Whatever Your Pride Plans Are, enJOY!

To All Dads

"To all Dads, thank you for everything." – Laurel J. Delaney

America's Self-Made Women Billionaires

Rocket ships. AI chips. Chinese food. Clothing. Construction. Chatbots. America's self-made women billionaires are rewriting the rules of wealth. Forbes counts 43 of them now – women who built 10-figure fortunes from scratch – up from 38 just a year ago.

AI is accelerating everything. Record numbers. Soaring net worths. An all-time high in total wealth held by women who earned every dollar of it.

The signal is clear: more self-made women billionaires exist today, with more influence and more opportunity, than at any point in American history.

Access the list.

Flowers Explode

©2026 Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

"In early June the world of leaf and blade and flowers explodes, and every sunset is different." – John Steinbeck

Crowdfunding for Women-Owned Companies

Although the number of women-owned businesses keeps growing, startups led by women continue to fall behind their male counterparts when it comes to raising venture funding.

Women-led startups consistently receive less than 2% of U.S. venture capital, per Crunchbase data. That’s despite delivering 2.5x better returns than male-founded startups, research shows.

What's the deal and what's the solution?  

Former PayPal executive Molly Huyck teamed up with Amie Konwinski, a U.S. Navy veteran and marketing executive, to found Aequitas Invest, an SEC-registered, funding portal.

Aequitas Invest is a space where women founders share their journeys – and investors learn how Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF) works to expand access to capital for women-led startups.

Veterans Honorably Serve Our Country and Can Transition From Military Service to Entrepreneurship

Veterans honorably serve our country and often play a valuable economic role. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), veterans in the United States own over 1.6 million businesses and employ nearly 3.3 million Americans. For vets transitioning from military service to entrepreneurship, a wealth of resources exists, including free training, education, funding and networking opportunities to help ensure their new venture succeeds.

Here's a walk through the essential steps veterans can take when starting a business and resources that can help every step of the way.

Women Entrepreneurs Are Building What's Next

Growing a business takes vision, strategy, and the right support. If you are a woman business owner based in Hawaii (lucky you on numerous fronts), applications are open for WE by CPB Rising Tide, a 10-week program offering mentorship, education, and a community of support for women business owners in Hawaii.

Take your next step for growth.

Tips From Tory Burch For Women In Business

The History of Female Entrepreneurship Brought to You By Wikipedia

Sometimes you just have to take a look at what others are writing or saying about the history of female entrepreneurship.  In this case, Wikipedia gives us their perspective.

"The history of female entrepreneurship stretches back centuries, from Eliza Lucas Pinckney's plantation management in colonial South Carolina to Rebecca Lukens's 19th-century ironworks, Madame C. J. Walker's early 20th-century beauty empire, and later pioneers such as Estée Lauder and Martha Stewart. Across time, women entrepreneurs have often faced skepticism, discriminatory property and inheritance laws, and limited access to capital and networks."

Read more here – from defining female entrepreneurship, to breaking barriers, to its rise as a global phenomenon.

The Women Presidents Organization Will Host Its 2026 Entrepreneurial Excellence Forum (EEF) 5/7/26

The Women Presidents Organization (WPO), the premier global peer advisory community for women entrepreneurs leading multi-million-dollar businesses, will host its 2026 Entrepreneurial Excellence Forum (EEF) on May 7–8, 2026, at The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida.

You won't want to miss it.  I'll [Laurel Delaney] be there and hope to see you, too!

Why 2026 is the Best Year for Women to Start Businesses

The landscape for women entrepreneurs in 2026 is fundamentally different from what it was two years ago. AI tools have democratized capabilities that once required entire teams. Funding gaps are narrowing—slowly, but measurably. The market rewards businesses built around authenticity, community and values-driven commerce, all areas where women founders can consistently outperform.

But back to why 2026 is the best year for women to start businesses. The data tells a compelling story. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, women-owned businesses now have access to targeted funding opportunities, federal contracting programs, and an expanding network of Women’s Business Centers that provide free training and counseling. These are all resources that significantly improve success rates in female-founded businesses.

