Women are saddled with two-thirds of America’s $1.3 trillion in student debt — and given the persistent gender pay gap, they often have less ability to pay. The burden weighs heavily on their startup stories. What can be done?
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We've interviewed hundreds of successful women entrepreneurs about their small business journeys and what they learned along the way. Read the stories of inspiring startup founders, mid-stage strivers and established business leaders. Learn from the experiences of women business owners of every age working in every industry, from around the world. Discover the many paths women are taking to build great companies, break through barriers and cultivate economic and social good. Get ready! These everyday role models may well inspire you to start your own business, or give you killer ideas for growing the one you have. You may even feel inspired to share your startup story with us.
Two Female Founders Infuse Health and Heart Into a Bakery Business
Emily Farley and Gina Cavallo are the duo behind EKG Project, a New York City bakery that sells healthy fare and offers work opportunities to people who need them most.
One Woman’s Quest to Open Minds by Showcasing Female Storytellers
In 1998, Pia Guerrero co-founded Adios Barbie, a volunteer-run website that publishes personal essays by American girls and women that explore identity and diversity. Today, she looks way ahead of her time.
This Landscape Architect Is Committed to Saving Coastal Communities
Jennifer Bolstad of Local Office Landscape & Urban Design is taking on the challenge of rising sea levels.
Women Connect ‘IRL’ With Customers at Pop-up Holiday Markets
Holiday markets and fairs are giving female entrepreneurs rich opportunities to interact with customers face-to-face, at a time when many holiday shoppers have moved online.
Crowdpac’s Funding Engine is Powering Women Candidates
Former Google executive Gisel Kordestani co-founded the nonpartisan crowdfunding platform to get big money out of politics. She may also help level the playing field for women candidates.
As Running Start Develops Future Female Politicians, It Faces a New Hurdle
Susannah Wellford, the founder of a youth leadership program, is confronting young women’s fears following a nasty year for women in politics.
A Fashion Veteran Takes on a Tired Market With Chic Nightwear
Rebecca Smith launched Recliner, a stylish, millennial-focused sleepwear brand, to fill a market gap for affordable, quality clothing that’s made for rest and relaxation.
VoteRunLead Wants Women in Power, Regardless of Party
Can Erin Vilardi, founder of nonpartisan nonprofit VoteRunLead, manage huge post-Trump demand for candidate training from progressive women, and bring Republican women along?
Building a Fashion Business Shaped by Faith and Community
Haute Hijab Co-founder Melanie Elturk has built a thriving headscarf business by using her personal style and religious convictions to engage an online community of fashionable Muslim-American women.
Constant Chill Gave This Woman a Hot Business Idea
Jaye Genung always felt cold. By starting Dragon Heatwear to make and sell self-heating coats and gloves, she solved her problem — and struck gold with people she never expected.
Emerge America is Embracing a 50-State Strategy
Amid a surge in blue activism this year, Andrea Dew Steele is expanding Emerge America, which today recruits and trains Democratic women to run for local, state and federal offices in 23 states. Now, she’s going nationwide.
Emily’s List Aims to Seize Its Moment
The 2016 electoral loss to Donald Trump was heartbreaking, but angry Democratic women are planning to run for office in numbers not seen before. Here’s how Emily’s List President Stephanie Schriock plans to turn a female candidate surge into an 2018 electoral wave.
Election 2017: U.S. Women Run Races Big and Small
Voters around the U.S. take to the polls on Tuesday. We take a look at women appearing on ballots from Virginia to Washington state — and explain why these off-year, mostly state and local races matter.
Camille Rumani is Feeding the Modern Social Traveler
Meet the young entrepreneur who co-founded Paris-based company VizEat, whose mobile app connects hungry travelers and local hosts for memorable communal meals.