Women in Business at OMR 2026: More Visible Than Ever – But Still Not Truly Equal
The OMR Festival 2026 sent a strong signal this year: 50% of the festival’s speakers were women. In an industry that for years has been dominated by male voices, this is far more than just a statistic. It represents a visible shift – and at the same time highlights how much work still remains to be done. Because especially on the Conference Stage, the flagship stage of the festival, men still clearly dominated. The major keynotes on tech, AI, politics, finance and the future of digital business were still largely led by men. Yet OMR 2026 demonstrated impressively how important women have become in business, media, entrepreneurship and brand leadership.
What stood out most was the diversity of female perspectives. Women were no longer only featured in dedicated “female empowerment” panels, but were actively shaping conversations around major economic, cultural and societal developments.
One of the most prominent examples was Heidi Klum. Her appearance went far beyond a typical celebrity slot. Klum showed how a personal brand can be built over decades and transformed into a global business ecosystem through long-term partnerships, media formats and international visibility. For female entrepreneurs in particular, her appearance delivered an important lesson: modern brands are no longer built solely through products, but through personality, consistency and authenticity.
Keily Blair also attracted major attention. The fact that the CEO of a platform like OnlyFans was featured at one of Europe’s leading digital and marketing conferences illustrates how dramatically business models and public perception have evolved. Blair represents a new generation of female executives redefining platform economies, creator businesses and community-driven monetization.
The growing influence of women within the creator economy was another key theme. Figures such as Esra Karakaya, Gizem Celik and Celia Parbey highlighted how visibility today is no longer dependent on traditional media institutions. Audiences are increasingly built independently through platforms, communities and authentic storytelling. For young female entrepreneurs, this sends a powerful message: building influence today requires credibility and consistency more than access to legacy media.
With Lea-Sophie Cramer, one of Germany’s most recognizable female founders was also part of the festival. She has become a symbol of modern female entrepreneurship in Germany and demonstrates that women are no longer exceptions in the startup ecosystem but active drivers of economic innovation. Nevertheless, the overall number of female founders in Germany – especially in tech – remains comparatively low. This makes visible role models on major stages even more important.
Women from media, communications and corporate leadership also played a defining role throughout the event. Britta Behrens, Anne-Kathrin Gerstlauer and Nina Poppel exemplify a broader shift that is becoming increasingly visible: women are taking over strategic leadership positions and actively shaping transformation, communication and brand development within companies.
Ultimately, OMR 2026 made one thing very clear: women are now visible across almost every sector of the economy – from banking and AI to creator economy, media and platform businesses. Yet the distribution of influence remains unequal. The major conversations about artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and geopolitical technology strategies were still largely dominated by men. This demonstrates that visibility alone does not automatically equal balanced representation.
One of the most important takeaways from OMR 2026 is therefore this: diversity is not simply about numbers, but about influence. The key question is not only how many women appear on stage, but which topics they are allowed to lead.
At the same time, the festival sent a clear message that business and society are changing. Female entrepreneurs, creators and executives are increasingly shaping the industries of the future – with new business models, new communication styles and significantly stronger international visibility than just a few years ago. Businesses that still view women in leadership merely as a diversity topic underestimate their real influence on innovation, reach and growth. OMR 2026 made this transformation visible.