In a recent celebratory announcement, Canela Media highlighted inclusion of its CEO Isabel Rafferty Zavala on the Inc.'s Founders List, and annual list of 200 women “whose innovations and ideas are transforming the world into a better place.”

Highlighting how the founders are leaders at the intersection of all industries and bring unique success stories with them at every stage of the entrepreneurial journey, Inc. Magazine's sixth annual list of women founders celebrates women challenging issues like financial education and reproductive health.

Rafferty Zavala said:

I am so honored to be named alongside these accomplished and talented women.

Rafferty Zavala’s career 

Recognized for her efforts to redefine digital media experiences for the Latino community and revolutionize the media landscape for multicultural audiences, Rafferty Zavala is a recognized thought leader and pioneer in the media industry, and an advocate for diversity and inclusion that creates opportunities for diverse groups.

Among the milestones achieved during her tenure, Canela Media secured $32 million in Series A funding, making it the most heavily-funded Latina-owned company and the fourth-largest women-funded company in the media industry.

Since its start in March 2019, Canela Media has launched three independent applications: Canela.TV, Canela Music and, most recently, Canela Kids, reaching more than 40 million users through its OTT products and 53 million unique users on 180 sites with created content in Spanish.

These accomplishments demonstrate the leadership and vision of Rafferty Zavala, leveraging the company's success in creating innovative products and reaching a broad audience.

"As we continue to grow Canela Media through scale and innovation, it is very meaningful for me that our efforts are being recognized as a company and our mission to bring a distinctive and unique entertainment option for U.S. Hispanics,” added Rafferty Zavala. 

Meet Inc.'s newly-minted 2023 Female Founders 200 https://t.co/QooJLV55Df

— Inc. (@Inc) April 4, 2023

Get to know: 2023 Female Founders 200

To create the annual list, the editors of Inc. consider thousands of applications that highlight female founders challenging the status quo and tackling some of the world's biggest problems.

Featuring women who overcame challenges and empowered those around them while leading impactful organizations across the country, the list includes renowned figures like Jessica Alba, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rihanna and Shonda Rhimes.

“These 200 female founders have identified solutions to difficult problems and created valuable, industry-changing companies out of them. We congratulate this year’s list on their achievements and look forward to their continued success,” said Scott Omelianuk, Inc. editor-in-chief.

To see the full list, click here. 

You should know: Inc.

The world's most trusted business media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections and community to build great companies.

Its award-winning, cross-platform content reaches more than 50 million people each month through a variety of channels, including a website, newsletter, social media, podcasts and in print.

Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize America's fastest-growing private firms.