Before diving into what you think will be a viable business, ask yourself these three questions:

1. What does success look like for you? 
2. What skills do you already have that the market will pay for? 
3. How much risk can you tolerate right now? 

Now, let's take a look at some profitable business ideas.

Funding Opportunities for Women Business Owners Curated by the WBDC Chicago

Below is a list of current Funding Opportunities curated by Women Business Development Center's (WBDC’s) Access to Capital team in Chicago.  If interested in any of these opportunities, please reach out to the organization via the links or emails provided.

Funding opportunities.

Several Fortune 500 Companies Are Run By Women

There are 14.5 million women-owned businesses in the United States. Firms run by female executives employ 12.9 million workers and generate $3.3 trillion annually.  Several Fortune 500 companies are run by women. No longer are female business leaders an anomaly. Although there are still more male-owned businesses, women entrepreneurs are catching up, owning more than 39 percent of businesses in the United States.

Here are the stories of women who became the heads of well-known and Fortune 500 companies.

As Trump Would Say, "It's Going To Be the Biggest Ever!" on the 'No Kings' Rallies Worldwide

©Laurel J. Delaney.  All rights reserved.

Organizers of today's (3/28/26) "No Kings" rallies across the country are predicting that the protests against the actions of President Donald Trump and his administration could add up to one of the largest demonstrations in U.S. history, with Minnesota (Bruce Springsteen is performing) taking center stage.

Organizers say more than 3,100 events have been registered in all 50 states, with more than 9 million people expected to participate.   Or as Trump would say, "Billions are showing up :-)!  It's going to be the biggest ever!"

Photo credit:  Laurel Delaney of Chicago's flyer for the No Kings rally 3/28/26.

Why Entrepreneurship Is Rising For Women

Women now own over 40% of all U.S. businesses, employing 12.6 million people and generating $2.8 trillion in revenue, according to a recent report by Wells Fargo. The number of women-owned businesses grew 12% from 2022 to 2025, nearly double the growth rate for businesses owned by men.

The trend is particularly strong among younger women and women of color, who are ambitiously launching new businesses. 

Read more here.

Cheers To All the Powerhouse Women Entrepreneurs Today

Cheers to all the powerhouse women entrepreneurs today – may your revenue streams run as bright as the Chicago River. 💚☘️ Had to share this incredible video I took today (3/14/26) of the Chicago River being dyed green.

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2026! 

From Ireland to Texas: Four Women Entrepreneurs Redefining Success

The Irish-American connection is built off the backs of generations of trailblazers who, over centuries, have paved paths for strong bonds between our two nations.

Today, Irish women in Texas continue to embody tremendous drive, through leadership in business and innovation, contributions to the arts and academia, and service to their communities, they are forging modern links between Ireland and Texas.

Meet some of the Irish women who are making their mark in the Lone Star state.

Women Are Redefining Freedom, Entrepreneurship, and Immigrant Storytelling

For Saloua Ibaline, entrepreneurship has always meant more than building a business – it’s been a way to reclaim agency, nurture community, and expand what’s possible. 

At 20, she immigrated to New York City with little more than determination and soon transformed her experience into a book amplifying the voices of immigrant women entrepreneurs across the U.S., celebrating their resilience, ingenuity, and community‑driven leadership.

After spending years living and working remotely in more than 30 countries, Saloua now blends storytelling, education, and strategy to help others craft sustainable, location‑independent lives grounded in freedom, purpose, and impact.

Saloua is redefining freedom, entrepreneurship, and immigrant storytelling.

Owning Your Success At Work Shouldn't Be Mistaken for Being Aggressive (TEDx)

Women Entrepreneurs Are a Powerful Driver of Job Creation and Economic Growth

Women entrepreneurs are a powerful yet underused driver of job creation and economic growth. Removing barriers to their success could significantly expand employment, especially for women.

To unlock this potential, growth-oriented women-led small and medium enterprises (WSMEs) – the “missing middle” – must receive stronger support. These firms face major financing gaps, being too large for micro loans but often viewed as too small or risky for banks and investors.

Read more about what the World Bank has set as a target for reaching more women and women-led businesses by 2030.