Along with Mark Zuckerberg, there is one name that has become synonymous with Facebook’s operations: Sheryl Sandberg. Since becoming the chief operating officer of the social media network in 2008, she has broken down barriers. In 2012, she became the first woman elected to Facebook’s board of directors. Under her watch, the site grew to become the mammoth, profitable organization that, for better or worse, has infiltrated all aspects of your online life. Prior to Facebook, she was the vice president of global online sales and operations at Google. She was also involved in launching Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org. Before Google, Sheryl worked as chief of staff for US. Secretary of Treasury, Lawrence Summers. She’s also behind the book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead. While the book looks to instruct professional women to help achieve their career goals (and for men to make a more equitable society) it came under criticism for being a little too elitist. None the less, Sheryl will be remembered as a trailblazer in this connected world.