International Women’s Day is taking place on 8th March 2021 ‘ a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women everywhere. And what better way to celebrate women’s potential than by highlighting some incredible female entrepreneurs around the world who have broken barriers, smashed records and created a new standard for women everywhere. A new wave of female entrepreneurship is upon on – more and more women are choosing to go it alone and launch world-changing businesses that truly excite and inspire them. Here’s 5 successful female entrepreneurs that we can all learn from:
Whitney Wolfe Herd
Whitney Wolfe Herd is the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire. If that’s not enough, she’s also damn cool. Wolfe Herd founded dating app Bumble in 2014, after leaving Tinder, which she co-founded, on sexual harassment and mistreatment allegations. Whitney wanted to create a platform where more women have power and control, hence Bumble’s unique feature of women making the first move on the app. In February 2021, Wolfe Herd became the youngest ever female CEO to take a company public in the US ‘ during which its shares shot up, to more than $76 each, meaning Bumble is currently valued at more than $13 billion. Self-made women like Herd account for less than 5% of the world’s 500 biggest fortunes according to Bloomberg, so it’s no small feat.
Tania Boler
Tania Boler, CEO and co-founder of femtech Elvie, launched her business in 2013 with the mission to bring women’s technology out of the dark ages. Elvie is a brand created by women, for women, and has two signature products which have proved a smash hit with women globally: the Elvie Pump silent wearable breast pump and Elvie trainer for pelvic floor training. Both products have revolutionized the market and broken the taboo on women’s health issues that they often face after childbirth. Elvie now has over +100 employees in London and New York, and in 2019 announced an incredible 37.5 million Series B round of investment, the largest ever raise for a femtech business in history.
Anne Boden
Anne Boden is CEO of Starling Bank, which she founded in 2014, after a 30-year career at some of the world’s best-known financial institutions, including Royal Bank of Scotland and Allied Irish Banks. A trained computer scientist, Boden saw the potential in the banking industry for digital technology and solutions to revolutionize the way people bank. Building an app from scratch, she had a vision to improve banking for all and build Starling into a global brand. To date, Starling Bank has raised more than £363 million in investment and Boden was awarded an MBE for her services to financial technology in 2018.
Marie Forleo
Marie Forleo is a marketing expert, thought leader and best-selling author in the US. Through her website and social media, Forleo reaches over 190k readers worldwide. Her signature course the B-School, which has had over 40,000 members join, helps aspiring entrepreneurs get clear on their business concept, nail their marketing, boost sales and reach new audiences through content. Forleo’s career is geared towards helping other aspiring entrepreneurs, hosting podcasts, informational videos on her YouTube Marie TV and through free webinars, Forleo is helping inspire the next wave of entreprenuers globally. Forleo is an inspirational self-made millionaire who has featured on Oprah Super Sundays, New York Times best-selling author and has even given a keynote talk on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Grace Beverley
Grace Beverley is an influencer and entrepreneur, who has built multiple seven-figure businesses in the fitness and activewear space. Beverley is the owner and CEO of three different, highly popular fitness businesses: B_ND, a gym equipment shop, fitness app Shreddy and Tala, an ethical activewear brand. Tala has been a huge hit amongst young women, with its ethical credentials and flattering designs, making £6m in revenue since launching last year. At only 23-years old, Beverley has achieved an amazing amount at a young age, using savvy marketing and building a strong personal brand through her Instagram channel (with over a million followers) and documenting her fitness journey on YouTube.
If you’ve been inspired by these female entrepreneurs, why not make 2021 the year to launch your own business? My book #SheMadeIt is a toolkit for female founders in the digital age ‘ giving you all the advice and actionable tips needed to plan, launch and build your own business using the digital tools at your disposal. Remember: what you create today will have a ripple effect for years to come, so dream big and believe in yourself to build something amazing.
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