The Women-Led Economy™ changes everything
Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 9:16PM Dear Friends:
I am excited to share the birth of a powerful new future with you.
For over a decade, I have had the privilege of supporting the economic advancement of women and men through leadership as the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce. In founding the women’s chamber I vowed to tackle big, bold strategic steps that would make deep and significant gains for women.
The last decade has been a time of great change as millions of women – seeking greater opportunities for advancement and security, and the ability to secure better lives for themselves and their families – left the traditional workforce to establish their own businesses. But, while many women have seen great success as business owners, overall, our business revenues have not risen to the levels of our male counterparts. Even though women own over thirty-percent of all businesses in the United States, we account for only 4.2 percent of all business revenues.
Concurrent to the great Women’s Ownership Movement™ (the movement of women from the workforce into business ownership), I have witnessed several other important currents. Women’s purchasing power has grown exponentially as more women become breadwinners in their homes and as generational assets have transferred to women as heirs. But the long, hard fought battle for equal pay, equal opportunity, family-friendly work environments and access to business and credit markets has continued to drain our assets and put our families, our retirements and communities at financial risk.
We have the opportunity to lead positive change today.