Tyra Banks

Supermodel turned super mogul Tyra Banks has broken down barriers to become a highly influential figure in media today.  At age 18, she was the first model to book twenty-five runway shows in Paris. She later became the first African American woman to grace the covers of Sports Illustrated, GQ, and Victoria's Secret. In 1999, she founded T Zone, a foundation whose purpose is to develop teenage girls' independence and self-esteem. She established Bankable in 2003, a multi-faceted media and lifestyle company where beauty meets entertainment. She became a pioneer in reality TV as the creator and executive producer of the globally-successful Next Top Model franchise and serves as host of "America's Next Top Model", which is viewed in more than 170 markets and has 22 international editions.In 2005, Banks became the first woman seen simultaneously on primetime and daytime with the launch of her own talk show as host and executive producer of the two-time Emmy Award-winning, "The Tyra Show."In  September 2011 Banks released her first young adult fantasy adventure novel Modelland, which became a New York Times Bestseller!  In 2012, she re-launched her company as The Tyra Banks Company. Through all her endeavors, Tyra is committed to her personal mission to empower women and expand the definition of beauty.