12 Female Entrepreneurs You Need to Follow for Business Inspiration in 2021
Women are shattering glass ceilings and proving themselves as brilliant business leaders in every industry. From tech to media to commerce, female founders are launching and scaling groundbreaking companies, raising major funding, and generating huge revenues – all while opening doors for the next generation.
Need some motivation to kickstart your own entrepreneurial dreams? Look no further than these 12 exceptional women who have built thriving ventures on their own terms. Whether you want to start a small business or grow a startup to unicorn status, these incredible female entrepreneurs will inspire you to dream bigger.
1. Morgan DeBaun, Blavity Inc.
At just 31 years old, Morgan DeBaun has already built a digital media empire reaching over 100 million readers per month. The founder and CEO of Blavity, a leading news and entertainment platform for Black millennials, DeBaun spotted an underserved market and moved quickly to fill the gap.
Since launching Blavity in 2014, DeBaun has scaled the company into a thriving network of brands including Travel Noire, 21Ninety, AfroTech and Shadow & Act. Under her leadership, Blavity has raised $12 million in funding from investors like GV, Comcast Ventures and Plexo Capital. The latest estimates peg Blavity‘s annual revenue at $12-15 million with a valuation between $60-100 million.
That success has skyrocketed DeBaun‘s own net worth to an estimated $15 million, making her one of the wealthiest Black female founders in tech. And she‘s just getting started – DeBaun recently launched skincare line M.Roze Essentials and coaching program Work Smart to empower other underrepresented entrepreneurs.
How She Did It
- Identified an untapped market – 20 million affluent Black millennials – and created content that resonated
- Focused on rapid audience growth first, then diversified revenue through advertising, events, ecommerce
- Made strategic acquisitions of adjacent brands to expand reach and product offerings
- Secured large investments by emphasizing Blavity‘s incredible organic growth and engagement
- Built a diverse team of top talent and instituted inclusive policies to retain them
- Leveraged her platform to lift up other Black entrepreneurs through investments, advisement and advocacy
Key Lessons
- Don‘t wait for permission to pursue your vision. When DeBaun didn‘t see herself represented in media, she created her own platform.
- Hire people more experienced than you and create an environment where they can do their best work.
- Focus on audience growth first, monetization will follow. Blavity prioritized reaching readers authentically.
- Expand strategically through acquisitions, product lines or new verticals to diversify and scale.
- Pay it forward. Use your success to create opportunities for others from your community.
2. Arlan Hamilton, Backstage Capital
Arlan Hamilton built a venture capital fund from the ground up while homeless. Founded in 2015, Backstage Capital invests in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBT. Hamilton started the fund with no investing experience and has since raised over $15M and invested in 180+ companies.
How She Did It
- Built relationships with investors and earned their trust through persistence and results
- Focused initially on a diversity-focused accelerator program to establish credibility
- Created a unique scouting model to source top underrepresented talent
- Leveraged her inspiring personal story to gain media attention and build a platform
- Wrote a book to share her lessons learned with other marginalized entrepreneurs
3. Melanie Perkins, Canva
As CEO and co-founder of Canva, Melanie Perkins has taken the design world by storm. The Australian entrepreneur launched Canva in 2013 to make professional design accessible to everyone. Today, the company is valued at a staggering $15 billion with over 55 million users across 190 countries. Canva‘s $60M in ARR makes Perkins one of the wealthiest female tech founders.
How She Did It
- Bootstrapped initially by partnering with schools to provide yearbook design software
- Joined an accelerator and focused on product-market fit before scaling
- Secured backing from top VCs like Sequoia Capital and Blackbird Ventures
- Built a strong remote-first culture to attract global talent
- Expanded the platform‘s features and templates to serve SMBs and enterprises
- Made key acquisitions to add new tools and enter growing spaces like video and presentations
4. Rachel Rodgers, Hello Seven
Rachel Rodgers is on a mission to help women entrepreneurs build seven-figure businesses and generate wealth. A business coach, attorney, and self-made millionaire, Rodgers founded Hello Seven to provide female founders with the strategies, support and mindset shifts needed to scale to $1M and beyond. In 2020, Hello Seven reached $10M in cumulative revenue.
How She Did It
- Packaged up her expertise into high-ticket coaching programs and courses
- Created a top-ranked business podcast to establish her thought leadership
- Wrote a book to reach wider audiences with her message and methodology
- Built a devoted community of clients and followers through real talk and tough love
- Hired a team to handle operations so she could focus on sales and visibility
- Expanded offerings to include a membership, events, and services
5. Jessica Alba, The Honest Company
Jessica Alba may be best known as a Hollywood superstar, but her second act as an entrepreneur is equally impressive. She co-founded The Honest Company in 2011 after struggling to find safe, eco-friendly products for her baby. A decade later, the clean beauty and home goods brand is valued at over $1 billion after a successful IPO.
How She Did It
- Developed a clear mission and strong brand identity around health, sustainability and trust
- Leveraged her celebrity platform to gain PR and attract top talent
- Focused on product quality, transparency and customer education
- Expanded into multiple categories beyond baby to diversify and reach new markets
- Brought in seasoned executives to scale operations and prep for IPO
- Stepped into an active chairperson role vs hands-on management
Other Noteworthy Women to Watch
| Founder | Company | Industry | Funding | Valuation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suneera Madhani | Fattmerchant | Fintech | $20M | $200-300M |
| Tiffany Dufu | The Cru | Community | $2.6M | $15-20M |
| Alisha Ramos | Girls‘ Night In | Media | $1.3M | $10-15M |
| Sage Ke‘alohilani Quiamno | Future for Us | Professional Development | $500K | $3-5M |
| Naj Austin | Somewhere Good & Ethel‘s Club | Community | – | – |
| Robin Berzin | Parsley Health | Healthcare | $36M | $100-200M |
No matter your industry or business model, you can gain valuable wisdom from studying these women‘s unique paths to success. While their stories are all different, a few common threads emerge:
- Spot opportunities in overlooked markets and build solutions that resonate
- Bootstrap first, then raise outside capital strategically to accelerate growth
- Build a strong team and inclusive culture to execute your vision
- Amplify your reach and impact through content, community, and partnerships
- As you scale, transition from doing everything to leading
- Leverage your success to create access and opportunities for others
Whether you‘re a solopreneur, an emerging founder or a seasoned executive, these female entrepreneurs will motivate you to think bigger and show you what‘s possible when women take the lead. Follow their journeys, learn from their wins and mistakes, and get inspired to build your own business empire.
