Why Women-Led Wednesday Matters

Meet some of our favorite women-owned and women-founded brands on Women-Led Wednesday

Michele's Granola is proud to be a certified woman-owned business, and Women-Led Wednesday is an ideal day to remind our community that when you shop women-owned, you’re not just buying a product; you’re fueling meaningful change:

Closing the Gender Gap

For too long, women have faced barriers in traditional workplaces, from wage gaps to limited leadership opportunities. Only 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs were women at the start of 2024, which--believe it or not--is a significant increase!

Founding and owning a business allows women to chart a path around the hurdles of corporate culture, allowing them making financial decisions on their own terms. Between 2019 and 2023, women-owned businesses grew at nearly twice the rate of businesses owned by men--a significant gain! However, a paltry 1.9% of venture capital funding is granted to women-founded startups, despite women-owned startups generating higher returns than businesses founded by men.

Redefining Success and Supporting Communities

Studies demonstrate that women entrepreneurs are more likely to reinvest not only in their business, but also in their communities. According to the US Chamber of Commerce, male-owned small businesses are less likely than women-owned small businesses to report financial donations to charities, 62% vs. 73%, respectively.

Women entrepreneurs are redefining what it means to succeed: Purpose and profit can go hand in hand, and often do! Values like sustainability, inclusivity, and social responsibility are baked into the cake (baked into the granola?) here at Michele's Granola and in many other women-owned businesses.

Just seeing women in leadership roles has value for younger women and girls, allowing them to see the possibilities for themselves.

Meet Some of Our Favorite Women-Founded + Owned Brands

We invite you to shop a few of our favorite women-founded and women-owned brands in food and beverage, today and every day:

Leave a comment if we missed one of your favorites!

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