Women-owned businesses steadily grew between 2014 and 2019 by 21% to reach almost 13 million majority women-owned companies.
But revenue and sales from these women-owned businesses lag behind their growth rate. So in honor of Women’s History Month, we’re highlighting women-owned businesses with products to love and buy right now.
Lunchskins
You love the idea of silicone and beeswax-wrap reusable food storage bags but not the idea of your kids losing them at school. Enter Lunchskins. The woman-owned business does make reusable fabric food bags. But perhaps more importantly, Lunchskins makes recyclable and compostable, single-use, coated paper food bags that you can toss without a twinge to your eco-conscience. Founder Kirsten Quigley started Lunchskins in 2008 after seeing how much plastic went to waste between her kids’ school snacks and lunches, sports and other extracurricular activities. The bags come in a number of sizes and contain no BPA, phthalates or other harmful chemicals.
When you want to send a gift basket for congratulations, comfort or COVID-coping, it’s nice to find something that’s not just a generic assortment of mass-market snacks. Leeatt Rothschild started Packed with Purpose after being influenced by her time in the Peace Corps. She wanted to sell meaningful gifts that came from purpose-driven organizations, many of which empower women. Packed with Purpose’s “curated collections” include themed gift boxes like “A Toast for Two,”“An Afternoon at the Park” and “Gourmet Hot Chocolate” (pictured below).
Unique sterling silver jewelry is the focus of women-owned business Inspiranza Designs. The jewelry company’s founders, Diane Lawrence and Dawn Pochek, self-financed Inspiranza Designs and ran it as a direct sales business until the 2008 recession led to their switching to an online-only store by 2012. The jewelry is designed as quality, affordable sterling silver pieces. In 2019, Inc. Magazine ranked Inspiranza Designs 110th out of the top 5000 fastest-growing U.S. companies.
Women-owned business Kindred Bravely was started by mom of two Deeanne Akerson after she couldn’t find comfortable and cute pregnancy and postpartum clothes. Flash forward a few years and Kindred Bravely started winning all kinds of kudos, as when The New York Times’ Wirecutter picked Kindred Bravely’s French Terry Racerback Bra as the best nursing sleep bra in 2017. New and expecting moms have a range of items to pick from including support leggings with a cellphone pocket, cute maternity bathing suits, comfortable underwear for after a C-section, and nursing bras, tops and dresses.
If you shop at a grocery store, chances are you’ve seen Sweet Loren’s premade cookie dough for baking and straight-up eating. Created by Loren Brill after surviving cancer in her 20s, Sweet Loren’s treats are vegan-friendly, gluten- and dairy-free. Chocolate Chunk, Fudgy Brownie, Oatmeal Cranberry … these are clean-eating cookies that taste good!
Miss Jessie’s hair care products were created by sisters Miko and Titi Branch (below) for hair types that are wavy, curly, kinky and transitioning. Named after the Branches’ paternal grandmother, Miss Jessie’s is a women-owned business created to fill a gap in hair-care products. You can pick from hair oils, cleansers, conditioners, moisturizers, treatments, stylers and hair accessories.
Birdy Boutique is a women-owned and disabled veteran-owned business, run by sisters, with an interesting range of products for kids. Birdy Boutique’s car seat ponchos offer a way for children to wear a warm outer shell during winter and drape it on top of a safely fastened car seat while buckled in a car. Birdy Boutique also sells colorful and whimsical play crowns, birthday outfits and learning blankets.
Panache is a Minnesota-based, majority woman-owned business that is working to preserve and grow more heirloom apple varieties that have nutritional benefits. It uses 100% apple juice as the base for its mint, elderberry, turmeric and ginger-infused juices and hard apple cider. If you’re not in the St. Paul-Minneapolis area you can still find Panache in many national grocery stores.
If you’re going to browse Amazon for home decor, why not choose a woman-owned business with over a thousand affordable products aimed at creating a peaceful home? Serene Spaces Living mirrors, vases, hurricane lanterns, candles, jars, dishware and tableware are simple and interchangeable for all seasons.
The Netflix show “Emily’s Wonder Lab” from 2020 stars Emily Calandrelli and was also created, written and produced mostly by women. Show host Calandrelli is an MIT-educated engineer and TV host who filmed the first season of “Emily’s Wonder Lab” while visibly pregnant, showing the world how women get it done. Calandrelli also has a Space Gal Store with adult and kids apparel and the “Ada Lace” book series she co-wrote with Tamson Weston about a science- and tech-loving third-grade girl. If you have a budding STEM enthusiast in your family you’ll want to check it out!
