Women in Leadership: Breaking the Rules and Making Waves

Entrepreneurship has historically been perceived as a male-dominated field, but recent research indicates that women entrepreneurs are making significant contributions to the economy. According to a study by American Express, the number of women-owned businesses in the US increased by 58% between 2007 and 2018. Furthermore, these businesses generated $1.9 trillion in revenue, an increase of 46% over the same time period. Despite these impressive numbers, women still face unique challenges when it comes to starting and scaling their businesses.  

For example, women entrepreneurs are less likely to receive funding than their male counterparts, with only 2.3% of venture capital going to female-led startups in 2020. Women entrepreneurs have been making waves and breaking barriers in the business world for decades, but their stories and contributions are often overlooked. From tech startups to fashion brands, women entrepreneurs are breaking the rules and transforming industries with their innovative ideas and fearless attitudes.

One such woman is Emily Weiss, the founder and CEO of Glossier, a beauty company that has disrupted the industry by putting the focus on the customer experience. Weiss started her career in fashion and worked as a fashion assistant at Vogue before launching her beauty blog, Into the Gloss, which quickly gained a following. Weiss used the insights she gained from her blog to create Glossier, a company that values customer feedback and focuses on creating products that meet the needs of their customers. As Weiss says, "The customer is the North Star, and everything we do is to make her happy."

Another woman entrepreneur who is making waves is Katrina Lake, the founder and CEO of Stitch Fix, an online personal styling service that uses data science and machine learning to provide personalized fashion recommendations to its customers. Lake started Stitch Fix as a side project while she was in business school, and it quickly gained traction as a disruptive force in the fashion industry. Today, Stitch Fix has over 3 million active clients and is valued at over $2 billion. Lake's success has made her one of the most influential women in tech, and she is often recognized for her efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in the industry.

A third woman entrepreneur who is breaking the rules is Reshma Saujani, the founder and CEO of Girls Who Code, a nonprofit organization that aims to close the gender gap in tech by teaching girls to code. Saujani started Girls Who Code in 2012 after running for Congress and realizing that there were very few women in tech. Her organization has since reached over 300,000 girls in all 50 states and is working to create a pipeline of diverse talent in the tech industry. Saujani's efforts to empower young women in tech have earned her numerous accolades, including being named one of Fortune's World's Greatest Leaders and one of Time's 100 Most Influential People.

These women entrepreneurs are just a few examples of the many trailblazers who are making waves in their industries. However, they have had to overcome many obstacles and break through many barriers to get to where they are today. The fact is that women entrepreneurs face unique challenges that their male counterparts do not. For example, women are often not taken as seriously as men in business and are sometimes seen as less competent or capable. Women also tend to have less access to funding and resources, making it harder for them to start and grow their businesses.

Despite these challenges, women entrepreneurs are persevering and making a name for themselves in the business world. They are breaking the rules and defying expectations, showing that women can be just as successful as men in any industry. As Katrina Lake said in an interview with Forbes, "We need to see more women at the top, and we need to see more women building great companies."

Women entrepreneurs are making waves and breaking the rules in a variety of industries, from fashion to tech. Their contributions are changing the way we do business and inspiring a new generation of female entrepreneurs. As we celebrate these trailblazers, it's important to remember the challenges they face and to work towards creating a more equitable and inclusive business world for all. As Reshma Saujani said, "We need to give women the tools and the skills to be able to participate in this new economy, because it's not going anywhere."