This year’s International Women’s Month’s theme, #BreaktheBias, reimagines a world without stereotypes and discrimination; so we felt there’s no better time to share the stories of these inspiring female entrepreneurs who, in more ways than one, have determined themselves to #BreaktheBias and did so triumphantly!
Image source: Female One Zero
Melanie Perkins: The Young CEO Who Grew Her Start-Up to a $3.2 Billion Business (Canva)
When Melanie was 19, she would tutor her schoolmates on design programs as a means to earn some income; she realized a lot of them struggled to familiarize themselves with design softwares offered by Microsoft and Adobe. This gave birth to a vision- an online tool that’s easy-to-use and collaborative. Together with Cliff Obrecht, her boyfriend-turned-husband, she began an online yearbook design website and quadrupled their success—eventually creating a platform that is now widely known (and loved) as Canva. Today, billions of designs have been created through an app that was once Melanie's “crazy” dream.
Image source: Nation’s Restaurant News
Lynsi Snyder: The Billionaire with a Story to Tell (In-n-Out)
Lynsi Synder is the granddaughter of the founders of the now burger chain icon, In-N-Out. Suffice it to say becoming part of Forbes’ 400 was not really the path she imagined she’d be in. Following her uncle’s unexpected passing, she was determined to keep her family’s legacy, all after she went through losing her father to drug abuse and battling the same along with alcoholism herself. Amidst buy-out offers left and right, Lynsi is 100% dedicated to creating a family-like culture within In-N-Out; getting a 99% approval rating on Glassdoor for the company’s focus on good pay and career development for its employees. Lynsi’s story of overcoming countless obstacles and keeping headstrong through it all is truly the eyes-on-the-prize behaviour that we admire!
Image source: Paul Schnaittacher
Hansni Thadhani: The Mompreneur Who Surfed Through the Biggest of Waves (Strand Boards)
Behind the outdoor surfboard shower company Strand Boards is the founder Hasnsi Thadhani. Being a mom and one of the very few women in an industry like plumbing and surfing, Hansi says she’s “…proud to be a woman pioneering a one-of-a-kind product and owning my space." Admittedly, the journey was one that required blood, sweat, tears, and double the effort to make it as a female entrepreneur, but Hansni fiercely encourages business-focused people to chase their dreams, gender-aside.
Image source: Thrive Global
Natalie Ellis: The Absolute Boss Babe (BossBabe)
Natalie is the social media pro and co-founder of the popular Instagram account that aims to empower women around the world, bossbabe.inc. In a joint effort with President Danielle Canty to help women alike to make their “ambitious” goals a reality, the company offers programs and resources to grow their clients’ careers, scale their business, and increase the zeroes on their profits!
Image source: Clothes & The Rest
Victoria Prew: The Woman Who Created a Smart Solution to Fast Fashion (Hurr)
Victoria is the CEO and founder of Hurr, a platform that’s home to thousands of luxury pieces renters and lenders. In 2017, realizing just how immensely fast fashion hinders sustainability, Victoria knew a solution was called for. She then created Hurr, a company that lets women, through renting, keep up with luxury trends without serious costs to their bank accounts nor the planet. Making it to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list and leading a fashion revolution, Victoria reminds people, “You can do what you love and still get tired. You can do what you love and still become burnt out. You can do what you love and still get excited about taking a break.”
To Conclude
The spirit of these 5 women, among many others, is truly a force to be reckoned with. It’s a great incitation to every other woman around the world to, in their own way, #BreaktheBias. Which female entrepreneur would you add to this list? Share their stories with us at @harmoni.desk on Instagram!