Tough times call for great ideas. It’s a good thing women have plenty of those.
In this year’s call for applications to our Brilliant Business Ideas list, we asked to hear from women business owners whose new companies (less than two years old) endeavor to “approach our shared problems – and drive conversations about them – in new ways.” We received an unprecedented number of submissions from entrepreneurs who are trying, through their work, to make life easier, more accessible, safer and, yes, a little more fun. Their approaches varied greatly, but their aim was shared: Help others.
From this pool, we learned that up-and-coming women business owners are eco-conscious, sharp as tacks, and equal to the task of trying to use new technologies – including AI, which many of our applicants’ businesses work with – in ways that help, rather than harm.
The companies named to our list, and the women who run them, stood out for their ingenuity, their passion, their candor on tough topics, and the potential we see in them to go far. — Candice Helfand-Rogers, Editor.
Below, our 2026 Brilliant Business Idea honorees, chosen by the editorial staff of The Story Exchange, which has no financial relationship with any startup on this list:
