Women are becoming entrepreneurs at record rates. In fact, there are 114 percent more women entrepreneurs than there were 20 years ago. Nonetheless, women still make up just 31 percent of small businesses and franchises. As a woman-owned business ourselves, one of the ways we wanted to celebrate Women’s History Month at The Mixx is to highlight some amazing small, women-owned businesses. Check them out!

Beauty

LYS Beauty. Founded by Tisha Thompson, LYS Beauty is the first black-owned clean beauty brand to be sold at Sephora. Known for its affordability, LYS offers skincare and coverage for all skin types and shades.

Ouai. Launched by celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin, Ouai is a socially-connected hair and body care brand that encourages women to embrace their hair and natural beauty.

True Botanicals. True Botanicals was launched by founder Hillary Peterson after being diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Peterson’s goal was to create a clean alternative to traditional beauty products, made with 100% natural-biocompatible solutions.

Business Services & Finance

Eventbrite. Julia Hartz co-founded event management and ticketing platform Eventbrite with her husband, Kevin Hartz. The app has been keeping people connected online and in-person through conferences, concerts, webinars, and more since 2006.

Gender Fair. Created by Amy Cross, Gender Fair makes it possible for people to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to making value-based purchasing decisions. The app helps track companies’ commitments to gender equality so that consumers can make informed purchases, investments, and donations. 

OYA App. OYA was created by Claudia Heika Bom to put women-led companies, non-profits, and freelancers at the forefront. The app helps consumers find and support nearby women-owned companies.

Food & Beverage

The Doughnut Project. The Doughnut Project is a hand-crafted, small-batch doughnut shop in the West Village of Manhattan. The all-women team led by co-founder Leslie Polizzotto opened shop in October of 2015 and takes inspiration from food and cocktails to create their flavors. 

It’s Nola. A tenured professor at Borough of Manhattan Community College, Margaret Barrow’s hobby of making vegan granola treats turned into a business shortly after her students took the initiative to conduct a city-wide survey to convince the professor of how much her snacks were enjoyed. Since its launch in 2018, It’s Nola has been featured in numerous publications including the Food Network for making plant-based snacks healthy and yummy. 

Swelter Coffee Roasters. Swelter Coffee Roasters was launched by founder Stephanie Welter-Krause in 2020. This woman-owned roastery and coffee subscription company supports female farmers across the globe while also advancing the cause of sustainability with its carbon-neutral shipping practices.

Health & Wellness

Permoveo Health. Owned and operated by power couple Colleen Feeney and Erin Lindsay Feeney, Permoveo Health is a Boston-based wellness company that uses Energy Management concepts and targeted movement principles to help people reach their goals by managing stress and anxiety.

Ritual. This reimagined version of the women’s multivitamin was founded by CEO Katerina Schneider after her search for an ideal prenatal vitamin. The idea behind the vitamin was to create a scientifically effective solution that was clean and free of additives. Since its inception, the line has expanded to offer vitamin and protein solutions for the whole family.

Lifestyle

Abacaxi. Inspired by nature and vibrant colors, abacaxi was created by South Asian-Amerian designer Sheena Sood. The line of handcrafted clothing was designed to embody a hybrid between NYC and the tropics.

Bounceless. Founded by Tulsa-based entrepreneur Charlotte Lott, Bounceless is a patented activewear and sport bra line for fuller-busted women so that size doesn’t become a barrier to physical fitness.

DiFiore New York. Andrea DiFiore mixes contemporary photography and photo-illustration with traditional fashion at DiFiore New York. DiFiore’s line was born out of her desire to transform her artwork into beautiful scarves and sarongs that accentuate a woman's beauty and wardrobe.

Llani. Alana Oates founded Llani as a brand for “fiercely independent” women. The curated collection of shoes, bags, and accessories features materials from female-founded and family-owned factories that are mindfully made in India.

North 24th Home. Created by black innovator and founder Toria Malia, this home cleaning line features non-toxic, homemade products. Malia named her line after the street she grew up on, and took her childhood memories of Saturday cleaning to create three signature collections of homecare and household bliss.

Parachute. Parachute was founded by former blogger and design enthusiast Ariel Kaye in 2014. The brand is known for its high quality home essentials including sheets, towels, robes, and rugs that make simplicity both comfortable and luxurious.