success, especially in a notoriously tricky biz. "The fashion industry is such a hard industry to get into, and just learning how to do the best that you can is so important," she told us. "I think gaining as much experience as possible is [vital]." Oh, and Petra's advice to up-and-comers: "Get as much experience as possible." If you do 'em right, those internships do pay off.

Photo: Rex/Rex USA