Women entrepreneurs are paving the way to a better future.
With the rise of voices across industries, the role of Women in society and business has had huge progress. Over the last decade, Women have been starting businesses 1.5 times faster than Man, even though Women earn less 20%. However, Women-led businesses represent 42% of all U.S. businesses (21% are small businesses), have 9.4 million employees, and $1.9 trillion in revenue, according to the American Express Report of 2019.
Even though men have a higher number of leadership roles, Women generate improved profits, better company culture and positive impact.
For example, 54% of Women entrepreneurs value carbon footprint reduction as a measure of success in investing beyond financial returns. In comparison, only 41% of men have the same thought. Moreover, 76% of female fellows bring societal attitudes and cultural norms influence to the core of their strategy.
We would like to introduce you to 11 inspiring and successful Women entrepreneurs leading purpose-driven companies in different fields to build a more sustainable future.
Food Waste
Jasmine Crowe – Managing Food Waste with Goodr
Jasmine Crowe is the founder of a food waste management platform, Goodr. Believing that hunger isn’t a scarcity issue but a logistic problem, the idea of Jasmine gained strength after years of feeding local Atlantans in need of food.
In 2017, she decided to found the company to feed more and waste less and raised more than 1 million in Venture Capital in 3 years, becoming the 35th Black Woman making it happen. Now, Goodr is a full-scale waste management company.
In short, Jasmine’s goal is to foster and create awareness about today’s most pressing socio-economic challenges.
Mette Lykke – Fighting food waste with Too Good to Go
Mette Lykke is the co-founder of fitness tracker Endomondo. She sold it to Under Armour in 2015.
After noticing the impact of food waste, she discovered the online marketplace created by 5 young Danish entrepreneurs and invested in the company. Next year, She left Under Armour and became the CEO of the well-known food waste app – Too Good To Go.
Too Good To Go is one of the fast-growing social impact startups. In addition, it employs more than 450 people, operates in 13 European Countries and has more than 18 million users. To sum up, this app is focused on fighting food waste, one meal at a time.
Global Change Agency
Solitaire and Freya – Making Sustainability Normal with Futerra
Solitaire Townsend has been using her marketing and communication capabilities to empower sustainability businesses during the last 30 years. In 2001, she co-founded a change agency with Ed Gillespie called Futerra, one of the first sustainability agencies in the UK.
Involved in projects such as Climate Optimist and She is Sustainable, Solitaire was named ‘Ethical Entrepreneur of the Year’ in 2008.
Beyond being an entrepreneur and sustainability expert, Solitaires is the author of the book The Happy Hero. Currently, she is the chief solutionist of Futerra.
However, Freya Williams is the actual CEO of Futerra.
Freya focused her career on making sustainability relevant to consumers, business leaders, and investors. As a top-notch brand strategist and planner, she is harnessing the power of business and brands to build a better world.
Also, she is the author of Green Giants: How Smart Companies Turn Sustainability into Billion-Dollar Businesses.
Solitaire and Freya work hard to advise governments, charities, and big brands to find social and environmental solutions.
In conclusion, they are working together with Futerra’s team on ‘making sustainable development so desirable it becomes normal.
Fashion
Adriana Mano – Cleaning Plastic from the Ocean with Zouri Shoes
Adriana Mano is a social entrepreneur, trash creative and vegan activist.
As a marketing specialist passionate about innovation and technology, she crosses a strategic vision with creative development thinking.
In 2019, she founded Zouri, a Portuguese eco-vegan footwear brand using plastic trash and ecologic, sustainable materials.
Only in 2021, Zouri removed 1 ton of plastic from the Portuguese beaches. In short, Adriana Mano wants to inspire people to see trash as a valuable resource.
Startup Investment & Acceleration
Marie-Helene Ametsreiter – Investing in tech with SpeedInvest
Marie-Helene Ametsreiter is a Lead Partner at SpeedInvest, a venture capital fund with more than €600m to invest in tech startups across Europe. Previously, she had wide experience in the Telecom field in different roles at Telekom Austria Group and Corporate Sustainability Responsible at OMV.
