41 Successful Female Entrepreneurs You Ought to Know
It is an amazing thing to look around and see so many rockstar women paving the way in entrepreneurship. Our ongoing mission at Hatch Tribe is to highlight these lady bosses and share the spark of their inspiration. This list of successful women entrepreneurs is ever-growing and we like it that way!
In no particular order, we present our most inspiring female entrepreneur role models:
photo - Green Chair Studio
Kelli Preston
"What really lights my fire is the heart + guts it takes to start and grow a business. I love uncovering what makes people tick and using it as fuel for creating a brand that feels like home."
KIM ORLESKY
"Goals need to be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely."
Chris Majernik
"Want the truth? This business grew out of despair. I got fired from what was supposed to be my "dream job." I picked myself up, and realized I never wanted to allow someone else the ability to take away my dreams.
Meghan Hohertz & Kenzie Meek-Beck
"When I grew up and entered the workforce, I realized that discrimination against women is still very real, and from my upbringing, I knew it was wrong. So, I wanted to create something to combat it." - Kenzie Meek-Beck
Lynn Le
"Always be good to yourself in order to be your best self to others."
Stephanie Burg
"To be truly successful in life and business—and to create the type of impact you desire in the world—you must thrive too. You, my dear, are your greatest asset."
Ashley Caldwell
"Take the time to do it right, and you will reap the benefits."
"Taking a risk is nothing new- you have already taken the biggest risk when you made the decision to go out on your own."
Tami Boyce
Artist
"Potential is like a muscle you have to exercise, and no one has time for flabby potential."
Bethany Bubenzer
"Comparison leads to imitation - the antithesis of creation - and creation is the joy of entrepreneurship. Successful women entrepreneurs know who they are, how to turn inward for inspiration, and reach for support when necessary."
Allison Barbera
"Nothing about my journey has been particularly easy, but starting my own business was one of the best decisions I ever made. On par with deciding to go to college, living in Charleston during the winter and committing to twice yearly Brazilian Blowouts."
Katy Kippen
"Sure, Grayling could be even more profitable if I kept my foot on the gas all the time, but that's just not me. There is a really beautiful world that opens up when we put ourselves first. The rest just follows."
Isla Rowntree
"Some of the characteristics necessary to be an entrepreneur are viewed negatively when girls are growing up. Women have to overcome this gender stereotyping in addition to all the other challenges involved in setting up a business."
Emma McIlroy
"Start up will take everything if you let it. It’s been a humbling experience for me and I’m working hard to learn how to have clear boundaries. I think it’s toxic when people talk about working 100hrs weeks every week - I’ve done it, it’s not an achievement, it’s a sickness."
Christy Saia Owenby
"It's crazy how 'fear' is often the start of our next best adventure in our business.
Eve de Haan
"The best advice I've received is not to worry too much about what other people think of you and to try and make something new everyday."
Archel Bernard
"My favorite part of being an entrepreneur is also the scariest part: Knowing that my reward is directly tied to my output. "
Alissa Graef
"As cliche as it may sound, I always felt the desire to do something greater. What that is, I still have no idea, but starting my own business felt like a good place to start."
Trish Hutchinson
"I love the diversity of the definition of success of an entrepreneur. Success can be identified as monetary success, success with socially making a difference, or just success as being an enjoyment with what you do everyday."
Kristen Schwiers
"Jumping in to take the risk of starting my own business came when I turned 25 and realized that I wanted and needed to pursue the goals that would make me happy, even if they were terrifying
Belinda Hare
"The power to hold my fate in my own hands as an entrepreneur—that's scary and empowering, but it pushes me to be exactly who I want to be every day. There’s no such thing as complacency in entrepreneurship."
Shama Patel
"I like to create because at my core I’m an artist. I enjoy bringing concepts to life that only I can dream up in my mind. I once read a quote and it stuck with me - 'Night is to dream, Day is to make them true.'"
Image from Meena Harris
Meena Harris
"Whether it's turning a small act, like donating clothing, into a 'pantsuit drive' as an act of solidarity, or uplifting women through a single T-shirt, digital technology gives each and every one of us the potential to start a movement."
Image from Sarah Blondin
Sarah Blondin
"All that will matter, all that will ever amount to anything, is the relationship you have with the world you carry around inside of you."
