Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz didn’t just make television history — they reinvented it. They pioneered the 3-camera sitcom format. See the full #Forbes250# America's Greatest Historic Innovators list: (Lucille Ball—Illustration: Ricardo Santos For Forbes, Photo: Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images, Desi Arnaz—Photo: LMPC via Getty Images)

#Forbes250#: From the golden age of television to the streaming era, these women didn’t just shape entertainment. They built empires. Shonda Rhimes: TV queen behind Scandal, Bridgerton and Grey’s Anatomy turned her hits into a multiplatform production powerhouse. Oprah Winfrey: Built her media empire on a foundation of self-improvement. Lucille Ball: Along with Desi Arnaz, she invented the 3-camera sitcom and syndication model. Kris Jenner: The “momager” metamorphosed reality TV fame into a business empire to the benefit of internet influencers everywhere. See the full list: (Shonda Rhimes By Jamel Toppin For Forbes, Oprah Winfrey By Krishna Shenoi For Forbes, Kris Jenner By Rebecca Miller For Forbes, Lucille Ball-Illustration by Ricardo Santos For Forbes-Photo by Silver Screen Collection-Hulton Archive-Getty Images)