They may not be celebrated in history books, but their
contributions to the world have greatly impacted our society. The legendary
women entrepreneurs on our list have constantly pushed the standards of their
fields to leave the world a better place.
These women are all different, yet they share similar stories of triumph in the
face of hardship. Some were selected because their invention changed the way we
live, while others were chosen for carving out a better path for women. Debbi
Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies, explains entrepreneurial motivation:
"Entrepreneurship has no age or time limits…it thrives on hope and inspiration.
Those who choose to participate can only make the world a better place."
And that's exactly what these entrepreneurs have done. Thanks to the
accomplishments of the women on our list, today's women-owned firms are among
the fastest-growing firms in the nation--women start businesses at twice the
rate of all companies. About 7.7 million firms are majority-owned by women (51
percent or more), employing about 7.1 million people and generating $1.1
trillion in sales, according to the Center for Women's Business Research.
1739 Eliza Lucas Pinckney
'Dying' to Make a Difference
She's known as America's first important agriculturalist for introducing blue
indigo dye into continental North America. Eliza Lucas was born in Antigua, an
island in the West Indies, in 1722. She attended a finishing school in London,
where she developed a love for botany. When she was still young, her family
moved to the U.S., and her father acquired three plantations. At the age of 16,
Pinckney took over the plantations near Charles Town, in the Province of South
Carolina, after her mother died and her father, a British military officer,
returned to the West Indies. After realizing that the growing textile industry
was creating a need for new dyes, Pinckney began making a high-quality blue
indigo dye in 1739. Her creation was a success: Indigo soon ranked second to
rice as a South Carolina export crop. She went on to produce flax, hemp, silk
and figs. Pinckney died in 1793, but her legend lives on. She became the first
woman inducted into the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame in 1989.
1766 Mary Katherine Goddard
Spreading the Word
This entrepreneur's accomplishments have already been noted as a part of
American history. Mary Katherine Goddard grew up in New London, Connecticut,
before moving to Providence, Rhode Island, with her mother in 1762. Her famous
firsts began when she became the first woman publisher in America in 1766. In
1775, Goddard became the first American woman postmaster in Baltimore, Maryland.
But she is most famous for printing the first copy of the Declaration of
Independence that included the names of all the signers. Goddard remained
postmaster until she was replaced in 1789, then continued to work as a printer
and bookseller until her death in 1816.
1875 Lydia Pinkham
The Ann Landers of the 1800s
Some would call her the Ann Landers or Dr. Ruth of the 1800s. In 1875, Lydia
Estes Pinkham of Lynn, Massachusetts, converted her herbal home remedies into a
big business by skillfully marketing her products toward women and educating
them about health issues. Pinkham's Vegetable Compound became one of the
best-known patent medicines of the 19th century. Pinkham was deemed a crusader
for women's health in an age when women's needs weren't being met by the medical
community. Cooper Laboratories bought the company in 1968, though pills and a
liquid stamped with Pinkham's name are still available at some drugstores.
1905 Madam C.J. Walker
Carving the Path for Women Entrepreneurs
Considered one of the 20th century's most successful women entrepreneurs, Madam
C.J. Walker built her empire out of nothing. Her parents were former slaves, and
she was orphaned at the age of 7. In 1905, she created Madam Walker's Wonderful
Hair Grower, a scalp conditioning and healing formula. Walker had a personal
connection to the product since she suffered from a scalp ailment that caused
her to lose most of her hair. She eventually expanded her business to Central
America and the Caribbean. By 1917, Walker held one of the first national
meetings of businesswomen in Philadelphia, the Madam C.J. Walker Hair Culturists
Union of America convention. Walker's hard work and perseverance carved a path
for women entrepreneurs, the African-American hair-care and cosmetics industry,
and the African-American community as a whole.