An Overlooked Growth Engine: Experienced (Older) Women Entrepreneurs

The startup world loves a young disruptor, but experience may be one of the most valuable assets when building a business. Women entrepreneurs over 50, however, continue to face both gender and age bias that can affect how customers, investors, and business leaders perceive their expertise and potential.

Older women can bring industry knowledge, professional networks, management experience, and a clearer understanding of the problems they are trying to solve.  

Discover that youth is not the determining factor for success. 

Launch Lab for Women Entrepreneurs

The Women's Business Center at Canisius University is launching a new program – a 15-week boot camp course built to support both product- and service-based businesses – this fall designed to help women entrepreneurs turn their business ideas into reality.  Enrollment deadline is Sept. 29.

Entrepreneurship: Identifying a Gap in the Market

Founders of companies often start by identifying a gap in the market, but personal experience can be the inspiration for some of the strongest ideas. Laura M. Mackay (her Instagram), founder and CEO of Mina™ swimwear, spent years in competitive open-water swimming and had trouble finding swimwear that had both a luxury look and the functionality for serious movement in the water.  Hence, she combined all her talents to create a swimsuit that would allow women to move freely in the water while also being elegant. 

Mackay has joined other women entrepreneurs in building businesses that now account for 39.2% of all enterprises in the United States. Since 2019, women-owned businesses have increased by 69%. Last year, women launched 49% of all new businesses, according to the New Business Formation report from Gusto. These women-owned businesses employ 12.9 million workers and have an annual revenue of $3.3 trillion.

Entrepreneurship can have many different paths.  Choose yours and get going!

Tory Burch Says Women Are the Answer – And They're The Best Investment Possible

Fellows of the Tory Burch Foundation exceed $1 million in annual revenue at 10 times the national average for women-owned businesses – and together, they’ve added $470 million to the economy. 

“One of our goals is impact and scale,” Tory Burch tells Oprah Daily. “How do we reach as many women entrepreneurs as we possibly can? Because the work we’re doing is now proven.”

Women are launching businesses at record rates, yet funding remains scarce. Tory Burch says removing barriers could unlock billions in economic growth.

Founder startups founded or cofounded by women generate 78 cents in revenue for every dollar invested, compared with 31 cents for those started by men.

“If we can be advocates for women in business to show what an incredible investment they are, we would be doing a great job,” she [Burch] says. “Women are the answer – and they’re the best investment possible.”

Successful Women CEOs

In recent years, we have seen an increase in the number of women entrepreneurs and CEOs, breaking through the glass ceiling and paving the way for others to follow. 

In this article, we celebrate the achievements of women in business – those who have shattered gender stereotypes in business – highlighting some of the most successful female entrepreneurs and CEOs.