Oprah Winfrey: Forbes’ Most Powerful Celebrity, one of the world’s richest people and a leading role model, to boot?

Cheered by their successes, like Meg Whitman’s recent GOP primary win in California, and inspired by their generosity, like Melinda Gates, who has pledged more than $650 million to public schools through The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we began making our list.

But role models mean different things to different people–some of us look for guidance in business, some in our personal lives, some of us strive to make the world a better place each day, some admire trailblazers–and so we reached out to the ForbesWoman communities on Facebook and Twitter to determine the most moving, motivating–in short, inspiring–women in the world today. And after “mom,” who is championed over any other contender, Oprah Winfrey leads the pack for the most inspirational role model.

Our readers call Winfrey a “modern successful woman of the times,” and there’s no disagreeing. As a businesswoman and owner of Harpo Productions she has earned $315 million between June 2009 and June 2010 and she was named the Most Powerful Celebrity by Forbes last month. She has also launched the careers of many people, including Rachael Ray, Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Phil McGraw–now celebrities in their own right. She’s currently preparing to launch her own television network, keeping her influence at an all-time high. It’s no wonder so many women look to her as a beacon of success.

Winfrey’s role model status extends beyond her professional career; her philanthropic work is just as inspiring. The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, while it received its fair share of controversy when it opened its doors in 2007, continues to educate underprivileged girls in South Africa in a facility for which Winfrey gave $40 million to build.

Another leader whose name hovers near the top of our list is Maria Shriver. First lady of California, journalist, activist and of course the brains behind the annual Shriver Report,which looks at the state of working mothers and children. Indeed the report has been praised by another ForbesWoman role model, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who says, “The Shriver Report makes clear that the hopes of our mothers and grandmothers–that women can be or do anything we want in life–are being realized.”

As a single mother, J.K. Rowling took writing stories about a young wizard in a coffee shop and built one of the top-earning literary franchises ever, inspiring movies that have grossed more than $5 billion, spin-off books, theme parks and more.

Meanwhile, mother of two and former supermodel Waris Dirie was born in nomadic Somalia but by her 20s was modeling in Paris for Chanel and landing on the pages of Vogue and Elle magazines. Since 1997 Dirie has been one of the most outspoken advocates against female genital mutilation, a dangerous and violent practice affecting more than 150 million girls and women worldwide, the majority in African nations.

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