Celebrating Women's History Month: Empowering Female Entrepreneurs and Leaders

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we honor the remarkable achievements of women throughout history and recognize continuous efforts to build a more equitable future. From 2019-2023, women in the U.S. started approximately twice as many new businesses as men. During this time, these women-owned businesses have added 1.4 million jobs and generated $579.6 billion to the economy. Women entrepreneurs and leaders have consistently shattered barriers, transformed industries, and inspired generations to rise and take charge. 

This month serves as a powerful reminder to reflect on their accomplishments, celebrate their contributions, and continue the work necessary to create a more inclusive future for women in business. Consider the impact of women like Estée Lauder, who built a global cosmetics empire from humble beginnings, or Ruth Fertel, who mortgaged her home to buy a steakhouse and turned it into the legendary Ruth’s Chris Steak House. These women didn’t just build businesses; they built legacies.

Common threads that continue to be instrumental to such success are incorporating a positive leadership style into every aspect of life, leading with purpose, and using existing and new digital tools to amplify a voice.

Key Lessons for Approaching Leadership

Leadership is about creating an environment where women can confidently share their voices and experiences. It’s not just about personal success, but lifting up entire communities of women. Empathy and empowerment are key – when women lead with purpose, they inspire others to do the same.

Women industry trailblazers are some of the most active and positive influencers in our communities, and they have the power to inspire future generations of women innovators and entrepreneurs. These women lead by example and help inspire others to reach their full potential and pursue their dreams. They lead with emotional intelligence, and build a culture of trust through clear communication and accountability.

Digital Tools That Amplify the Voices of Women Entrepreneurs 

Women make up nearly half of emerging entrepreneurs, up from 29% in 2019. In the United States, women are a powerful force in the small business landscape, owning more than ⅓ of small businesses. These ventures contribute significantly to the economy, generating close to $1.8 trillion in revenue and providing employment for almost 10 million individuals. 

Launching a business has become even more accessible with the advent of the internet, social media platforms and online do it yourself tools. Although the tools at our fingertips give us advantages that previous generations didn’t have, it can still be intimidating to build a business from scratch. Creating a distinct digital identity greatly helps female entrepreneurs establish credibility, share their knowledge, and connect with others. Using tools like memorable domain names which incorporate meaningful TLDs (top-level domains) such as .studio, .pro, or .world can help build a strong and visible presence. 

Another key trait of a strong female entrepreneur is trusting your own vision. Bluesky CEO Jay Graber was chosen to lead Bluesky in 2021, and insisted it had to spin out to become independent of Twitter. In her words, she “set out to change the way social media worked from the bottom up.” This paid off because today, they have 30 million users.

Community and Mentorship Drives Progress

While we celebrate the remarkable strides women have made, it’s important to acknowledge the work that still lies ahead. Globally, the Women’s Empowerment Index reveals that women, on average, are only reaching approximately 60.7 percent of their full potential. This stark reality underscores the continued need for initiatives that promote gender equality and unlock the full capabilities of women worldwide.

Women are breaking barriers across industries, but continued mentorship and visibility are key to lasting change. More women sharing their experiences will encourage the next generation to take bold steps forward. Women in entrepreneurship have an opportunity to shape the future. 

As we look toward the future of women in entrepreneurship, it’s clear that there is tremendous potential to drive change by creating supportive and inclusive work environments. By empowering each other – sharing advice, experiences, and knowledge – we can help pave the way for future generations of women to succeed. 

This Women’s History Month, let’s celebrate women, and continue supporting their efforts to create lasting change in the business world.