Currently, she is one of Europe’s most active early-stage investors supporting startups in the Industrial Tech Sector, from manufacturing to Climate Tech.
Recently, Speedinvest announced an €80m fund to Support European Climate Tech Startups to fight the climate crisis and help traditional industries on the pathway to net-zero.
Daniela V. Fernandez is the founder of a non-profit company based in California – Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA).
She developed the idea at Georgetown University at the age of 19. In 6 years, she built SOA into a global organization with Leadership Programs and Solutions acceleration funding to restore ocean health.
Since 2018, Fernandez and her team have already accelerated 45 companies, funded over 170 grassroots initiatives and raised over 200 million in total funding, connecting people from 165 different countries.
As proof of her impact to build a better world, Forbes included her at the Forbes’ 30 under 30 list’ and became a member of the World Economic forum Friends of Ocean Action.
Activism
Aria Finger – Empowering youth Activism with Do Something Org
Aria Finger started as an Associate at DoSomething.org: the largest organization for youth activism and social change. However, she worked at every level of the organization until she became the CEO of DoSomething.Org in 2015.
Under her strategic leadership and vision, DoSomething.org scaled from 100,000 members to 5 million+ members in 131 countries. Also, Aria founded Do Something Strategic in 2013 to help brands and non-profits achieve their goals with her expertise collaborating with the young generation.
To highlight her impact, she was named to the 2012 Crain’s New York Business list of “40 Under Forty” and selected as a Young Global Leader by the World economic forum in 2016.
Currently, Aria Finger is the Chief of Staff of Reid Hoffman Office after 15 years at Do Something Org.
Fintech
Nathalie Green – Using personal finance to tackle climate change with Doconomy
Nathalie Green worked for 13 years in business development and communications within financial services.
Harnessing her experience, she co-founded Doconomy – A bank service that uses personal finance to tackle climate change.
With Doconomy services, people can measure spending and savings by their negative and positive impact on the planet. Moreover, it limits your spending if you reach the carbon emissions limits.
Nathalie Green is convinced that “brands are uniquely positioned to align business and society on the path to a flourishing future”.
Products & Materials
Lauren Gropper – Reducing tableware waste with Repurpose
Lauren Gropper is the co-founder and the CEO of Repurpose, Inc. – a consumer packaged goods company using plant-based disposables to produce sustainable tableware.
Since the launch, Repurpose has established itself as a top brand in eco-tableware with the mission “to reduce the number of plastics in our environment and offer high quality, durable, and guilt-free renewable alternatives.”
Also, the company’s efforts helped keep 3,531,805 pounds of waste away from landfills
As a brand & sustainability leader, she is the co-founder of Minimal Productions and one of the founding partners of SHFT.com.
Cleaning Products
Sirilak Narongtanupone – Promoting natural and healthy cleaning products with Equator Pure Nature
Sirilak Narongtanupone is an inventor and the co-founder of a Thailand-based cleantech company called Equator Pure Nature.
In other words, the company produces, markets and sells a line of non-toxic, environmental-friendly biodegradable household cleaning products, from laundry detergent to floor cleaner to dishwashing liquid. As part of the Pipper Standard company, Sirilak is leading Equator Pure Nature to promote the replacement of chemical/synthetic cleaning products with natural and healthy cleaning alternatives.
In conclusion, Sirilak has already filed 19 product patents for her inventions since 2013. Previously, she worked in several financial institutions.
As we are facing several social and environmental issues, these Women entrepreneurs never backed down to build their social organizations and purposeful companies. Regardless of any obstacles, they are leading the way to build a better future.
So, if you are a woman with a great impactful idea or starting a company, we hope this article gives you the inspiration and courage you need to fight for your mission.
Do you know other sustainable and purposeful Women entrepreneurs?
We would love to get to know them. Share with us.