Sheila Lirio Marcelo
Entrepreneur, Founder & CEO Ohai.ai | Founder Care.com
Sheila Lirio Marcelo, a Filipino-American entrepreneur, philanthropist and advocate for caregiving. Best known for founding Care.com in 2006, an online platform that connects families with various caregivers, including nannies, senior care providers, tutors, and pet sitters. Through her work, Sheila has transformed how families access essential care services globally.
Growing up in a close-knit family, Sheila witnessed first-hand the challenges families face in finding quality care. This personal experience deepened when she moved to the United States for education. After earning her MBA from Harvard Business School, she identified a significant gap in the caregiving industry.
Care.com launched in 2006, quickly becoming the world’s largest online caregiving marketplace. The company expanded rapidly and went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2014, making Sheila one of the few female CEOs to lead a tech company to an IPO.
Sheila Marcelo’s remarkable entrepreneurial journey has earned her numerous accolades, including being named Fortune’s Most Powerful Woman Entrepreneur in 2010 and recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the top 100 Female Founders in 2014. In 2020, she achieved a significant milestone when Care.com, the company she founded, was acquired by IAC for approximately $500 million.
Sheila’s upbringing in the Philippines has fueled her deep commitment to giving back, leading her to support youth development and caregiving initiatives in her home country. She also facilitates mentorship programs for women entrepreneurs both in the U.S. and internationally, championing gender equality.
Currently, Sheila is a vocal advocate for addressing the work-life balance crisis, emphasizing the critical need for comprehensive policies around family leave, affordable childcare, and eldercare. She argues that caregiving responsibilities disproportionately limit many women’s career growth, and she is dedicated to making caregiving more accessible while advocating for supportive policies.
Since stepping down as CEO of Care.com in 2020, Sheila has focused her efforts on philanthropy and social enterprise. She serves on the boards of various organizations and mentors the next generation of entrepreneurs, especially women and immigrants. Sheila is now working on a new project centered around caregiver advocacy and policy reform, collaborating with governments and non-profits to improve conditions for caregivers.
Sheila’s journey from a small town in the Philippines to leading a global platform in the U.S. underscores her unwavering dedication to making a profound impact on families, communities, and continents. She is truly an embodiment of a woman Impacteurs, inspiring entrepreneurs and advocates worldwide.
These women not only exceled in their respective fields but also serve as powerful role models, advocating for change, empowerment, and progress. Their journeys highlight the importance of resilience, innovation, and leadership in shaping a better future for women and society as a whole. These profiles showcase a remarkable range of influential women who have made significant impacts across various industries, emphasizing themes of resilience, innovation, and leadership.
