Over the past three weeks, we've shed light on women-owned businesses, spurred by American Express OPEN's recent report, The State of Women-Owned Businesses [PDF]. We've spoken with prominent female founders about their influences, their ambitions and challenges, in hopes of helping other aspiring female founders to embark on the journey, or to keep going. We've named 44 female founders who every entrepreneur should know, and it's sparked quite a conversation in the comments and on social media. Now it's your turn to ask a few of them your questions about the entrepreneurial journey and how to build your own business.
On Tuesday, August 21 at 2p.m. EST, Mashable is hosting a panel of three female founders, and you are invited to join the conversation on Spreecast -- moderated by Allison Silver, VP Brand, Advertising and Advocacy at American Express OPEN -- with these accomplished women:
Rachel Sklar, Founder, Change the Ratio and TheLi.st
Angela Jia Kim, Founder, Om Aroma and Savor the Success
Kellee Khalil, Founder and CEO, Lover.ly
Join us on Tuesday, August 21 at 2p.m. EST for an online panel with female founders!
In the meantime, brush up on your female founder knowledge with recent Mashable content, from our Female Founders Series. Also be sure to go on Twitter and tell us how you're #PoweringTomorrow in your community and with your business. Submit your questions for the panel with the hashtags #FemaleFounders and #PoweringTomorrow.
44 Female Founders Every Entrepreneur Should Know
The success of prominent female leaders such as Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg and Yahoo's Marissa Mayer are bringing more attention to women in the tech sphere. But beyond the Sandbergs and the Mayers, there's a crop of women who are not only leading, but also launching tech startups. Here, we highlight 44 accomplished female founders; with businesses ranging from fashion and ecommerce to careers and social networks, these movers and shakers are changing the face of tech.
The State of Women-Owned Businesses [INFOGRAPHIC]
This infographic is a compilation of statistics from American Express OPEN's second annual study, The State of Women-Owned Businesses [PDF]. From employment statistics to revenue growth, this infographic is chock-full of good information and eye-opening statistics.
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Women-Owned Businesses
Understanding how women business owners are finding success is an important part of further growth, and the stories shared by today's female founders will illuminate data and offer guidance and inspiration for fellow entrepreneurs. Click through for 10 facts about women-owned businesses, complemented by tips and insights from successful female entrepreneurs.
Video: Face to Face With Female Founders
Mashable has interviewed four female founders on camera, asking them about the challenges they've faced, how they grew their company and the things (if any) they would change about their journey. Click through to watch the whole video.
Ask Rachel Sklar, and she'll tell you that there are a lot of "dudes" in tech. Not that she doesn't like dudes; she just thinks there are women in the industry who don't get their due. So she founded Change the Ratio in spring 2010 to bring awareness to all the great work women are accomplishing. Through Change the Ratio and TheLi.st (her new media venture which just received funding from the Knight Foundation) and her advisory duties to companies like Lover.ly, The Daily Muse and Hashable, Sklar helps women -- and she's eager to point out, dudes, too! -- navigate the testosterone-filled waters of tech.
Amy Jo Martin grew up in the world of sports, and while working as the Director of Digital Media and Research for the Phoenix Suns, she infused some new ideas into the marketing plan. In 2008, she coached Suns forward Shaquille O'Neal on his Twitter game, making him one of the first big celebs on the social networking site. But it wasn't easy getting fellow NBA-ers on board; "innovation allergies" and an unwillingness to test new forms of marketing challenged the adoption of social media. But Martin proved the value of the platform to the Suns and the NBA at large, which has since wholeheartedly embraced the medium. Then she left to start her own social media consultancy, Digital Royalty.
The personal finance site LearnVest -- a portmanteau of "learn," "earn" and "invest" -- launched in December 2009. Founder and CEO Alexa von Tobel, left Harvard Business School, raised a $1.1 million seed round in June 2009 and launched the site, which has raised nearly $25 million to date. Von Tobel describes her business model as "Weight Watchers meets personal finance."
Remember to mark your calendar for August 21 at 2 p.m. EST to chat with Rachel, Angela, Kellee and Allison!
Series presented by American Express OPEN
The Female Founders Series is presented by American Express OPEN. For the full State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, visit openforum.com/women. American Express OPEN salutes, celebrates and wants to help fuel the future of women business owners. Join the conversation on Twitter and tell American Express OPEN how you're #PoweringTomorrow in your community and with your business.