In 1905, at the age of 37, a young black woman moved to Denver, Colorado, where she met and married her husband. After selling hair and beauty products door-to-door and teaching other women how to groom and style their hair, she decided to develop her own product line.
She went on to become the first female self-made millionaire in the United States.
Her name was Madam C.J. Walker. Her company, the Madame C.J. Walker Manufacturing Company, which created beauty and hair products for black women, became one of the most widely known and financially successful businesses of the early 20th century.
Today, female entrepreneurs make up approximately one-third of all entrepreneurs worldwide. Many of the world’s top brands were founded by women, including 23andMe, Hulu, Coursera, and Eventbrite.
Even though women still face gender discrimination in the workplace and limited access to funding, they are trailblazers, discovering and applying new technologies and processes to strengthen their businesses.
Whether it's paving the way for future women in STEM or advocating for gender equality, women across the globe are creating new approaches to business and leadership.
Here are some lessons learned from THNKer entrepreneurs: