Women entrepreneurs succeed by overcoming regular startup challenges along with hurdles not often faced by their male counterparts. Despite their increasing number and level of success they continue to encounter biases even today, so the top women entrepreneurs have to be tough, capable, and resilient while bringing their own unique worldview to the development of their businesses.
Top Women Entrepreneurs of 2019:
| Entrepreneur | Company |
|---|---|
| Rashmi Sinha | SlideShare |
| Tory Burch | Tory Burch |
| Sara Blakely | SPANX |
| Yang Lan | Sun Media |
| Sophia Amoruso | Nasty Gal & Girlboss Media |
| Huda Kattan | Huda Beauty |
| Vera Wang | Vera Wang |
| Miko Branch | Miss Jessie's |
| Jenny Eu | Three Trees |
| Angie Hicks | ANGI Homeservices |
| Chanté Griffin | You Go Girl Productions |
| Cher Wang | HTC Corporation |
| Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw | Biocon |
| Zenobia Dewely | Zenobia’s Sweet Tooth |
| Oprah Winfrey | Harpo Productions, Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) |
Women Entrepreneurs FAQs:
What are some common traits of successful women entrepreneurs?
Many of the traits that make women entrepreneurs successful are traits that make anyone successful: resilience, vision, negotiation skills, leadership ability. Thankfully, with the emergence of more and more leading women entrepreneurs, the perception of business being primarily a man's enterprise seems to be on the wane.
Talent, invention, innovation, and ability isn't limited by gender, and any discrimination limits business and society as a whole. Although in the past entrepreneurship has been male-centric, the numbers of successful women entrepreneurs has risen to encompass roughly a third of all entrepreneurs worldwide. And we've all benefited from it.
What are some inspirational women entrepreneur quotes?
- “We need to get women to the point where they aren’t apologizing. It is time to take ownership in our success.” - Tory Burch, CEO and Designer of Tory Burch.
- “I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life’s a bitch. You’ve got to go out and kick ass.” - Maya Angelou, Author and Poet.
- “Follow your passion — and if you don’t know what it is, realize that one reason for your existence on earth is to find it.” - Oprah Winfrey, CEO of Harpo Productions, CEO & CCO of the Oprah Winfrey Network.
- “I want every little girl who’s been told she’s bossy to be told again she has leadership skills.” - Sheryl Sandberg, COO at Facebook.
- "Invite people into your life that don't look or think like you." - Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments.
Leading Women Entrepreneurs Conferences of 2019:
| Conference | Dates | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Lesbians Who Tech | February 28, 2019 | San Francisco, California |
| Run The World Female Entrepreneur Conference | March 1, 2019 | Melbourne, Australia |
| The Scientista Symposium | March 29, 2019 | New York, New York |
| Women Empower X (WEX) | June 15, 2019 | Washington D.C. |
| WBENC National Conference & Business Fair | June 25 - 27, 2019 | Baltimore, Maryland |
| eWomenNetwork Entrepreneur Conference & Expo | August 1 - 3, 2019 | Dallas, Texas |
| National Women's Business Conference | October 13 - 15, 2019 | Jacksonville, Florida. |
| Emerging Women | October, 2019 (date TBD) | Denver, Colorado |
| Tech Up for Women | November 12, 2019 | New York, New York |
Is there a women entrepreneurs' fund?
Funds are important in getting fledgling businesses off the ground, and a women entrepreneurs' fund needs to take into account the specific challenges faced by women in business. Even though research shows that women-led businesses succeed at a higher rate than their male counterparts, it still can be difficult for women to get funding.
That said, there are a number of forward-thinking funds that support women entrepreneurs' ventures. Here are just a few:
- Female Founders Fund.
- Cleo Capital Fund.
- Bumble Fund.
- New Voices Fund.
- Jane VC.
- 500 Women.
What about grants for women entrepreneurs?
Yes, there are a number of grants that support women entrepreneurs as well (grants being seed money you don't have to pay back, vs. funds which typically involve repayment):
- Eileen Fisher Women-Owned Business Grant.
- The Girlboss Foundation Grant.
- Grants.gov (use the search feature to find women's grant opportunities).
- Cartier Women's Initiative Awards.
- Women Founders Network (WFN) Fast Pitch.
Top Women Entrepreneur Blogs:
- She Owns It.
- The Way Women Work.
- The Female Entrepreneur Association Blog.
- Punched Clocks.
- Making Moxie.
- Women on Business.
- Women 2.0.
- Black Businesswomen Rock.
What is the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative?
The Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative, or We-Fi, is a collaboration between 14 governments, multilateral development banks, other stakeholders, and the World Bank to address the financial disparity faced by women entrepreneurs in developing countries: only 30 percent of small to medium enterprises are owned by women, and 70 percent of those can't get the capital they need to get up and running.
We-Fi, with funding of over $350 million, will support women entrepreneurs in developing countries by opening financial channels, providing mentors, helping governments create enabling environments for women in business, and much more.
What are some good resources for black women entrepreneurs?
In a 2018 study it was shown that the number of businesses owned and operated by black women grew 164 percent between 2007 and 2018. African-American women still, however, face challenges with financing and other critical business services. There are a number of organizations that intend to address this disparity and level the playing field, including the following:
- Black Women Connect.
- Black Women Enterprises.
- National Black Chamber of Commerce.
- Black Enterprise.
- 8(a) Business Development Program.