Image from Katie Joy Horwitch
Katie Joy Horwitch
"I'm here to tell you that those things that make you feel insecure and ostracized⏤ those things you hide behind a veneer of "Fitting In"⏤ those are gifts and clues to help you be the you YOU were meant to be."
Amy Dickerson, New York Times
Shelley zalis
"I’ve always been told to hold back my feminine characteristics, that there’s no room for that in the boardroom, but I totally disagree. A woman who tries to be a man is a waste of a woman. It’s not about leaning in. It’s about standing out — as women."
Image from Melanie Deziel
Melanie Deziel
"Being calm and open to shifts in my routine is better than being rigid about it and creating a feeling of failure when I can’t make it happen."
Image from Tina Tchen
Tina Tchen
"The women who are celebrities have come to this understanding that their celebrity gives them a platform and an ability to draw attention to an issue, and they’ve been very intentional about how they use that to support low-income women who wouldn’t otherwise get that attention.”
Image from Jeni Britton Bauer
Jeni Britton Bauer
"The fact that I studied art history actually helped me a lot as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is very emotional, especially when you're a maker like I am. You're really trying to make something that you love but also to get people to truly love it, and that's just such a wonderful emotion.”
Cory McBee
"Don’t let fear rule you. While I am ambitious, I am overly practical and cautious. I wish I had not waited so long to start painting again after college. I kept waiting for the 'right time'. And while when I chose to begin again was a good time, I wish I had started it sooner."
The Scout Guide Women
"Most small business advertising was surrounded by bad news in the community. We desired to lift the veil, showing that small business owners are so much more than a name or a logo."
Image from Kelly Collette
Kelly Collette
"I think women are wanting to see more of these empowerment roles for women. We are done just playing the girlfriend or the pretty face that gets rescued… women want roles of complex characters, and women can play them just as well as men, if not better."
Image from Melanie Elturk
Melanie Elturk
"We’re creating real change. Our generation has the opportunity to redefine what it means to be Muslim-American; and through all these unique stories and successes, we’re contributing to a new mindset where hijab and American are not mutually exclusive but rather, exist in harmony as part of a greater American multicultural mosaic."
Image from Alice Yo
Alice Yoo
"As women, we’re not looking to be treated better than men. We’re asking to be treated as equals, to be given the same rights and opportunities. Skylar Yoo was born to encourage girls and women to be bold."
Image from Audrey Gelman
Audrey Gelman
"I felt intimidated and challenged, and almost certain it would fail, but I still felt like I could bet on myself and knew I was onto something."
Image from Rachel Tipograph
Rachel Tipograph
"Ignore the naysayers. We gravitate toward creativity because it’s the opposite of mundane. If everyone ‘likes’ your idea, it’s not creative."
Image from Anna Wood
Anna Wood
“I felt like I had to constantly choose between success and respect and power, and my own femininity, because I saw firsthand how my feminine characteristics like my appearance, my emotions, and my empathy were all seen as weaknesses; but I wasn’t going to give up my femininity. I knew I could still be myself, be my best, and do it all.”
Image from Laura Tully
Laura Tully
"Once I started to work with more women and heard their stories, it highlighted my purpose. I want every woman that I meet and work with to know that she is valuable and necessary. I saw that I could use this vehicle of fashion and style to change the narrative of how we view ourselves. You can show up with your competence and confidence in a package that is all you and that’s a beautiful thing."
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Image from Gabby Bernstein
Gabrielle Bernstein
"To set yourself up for success this year, finish this five-week practice strong by practicing the F-word: forgiveness."
Image from Eryn Eddy
Eryn Eddy
"I never thought I'd have a music video go viral, but when it did, I saw a lot of support. A lot of encouragement. A lot of people wanting to share my music, but with that came haters and naysayers. A lot of people judging my appearance, my voice, my melodies, and my style. I saw what it was like to have people for you and watch others observe you and be immediately against you. I decided instead of paying attention to the hate I will love on the people that are loving on me."
Image from Schanen Smith
Schanen Smith
"[Having my own business has] given me the freedom to expand into other areas like videography, with my husband, and brand apparel. So my business is continuing to morph into what aligns with my desires and strengths; it's becoming more of a lifestyle brand to inspire others to reinvigorate their zest for life."