With International Women's Day celebrated just a few days ago, there’s no better time to take a look at some of the most inspiring female entrepreneurs who have fought the odds and made a success of their ventures.
Muskan Sethi
Muskan Sethi is a professional poker player and entrepreneur from India. Shethi first made a name for herself in poker when she appeared on Shark Cage, a show where contestants take on some of the biggest names in the sport in the hopes of winning $1 million. This TV appearance supercharged her professional poker career, which has seen her become a PokerStars India Ambassador and the Responsible Gaming Ambassador for the All India Gaming Federation.
Sethi has tried her hand at more than just poker, though. She has a degree in Fashion Journalism and Brand Management from the London School of Fashion and is also a whiz on computers, having spent several years learning about them. She is also the founder of Doggydoo, which aims to connect dog lovers to help them support each other.
Wilhelmina Myeonway Cooper
Wilhelmina Myeonway Cooper started her business in 2013—something very few women in Liberia manage to do. Just starting was a huge accomplishment, but that wasn’t enough for her, and she was determined to make it a success.
She started working with local artists and bag makers to create unique products for her customers. She hit a problem, though—she didn’t have the money to open a shop in the place where her customers would be.
To overcome this, she started the Monrovia African Pop Up Shop, which lets small businesses showcase their merchandise at high-traffic areas in the country’s capital. It quickly grew from nine vendors to 50 taking part in just two years. She now has plans to expand across Africa.
Zhou Qunfei
If you’re reading this on a smartphone (chances are you probably are), then you need to thank Zhou Qunfei for her company’s contribution to its existence. She founded Lens Technology, a company that supplies some of the biggest tech giants—like Samsung, LG, and Apple—with the touchscreens that they put in their smartphones.
As you can imagine, there’s a lot of money to be made when you supply key components to most of the world’s smartphone manufacturers, particularly when you consider that there are now more than 5 billion mobile devices in existence today. Qunfei is now the richest female self-made billionaire in the world—a significant achievement after having started her working life on the shop floor of a Chinese migrant factory.
Katy Kippen
Katy Kippen started her business, Grayling Jewelry, in 2009. She continues to have an all-female team that is equally as passionate about jewelry. Kippen has been surrounded by precious metals and gemstones her entire life, having learned about them from her grandfather.
She lived in Europe and Asia for six years, which allowed her to pick up a lot of inspiration for the products she now produces.
A big unique selling point for Grayling Jewelry is that all of its products are hypo-allergenic. The idea for this came from the fact that Kippen has a nickel allergy—a common affliction that means many items of jewelry can irritate the wearer’s skin.
All her products are hand-made in the United States, which means she produces unique products while also supporting the local economy. She has seen a lot of success; her products are stocked in her own store in Portland, as well as in 10 others in the US.
While there is still a long way to go towards bringing a complete balance for women, these inspirational ladies are leading the way for many more to follow. In the last 20 years, the number of women that hold top positions in FTSE 100 companies has increased by more than 100%—however, it continues to be less than men.
Perhaps starting and growing their own businesses is the best way that they can tackle this imbalance, particularly since it is becoming easier than ever to start your own business online.
