BROOKE'S NEW ACT

After decades of serving as the face of other people's brands, Brooke Shields is embracing a new role: entrepreneur.

- MAGGIE MCGRATH

I've sold stuff for other people my entire life. I never thought I'd be a CEO."

But at 59, Brooke Shields is suddenly both a founder and a chief executive. In June, the longtime actor and model launched Commence, a New York-based hair care company for women over 40 that she dreamed up during the pandemic. It's still early days-Shields raised $3.5 million from outside investors to help fund Commence's first three products, which were released in June. But it's already, she says, the most "challenging and exciting" stage of her career.

New chapters are the name of the game on our fourth annual 50 Over 50 list, which highlights 200 women making professional waves-whether starting a company, reshaping philanthropy or making fresh scientific discoveries after age 50. The list, which we produce in partnership with MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski and her Know Your Value initiative, is divided into four categories with 50 women each: Investment, Impact, Innovation and Lifestyle. The class of 2024 can be seen in its entirety at forbes.​com/500ver50.

Of course, like most of the women on our list, Shields' "under 50" résumé is none too shabby, either: Her first modeling gig came when she was 11 months old (for Ivory soap); a decade later, she played the child of a prostitute in Pretty Baby, which was released in 1978 and brought both controversy and critical acclaim. At 15, Shields became the face of Calvin Klein jeans ("You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing" was the famous line).

"She's genuine," Calvin Klein, now 81, says of Shields' appeal. "You can't count on too many people, but you can count on what she saysthat she really means it and believes it and wants to do something good for people."