She's the boss: Former beauty queens who are now girl bosses
These beauty queens have coffee in one hand and a crown in the other.
Whether they're wearing bejeweled dresses of luxurious quality or a sharp blazer that screams "power," these ladies prove that they can reign supreme in both the pageantry and corporate world.
Not only have they thrived in an especially competitive realm, but they also had the determination to go beyond their title as queens to pursue their ambitions.
Here are the women who went from being a boss on the stage to being a boss on their careers and callings:
R'Bonney Gabriel
R'Bonney Gabriel proved that she practices what she preaches.
Gabriel emerged victorious at the Miss Universe 2022 pageant, and throughout her reign, she uses her platform to advocate for responsible fashion, inspiring others through her upcycled works. She also has her own clothing brand, "R'Bonney Nola," to further spread her cause.
The independent label emphasizes sustainable design methods and uses repurposed or natural fabrics, with each garment being handmade with attention to detail to reflect the core value of quality clothing.
“I foresee myself in really dreaming about having a bigger brand that is focused on sustainability and being a leading voice in the industry that's helping the industry push to a more environmentally friendly practice,” she previously said.
Olivia Culpo
When her reign as a Miss Universe queen ended, Olivia Culpo put her focus on becoming a restauranteur.
Culpo, who won the crown during the Miss Universe 2012 pageant, opened a restaurant with her family in Rhode Island in 2017. This is already a feat that is worthy of praise, but several years later, she became successful enough to open another restaurant in the state.
The East Greenwich food place, Union & Maine, boasts a menu that features a Korean BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Sesame Crusted Tuna dish with jasmine rice, sesame oil, soy, vegetables, nori, wasabi aioli and greens, and more.
“We grew up in an atmosphere that appreciated both good food and community. To do that now with my family is so special,” Culpo said regarding being a restaranteur, per The Providence Journal.
Paulina Vega
Colombian beauty queen Paulina Vega values beauty to the point that she has made a career off of it.
Vega bested candidates from all over the world during the Miss Universe 2014 competition. When it was time for another queen to take over her reign, she became a founding partner for Flora Beauty, a cosmetics brand that produces organic beauty and skincare products.
Commenting on her new role, Vega said, “I’m excited by the opportunity to develop beauty products that will delight consumers with positive experiences and help them live healthier each day. Based on my past experiences in branding, I know I can help grow Flora Beauty globally, especially in this new and emerging CBD-beauty space.”
Bea "Patch" Magtanong
You’ll find that there’s no shortage of both beauty and brains in Bea Magtanong.
It seemed that all the stars aligned for Magtanong in 2018, who was not only among the 1,800 examinees who aced the Bar Examinations but was also victorious in getting a stint at the Binibining Pilipinas competition when she was chosen to represent the country for Miss International.
For the University of the Philippines graduate, pageantry gave her a lot more trouble than burying herself in law books.
“In law school, you study and you get good grades. Here, we all know there’s so much more. It has so many factors. You have to think about what you say, how you look, how you stand, how you dress,” Magtanong said in an interview with ABS-CBN after the coronation.
Currently, Magtanong is a member of Concerned Lawyers for Civil Liberties. She also became a junior associate at PJS Law.
Zahra Saldua
Zahra Saldua is a queen who isn’t afraid of putting on a pair of combat boots for her country if the situation calls for it.
Saldua aspired for the crown when she joined Miss World Philippines back in 2013, ending up in second place. She eventually decided to enlist herself in the Philippine Army, undergoing intense training until she was able to go up the ranks as a first lieutenant of the Philippine Army Reserve Command.
“Since I was in college being part of ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps), I always wanted to serve our country. I always wanted to help the people and I wanted to be a part of the future of the Philippine Army being its representative to the public,” Saldua wrote in an Instagram post.
“This is a dream come true for me and I hope I can influence more of our youth to serve the people as well,” she added.
Pia Wurtzbach
Pia Wurtzbach has a lot of inspiring stories to tell, and now, she’s making excellent use of her words by becoming a best-selling author.
Wurtzbach made sure the world—or the universe, rather—remembers her even after her reign as Miss Universe 2015. Years later, she has added another feather to her cap after publishing her debut novel Queen of the Universe, a story about “love, truth, and beauty” that has since topped the best-seller list in local bookstores.
Aside from this, she has also launched her food business, "Pia's Kitchen." Co-created by CloudEats, Pia's Kitchen features a “traveling menu” concept where the menu changes every quarter to spotlight a new travel destination and inspire customers to try new cuisines and dishes.
Rabiya Mateo
It’s not easy to walk the runway in front of millions of pageant fans, but it’s even harder to run a business and make it thrive, but Rabiya Mateo managed to handle both with no sweat.
After representing the Philippines at the Miss Universe 2020 pageant and finishing as a top 21 semifinalist, Mateo opened a new nail and lash salon business called “The Secret Lounge” in Paranaque.
To fulfill her dream of starting a beauty boutique, she worked hand in hand with former Miss Universe Philippines titleholder MJ Lastimosa, former actress Bianca Lapus, her close friend Juan Benjamin, and a few other friends.
“From pageantry to showbizness, now I can truly say that I am a risk taker as I become one of the partners of The Secret Lounge, Parañaque Branch,” Rabiya wrote in an Instagram post.
She detailed, “This is a beauty lounge that offers services for your nails and lashes. We also have services for men like foot massage and foot spa called the ‘manpering’. The place is also open for events like birthday parties and other celebrations.”
Shamcey Supsup
Shamcey Supsup is a certified girl boss and more with many business ventures under her belt.
After finishing as third runner-up in the Miss Universe 2011 pageant, Supsup eventually leveled up from a candidate and became national director for the Miss Universe Philippines organization in 2019.
However, she showed that her hands can still take on more ventures as she has also opened the first branch of Pedro n’ Coi, an 80-seater restaurant in a mall in Quezon City, together with her husband Lloyd Lee. It features classic Filipino dishes and Philippine pop culture, memorabilia, and murals.
“It’s my first time to venture into [the] food and restaurant business. Mahirap na masaya. Mahirap dahil it takes so much of your time. Pero masaya because of the fulfillment of getting something out of nothing,” the beauty queen said during an interview in 2019.
Supsup, who is a University of the Philippines architecture graduate, is also the owner of Grid Asia, Inc. a firm focusing on architectural and interior design services.