In celebration of Women’s History month, here are seven amazing female entrepreneurs whose practical solutions to everyday “problems” have enabled them to create successful ventures.
Hopefully their stories might inspire you to pursue your own path, fill some untapped need, and one day make “history” yourself.
Jessica Billingsley - MJ Freeway
Jessica Billingsley saw free trade of cannabis as good for the economy and the right thing for people needing medical access. After investing in one of Boulder, CO’s first dispensaries and joining forces with local web developer Amy Poinsett, she decided to fill that niche herself, creating MJ Freeway. The first cannabis-specific software company to enter the market, MJ Freeway includes tracking and reporting systems that help businesses account for products at every stage of production and sales.
Ina Garten - Barefoot Contessa
Chef Ina Garten was a “military wife” who first began cooking to pass the time and as an outlet to elevate stress. Soon, she became famous for hosting dinner parties for family and friends. She used the money she had saved from flipping houses to purchase the Barefoot Contessa Specialty Foods Store in the Hamptons. This led to her Barefoot Contessa cook books and eventually a show on Food Network.
Alexa Hirschfeld - Paperless Post
When Alexa agreed to help her brother (frustrated by the current limited options) create a way to send formal invitations online – Paperless Post was born. They wanted to, “bring back the beauty of receiving and sending mail by combining it with the modern-day efficiency of the web.” They succeeded and created a beautiful alternative to Evite.
Payal Kadakia - Class Pass
Payal Kadakia tried unsuccessfully to find a ballet class in New York City that she could attend. In that moment, she realized that others must be having similar challenges staying connected to their hobbies and passions. She soon created ClassPass, a startup that gives customers access to thousands of boutique fitness classes in their area for a monthly fee. Her company has booked more than 7 million fitness class reservations at gyms and studios across the U.S., Canada, and the UK over the past two years.
Sheila Liorio Marcelo - Care.com
Immigrant Sheila Liorio Marcelo needed to find childcare options while attending school, raising two children, and caring for her ill father. Today Care.com connects 17.8 members (and growing) in 16 countries with the qualified care givers.
Michelle Phan - Ipsy
Michelle Phan’s You Tube makeup demonstrations and tutorials made her a popular star and Vlogger. After expanding her popularity and “brand” to different social media platforms, she established deals with large corporations like L’Oreal where she featured their products in her tutorials. Her most recent spin off project, Ipsy, is a monthly box service (similar to Birchbox) that provides customers with samples of different beauty products. Ipsy, however, offers heavy discounts “full size” product purchases.
Anne Wojcicki - 23andMe
Biologist and Co-Founder/CEO of 23andMe, graduated from Yale and worked on the business side of healthcare as a consultant and investment analyst. Anne had a passion to help others change the way they approached health care, while also knowing the value of genetic data to treat and prevent disease. She’s built 23andMe, a genomics company that produces personal genetic testing kits. Her company has one of the world’s largest DNA databases, with over 1million consumers worldwide.
Today think of one thing that you could offer to each of these seven companies. Consider everything from applying for a applying for a position, pitching them as a potential client, referring a friend and sharing their info with others, or simply or volunteering your time and talent in some way.