Trailblazers In Business: Women Redefining Entrepreneurship

Women are emerging as a leading force across industries, reshaping the global business landscape with their innovation, leadership, and resilience. As entrepreneurs, executives, and decision-makers, women are driving progress, fostering diversity, and unlocking new opportunities for growth. However, these trailblazers face disproportionally higher barriers to accessing capital and resources necessary to launch and scare their businesses. This is where Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) come in, offering women entrepreneurs the financial support they need to turn dreams into thriving businesses. CDFIs are mission-driven financial institutions that provide loans and financial services to underserved communities, especially for women of color and including women entrepreneurs who may face challenges obtaining traditional funding. In 2019, women owned 42% of all U.S. businesses, a number that continues to grow each year. In fact, according to the 2024 Impact of Women-Owned Business Report by Wells Fargo, between 2019 and 2023, the number of women business owners increased at nearly double the rate of those owned by men. Black women are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs, starting businesses at a rate of 4.5 times the national average. Yet, access to capital remains a persistent challenge. Women entrepreneurs, particularly women of color, are far more likely...