We are proud to share that Piñata CEO Lily Liu and Chief Strategy Officer Clara Chow have been named to Inc.’s 2026 Female Founders 500, a recognition honoring the most innovative and impactful women entrepreneurs in the United States.
This year’s honorees collectively generated $12.3 billion in revenue in 2025, joining a remarkable lineage of leaders such as Billie Jean King, Serena Williams, Sallie Krawcheck, and Emma Grede. We are honored to be included in such company.
Lily was recognized for growing Piñata’s top-line revenue by 40% and positioning the company for its next era of expansion. Clara was honored for building and leading the channel strategy that will bring Piñata to more than 10 million renters over the next 12 to 18 months.
While these numbers tell an impressive story, the real story lies in where Piñata is headed, redefining rent as a tool for upward mobility
A Better Deal for Everyone
Piñata was built on a conviction that the renting experience could be fundamentally better that would benefit all parties involved, organized around the simple premise: Pay rent, get rewards, build credit.
Rent is the largest monthly expense for most Americans, and yet most renters are not rewarded or get the credit the deserve for their on-time rent payments. Lily Liu and Clara Chow built Piñata with this in mind.
Throughout the process, Piñata has engineered an ecosystem that brings renters, property managers, and brands into alignment. It is mutually beneficial. Renters gain a comprehensive membership experience that includes rewards, credit building, and meaningful savings on everyday expenses, with new value added at every step of the journey.
Today Piñata serves millions of renters nationwide and has reported more than $2.6 billion in rent payments, helping people move closer to financial goals that once felt out of reach. Members are getting the cars they wanted. They are refinancing loans. They are buying their first homes. These stories appear every day — because when rent begins to count, financial mobility becomes possible.
Renters save on everyday expenses, build credit, and move closer to financial freedom. Properties earn loyalty, differentiation, and residents who feel genuinely invested in where they live. Brands find an audience that is highly engaged and primed for exactly what they offer. Each part of the flywheel feeds the others — and the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts. That kind of compounding value doesn’t happen by accident. It is the product of bold leadership, relentless ingenuity, and a brand experience designed from the ground up to delight everyone it touches.
Congratulations to Lily Liu and Clara Chow on this well-deserved recognition from Inc.
See the full list of 2026 Female Founders 500 honorees.