Breaking Barriers: Women Entrepreneurs Who Are Changing the Game
The years 2020 and beyond have witnessed an enormous change in the entrepreneurship scene, with women coming forth to spearhead cutting edge businesses in every industry. The traditional narrative of entrepreneurship has usually been male-dominated with both narratives of women entrepreneurs being existent leading to them being seen more as a rarity than a normalized figure. They did not only help excel the economy but created the essence of entrepreneurship culture itself, fulfilling the role of the game changers by writing the commands and breaking the customs.
The shift of women in the business industry is not just a phase but a powerful and enduring movement. From technology to fashion, healthcare to finance, women entrepreneurs are now busting with femininity while demolishing the legacy systems that previously served women against their success. These are not mere businesses but rather a new approach at entrepreneurship that will serve as the dawn of new age of leaders towards inclusion and empowerment.
A fundamental shift can be observed in how societies perceive women’s leadership through a greater degree of acceptance. There was a time not too long ago when entrepreneurial spaces were deemed inappropriate for women and their efforts for entering those spheres were ineffective. Circumscription of women’s roles to the domestic sphere combined with their limited access even to monetary resources or networks further aggravated the situation. Now with sociocultural changes and increasing participation of women in the entrepreneurial world, introduces women who are reconstructing the worldview developing a future prime for female leaders.
Through entrepreneurial education, women are equipped with the essential skills and tools needed to become business minded. More females are entering universities and business schools, allowing them access to a wealth of knowledge that will help them form and build their own companies. Such forms of education have adequately prepared women to tackle the challenges associated with business ownership, including financial management, market research, and growth strategy development. These raise highly educated, skilled and confident females who are not afraid to take calculated risks to succeed in the corporate world.
The access to finance continues to be one of the more critical constraints for women entrepreneurs. Throughout history, women have faced difficulties in accessing the money required for their ventures due to the lack of backing from venture capital and banks, which have tended to be male dominated. However, this is no longer an insurmountable barrier as women have been proactive in seeking other sources of funds. Crowdfunding, angel investors, and female-centric investment funds have become much-needed support systems for women entrepreneurs. This new supply of funding will foster women in taking charge of their finances and chasing their business ambitions regardless of what hurdles they may have faced before.
Besides finance, there have been biases and negative gendered perceptions that women entrepreneurs have had to deal with, as many stereotype women as not being leaders or competent in the business space. The majority of women in the business sector are constantly battling to simply be regarded as credible in a male-oriented economy. Nevertheless, women are making their way through the entrepreneurship field to establish themselves in the development space and in doing so; they are proving that a gender does not determine one’s ability to succeed. These women have not only achieved great success in their businesses but are also helping other women who aspire to become entrepreneurs by mentoring them, thus also helping combat discrimination and bias.
As women begin to change the definition of success, there is a shift in the entrepreneurial world we live in. The traditional indicators of business success such as the profits and the shareholder value are slowly adjusting to involve a balanced work-life, social impact, and more. Numerous female business owners are motivated to design business models and structures which can lead to good change in the society and the overall globe. In contrast to the traditional business view, this new paradigm is broader as it challenges existing norms to include meaning alongside earnings.
A clear instance of a woman business owner who has been a crucial part of this change is Jessica O. Matthews, the founder of Uncharted Power, a clean-tech firm that specializes in sustainable energy solutions. Matthews discovered the concept of turning kinetic energy into electricity as part of her zeal for progress made in the area of technology, as well as her concern for the environment. It is estimated that billions of people all over the planet lack the access to affordable and non-polluted energy. Her approach puts to rest this problem and in the process, redefines energy production. Sitting in the center of this revolutionary change are women who are unafraid to shatter the glass ceiling and offer solutions to the decades-long existing issues.
Sara Blakely is another entrepreneur who deserves recognition. She is the creator of Spanx, a company that modernized the fashion industry by introducing shapewear that is both comfortable and stylish. Blakely’s story, from a saleswoman selling fax machines door to door to becoming the youngest female self-made billionaire, is proof of how an ordinary woman can make exceptional businesses from mere ideas. She is also an activist, encouraging women in business to dream big and work hard as she did. Because of her, many women have started businesses as well, inspired by her relentless pursuit of her vision.
Reshma Saujani, the founder of Girls Who Code, motivates another segment of women who are eager to discover their entrepreneurial talents in technology. Saujani’s movement aims to reduce the information technology gender gap by teaching young girls how to code and succeed in other IT professions. In changing the tech industry, Saujani is also paving the way for women to occupy positions of power in a traditionally male-dominated field.
Women entrepreneurs are amplifying diversity and inclusion in their companies for good. There are a number of startups led by women which aims at building a workforce as diverse as the community. This effort focused on inclusion certainly pays off as such a team guarantees a huge range of different ideas, concepts and issues in a company and its success. Women entrepreneurs know that innovation is born where many voices are heard and respect, and they are actively creating such environments which promote inclusion and creativity.
The influence of female entrepreneurs is not confined to solely their businesses’ success. They are smashing barriers and changing things so they’re setting examples for a greater number of women to engage in entrepreneurship. As such women become successful in business, they serve as a good example for the coming generation of women entrepreneurs. This chain of mentorship and women supporting women is forging a strong foundation that will greatly affect the business world for many decades to come.
The advancement of women in entrepreneurship is far from over, but enormous progress has been made. The plight of women in this space has improved beginning from gender biases faced, the society’s pressure of work of family and many others. There is optimism because women have started taking entrepreneurship seriously and the courage, might, and ambition women have are proving these nightmares are all becoming realities. Women such as these are turning industries around and changing the narrative in the business landscape to a fairer, more advanced and dynamic one.
Women beginning their entrepreneurial journey is a perfect example of how empowering women to be brave changemakers in the entrepreneurial space can result in mind-boggling transformations. These women are not merely altering the rules of the game; they are revolutionizing the business landscape of tomorrow. Women will undoubtedly continue to be in the limelight and promise to evolve industries in the years to come, through innovation and social as well as economic transformation.
