BUSINESS

Sheryl Sandberg

Chief operating officer, Facebook

Sheryl Sandberg, the Jewish COO of Facebook and author of “Lean In,” a manifesto that calls on working women not to abandon their dreams and ambitions, has become something of a feminist icon, proof that women can indeed “have it all.”

In 2015, however, her life was touched by tragedy when her husband suddenly died on a family trip. After the traditional Jewish mourning period was over, she published a lengthy post on Facebook describing and wrestling with her grief. The response was massive, with over 74,000 comments, many from people describing their own experiences with loss. “After that, I didn’t feel alone anymore,” Sandberg says.

Sandberg, who often talks about her Judaism, channeled all of this into her new book “Option B,” describing her experience and examining how others deal with such wrenching experiences. She credits the social network she runs with helping her through it all. “My friends told me when people passed away that Facebook became more important to them, but experiencing it myself was a totally different thing. What we do here really matters to me and I think matters even more,” she said. (Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons.)