As we transitioned to celebrating Women’s History Month, I was excited to learn about this year’s theme. “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories”.
Very fitting for us.
We are a certified woman-owned (100%) business. But more importantly, OrangeWIP’s editorial mission is to provide information on entrepreneurial support resources, tell strong entrepreneurial and founder stories, and tell more diverse stories — across race, gender and industries.
Starting a business as a woman comes with its own set of hurdles, making it much different from the typical startup experience. Despite this, the ultimate goal of all business owners and founders is the same: to do business with more people to grow their company.
Women entrepreneurs are on the rise. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2021, women started 49% of new businesses in the United States, up from 28% in 2019. This means that 42% of businesses are now owned by women, generating $1.2 trillion in revenues. Unfortunately, only 2% of these businesses reach $1 million in revenue.
That means there are many more female founders struggling to grow and scale their companies. So, we wonder, why aren’t women getting as much access to resources or funding as men do?
As of 2019, MarketWatch reported just 2.2% of all venture capital goes to businesses founded solely by women. And less than 2% receive funding after their first-round, compared to about 35% of all-male-founded companies.
With odds like these, where will our next generation of female CEOs come from? What can be done to create a more inclusive economy?
Everything OrangeWIP does — from how we go to market, to our editorial mission, to how we partner with our sponsors — is informed by the mindset of serving a diverse and broad spectrum of entrepreneurs and founders. And through their lens, be a driving voice in the community. By supporting a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, we can improve people’s businesses, support diversity, economic inclusivity and mobility.