Successful businesses that are built to empower women
When leaders strive to create gender equality they help the economy and society as a whole, as many women around the globe have been negatively impacted by the pandemic due to preexisting inequalities.
Fortunately, there are a plethora of companies and resources available today that are dedicated to helping women on so many levels, from creating more wealth to taking charge of their reproductive health.
This curated list of companies showcases what’s possible for women to achieve and encourages them to consider easier ways to dress for success or simply care for themselves in a way that makes sense to them.
Ellevest
Ellevest is a digital investment platform for women established by former Wall Street executive Sallie Krawcheck that uses an algorithm to determine specific gender differences such as lifespan, career breaks and women’s pay. It is designed to offer females access to cost-effective investment opportunities and to help them reach their financial goals.
As a startup CEO who also made a name for herself in large corporate companies, Krawcheck is recognised as one of the most influential business women. She is also chair of Ellevate Network, a thriving global community for professional women to assist them in advancing their careers.
The Lily
In January 2017, The Washington Post announced a new and bold approach to connect to its audience of millennial women with smart content and striking visuals that inform and entertain female readers on topics that interest them. With multimedia content distributed across Facebook, Twitter, twice-weekly newsletters and the brand’s website, The Lily provides curated news on issues including gender equality and women’s health.
MilkStork
In 2015 Milk Stork became the world’s first breast milk shipping company. Established by and for working mums, the Milk Stork story began when Founder Kate Torgersen was planning a four-day business trip and realised the complications involved in supplying her seven month-old twins back home with her own breast milk.
In 2019 the startup received Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies Award in the Travel category. Many leading companies provide this service to their employees so that women can continue to nourish their careers as well as their families. While it’s helped normalise breastfeeding in the workplace, Milk Stork has already benefited more than 13,000 travelling moms with babies.
Ava Women
Founded in 2014 in Switzerland, Ava is designed to help women get pregnant by bringing together clinical research and artificial intelligence to help advance women’s reproductive health. Its award-winning product, the Ava bracelet can accurately detect the fertile window of a woman’s cycle in real time using data science and sensor technology.
While you sleep the bracelet collects data, which is then analysed using advanced algorithms. The innovative technology company’s clinical research has additionally been published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Medical Internet Research and continues to contribute scientifically proven insights into women’s reproductive health based on clinical trials and from the more than 3.5 million cycles from those who have used the product.
Spanx
Worth US$1.1 billion, Sara Blakley, the Founder of global shapewear brand Spanx and self-made billionaire stumbled upon a revolutionary idea while preparing for a party. In an attempt to achieve a smooth look under her white pants, she cut the feet off her tights and the concept behind the Spanx brand was born.
Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Garner and Tyra Banks are among the celebrities who have become proud shapewear wearers and enthusiasts. Dedicated to helping women feel great about themselves, Blakley has expanded the brand’s offering to include bras, underwear, leggings and activewear and in the process becoming a household name in more than 50 countries for women in need of a practical fashion solution.
Goop
Since its humble beginnings in 2008 as a weekly newsletter, Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand, now spans the areas of wellness, clean beauty and fashion and has attracted much attention to women seeking alternatives to traditional medicine. With a steady growth of 50 per cent year-on-year, despite controversy surrounding some of the brand’s claims, Goop is estimated to be worth US$250 million, delivering content, products and events that inhabit the luxury sphere. "Gwyneth was super sophisticated in how she thought about the market opportunity," observes Tony Florence, Goop’s first institutional investor. "She saw the trends around self-care early."
Adore Beauty
When Kate Morris launched Australian online beauty retailer Adore Beauty from her garage in Melbourne in early 2000, she probably didn’t think that it would grow to become a AU$400 million empire. Having worked behind cosmetic counters in her university days, Morris was keen to reimagine the shopping experience – where consumers would feel empowered to make their own decisions and not be talked down to. While Morris’s idea was initially met with suspicion, today (especially since the pandemic) the brand has experienced unprecedented growth, granting its online users a huge range of products to choose from and democratising beauty in the process.
Lift Women
Lift Women is a platform dedicated to assisting women-led businesses to tell their stories, showcase their products and raise the funds they need in order to fulfill their mission. Founded by former Head of Partnerships for Global Banks Irene Tsang, the platform exists as a force for empowerment that seeks to level the playing field for female entrepreneurs, who are disadvantaged by their gender when seeking financial support for their endeavours.