When many think about the most influential entrepreneurs, we typically think of men and tech start-ups. The most famous entrepreneurs of our time are Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos. Despite the incredible successes of women like Ariana Huffington, Cher Wang, and Oprah Winfrey, their praises are far less shared, as Oprah is the only household name. Not hearing enough about role models in entrepreneurship can make it intimidating for young women. Women, especially young women’s ideas are not always taken seriously. Despite these challenges, women have proved they are hungry for success and have just as much entrepreneurial spirit as men. After COVID-19, the number of female entrepreneurs has exploded, and currently, women make up 43% of global entrepreneurs. The women I am highlighting prove that female entrepreneurs are able to overcome challenges and create successful businesses at an astoundingly young age. They’ve created authentic brands that stay true to their vision and values, which has enabled them to find success.
Olamide Olowe
If you are frequently on the skincare side of TikTok you have probably heard of the brand Topicals. It blew up on social media and is one of the fastest-growing skincare brands at Sephora. The CEO and co-founder of Topicals, Olamide Olowe, is just 26 years old and has broken records in the first few years of starting the brand. In August 2020, Olamide Olowe became the youngest Black woman entrepreneur to raise over $2 million in venture funding, raising $2.3 million at age 23. Behind all these amazing achievements is a woman who is passionate about her brand and its mission. Her experience working at Shea Moisture and seeing a lack of skin care brands focused on darker skin tones inspired her to create her own company. Olowe created Topicals with the goal of making effective products for all skin tones. Primarily focusing on hyperpigmentation and flare-ups. As a part of the brand’s mission on skin, she has also been donating to charitable organizations related to the connection between skin and mental health. With Topicals Olowe has not only proven her strengths as a businesswoman, but the importance of inclusion and diversity in beauty.
Cami Téllez
Another brand that has recently started working with a huge retailer is Parade. Like many others, I first discovered this brand when shopping in Urban Outfitters. When looking up the brand, I found out about its young founder, Cami Tellez, and her dedication to sustainability. Cami Tellez founded the underwear brand in 2018 at 21 years old. She was inspired to create this brand after years of seeing women’s underwear stores like Victoria’s Secret. Tellez felt that these companies focused on sex appeal while selling underwear rather than connecting with women. This was one of the reasons Parade’s underwear caught my attention when shopping because it looked comfortable but was still feminine and cute. Their underwear is also made of 80–95% recycled materials, and their goal is to reach 100%. Despite competing with massive companies that have been around for years, Parade has captured 1% of the market share of 18 to 35-year-old underwear buyers. Cami Tellez has been able to find success centering the women buying her underwear by prioritizing comfort and materials.
Kelsey Davis
An entrepreneur who also started her business very young is the creator of CLLCTVE. While studying at Syracuse, Kelsey Davis created the digital platform to help college students and companies connect on creative projects. Davis felt there wasn’t a place for those working in creative industries to find work and be noticed. Other job search sites didn’t provide a place to look for freelance work. She saw this shortage in the market for those working in creative fields and wanted to create a place for them to find work. Her company started by recruiting friends to do projects on campus and locally and has grown exponentially from there. The website is very easy to navigate and shows all the opportunities from a creator’s end. It also allows you to create a portfolio to put on your profile to get noticed by brands. CLLCTVE advertises opportunities with massive companies like Twitter, TikTok, Coca-Cola, and Puma. CLLCTVE has created opportunities for many young people, like Davis, to work with huge brands and get their creative work out, which was not nearly as easy before a platform like CLLCTVE created a marketplace.
Ann McFerran
Anyone who’s put on fake lashes knows that putting them on with glue can be messy, expensive, and difficult to apply. The founder of Glamnetic, Ann McFerran, created her company with this issue in mind. She loved fake lashes and beauty products but hated dealing with the glue. McFerran decided that she wanted to create magnetic fake lashes that actually worked. In Glamnetic’s first week in Ulta, they outperformed their sales forecast by 70% and have continued their success. My personal favorite product from their brand is their press-on nails. They are the highest-quality press-ons I’ve used, and their glue is my favorite. Whenever I’m in a crunch for time or money to spend on nails, I use Glamnetic. Through her creativity and problem-solving, McFerran has created a more affordable and easy way for beauty lovers to put on their lashes with the creation of Glamnetic.
All of the women above have been able to defy societal expectations and create successful brands. They all started in college or in their early twenties and were able to fundraise, create, and promote their brands. Each saw an opportunity or gap in a market they were passionate about. Finding this lack in the market and creating a product around it is what makes their brands innovative and fresh. Their passion for their products and services also allowed them to create a vision for their brand that aligns with what they care about. All four of them have not only made significant waves in their respective industries but also exemplified that women not only belong in but thrive in the realm of entrepreneurship. Their stories are inspiring and deserve to be platformed like those of their male counterparts, showing young women that they too can find their own great success.