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Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in

space, Hillary Clinton, the first woman to win the presidency of the United States.

At that list of trailblazers, the name Hela Modelmog, who in 1995 became the first female

president of a restaurant chain, ascending to Helmatexia's space fried chicken franchise

that traces its origins back to 1952.

At that year, its founder and namesake opened his first eatery in San Antonio, Texas, directly

across the street from the Alamo.

At first focusing on its crispy-skinned birds befitting its Texas origins, the only sign

they offered was jalapeno peppers.

The restaurant was a regional hit in the 1960s and it expanded to 100 locations in the

70s to 1000 and in the 80s.

Following a bizarrely successful partnership with the United States Chess Federation while

sponsoring the Grand Prix of Chess, it merged with rival Popeyes chicken to Forge and Alliance

against chicken sector Goliath KFC.

The union didn't last, however, and into that leadership void of the mid-90s came Modelmog,

whose stewardship saw the chain grow internationally, eventually being purchased by Islamic venture

capital firm Arcapeda, perhaps a surprise given its largely southern clientele.

Modelmog now runs the Metro Atlanta Chamber after being in charge of Susan G. Coleman

for the Cure and another important organization, Arbis.

But Arlegas remains breaking the glass ceiling of the fourth biggest chicken chain in the

world.

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