Patriarchy? Female Entrepreneurs are Killing the Entrepreneurship Game

I can already see the controversy that this article will cause - but that's okay because, as a female entrepreneur, I thrive on breaking glass ceilings and going against the grain.

Isn't that the goal? The entire point of entrepreneurship is innovation and thinking outside the box in every sense of the phrase. It would only make sense that female founders, female CEOs, female entrepreneurs, and women-owned businesses would fit that same mold. So let me tell you a quick story about why we still have a long way to go with these women feeling accepted and included in the business world.

If you can't find a community, build one!

Recently, I started a community on circle.so called Female Founders. What I wanted to achieve and what motivated me to create this community was having a safe space for these female entrepreneurs, business owners, and founders to connect, share their work, refer and recruit other women, inspire each other, create together, and have thought-provoking conversations in one place. Once this space was officially started, I posted a promotional post explaining what it was on my business Facebook account - it didn't go over well with the men.

As you can see, the two comments alone were enough to elicit a chuckle from me when they came through on my phone. The number one thought that crossed my mind is, thanks for that engagement that will boost my post to others! The second thought that crossed my mind was that this is why female entrepreneurs and CEOs find it hard to express themselves, their ideas, and thought leadership on a public platform. What got me about this post was the "reactions" I got from men on the post.

I was both shocked and not shocked at this reaction. According to statistics from Demand Sage, only 23.4% of entrepreneurs in 2023 are female, and there is still an overwhelming 77.5% of male entrepreneurs. We have a long way to go, but we have come a long way. More and more females are getting into the entrepreneurial space, which will change business.

Female entrepreneurs and founders who are killing it

So many female entrepreneurs and business owners are revolutionizing what it means to be an entrepreneur in various industries and niches.

Trixy Castro is recognized as an innovator in the country's real estate, mortgage, and finance industries. She created a badass private bank, Genesis Capital, from scratch in 2007. She founded Genesis Auctions in 2011, sold Genesis Capital to Goldman Sachs, and established Aurenus Finance Group - talk about a powerhouse woman!

Mary V. Mason, M.D., MBA, FACP, created Little Mecial School in 1999, inspiring millions of children to enter the medical field. She honed in on her experience as the daughter of a doctor and her experience as a highly successful one herself to inspire children to take STEM classes, learn about the medical field, and encourage them.

Alina Krehovets founded Business Intelligence to help business owners make decisions backed by data for marketing strategies, business plans, and digital innovations. She emphasizes the difference between knowing and understanding the market, so with Business Intelligence, she aims to provide value, not just data.

These incredible women and many others are doing remarkable things for entrepreneurship, encouraging other female entrepreneurs and business owners and killing it in their industry.

My advice to other female entrepreneurs

If I could give one piece of advice to aspiring or current female entrepreneurs who seem lost or stuck in the patriarchy-feel of the business world, it would be to own your skills and knowledge. Unfortunately, with how this society was built, there will always be doubters, negative comments, and reactions to female success. However, that should be different from your way of doing what inspires you and what you are passionate about.

These reactions and comments on my Facebook post reminded me that there will always be negative attention if you're a female trying to pave the way, change the business climate, develop innovative ideas, or smash through glass ceilings. If you own your skills, knowledge, and passion, you can stand against that negative energy and succeed!