Mindy Kaling wears many hats during her 18-hour workdays on the set of the sit-com The Office, but that hasn’t always been the case. When she was hired as a writer/sometimes actor on the show at the age of 24, she didn’t have nearly as much responsibility. Back then she was the only woman on the 8-member writing staff. 8 years and 10 additional writers later, Kaling has written 22 episodes of the popular show, and she now can add executive producer and director to her resume.

In the world of comedy where men typically ruled, Kaling has carved out a niche for herself as smart and funny, irreverent and yet still adhering to her family traditions. Her mother, an OB/GYN is the inspiration for a new show she’s working on. Mindy has garnered quite a following on Twitter, with something like 1.5 million folks subscribing to her tweets. She is a tastemaker in her own right, always bitingly witty and never hesitant to share her opinions on everything from Beyonce’s recent pregnancy announcement to Taylor Swift’s wardrobe.

Mindy teaches us that actresses can be funny and smart, are able to work behind or in front of the camera and can evolve in Hollywood while still holding onto their own unique magical qualities. She’s got a book coming out that she says is completely free of any raunchiness, something she thinks comedy could do with less of. Mindy definitely has a long career ahead of her and it’s not likely she’ll compromise herself along the way. She’s a role model for young women and for this we think she’s SO Empowered!