10 Huge Companies You Didn’t Know Were Started by Women
We’re all about women-owned startups and small businesses here at HerSuccess. But do you know how many of the world’s most famous companies were started by women?
Here’s our top ten list of the companies you had no idea were founded by women:
1. In-N-Out Burger
Esther Lavelle Snyder, with her co-founder husband, launched one of the West Coast’s most popular fast food restaurants. Founded in 1984, In-N-Out is now worth upwards of $1.3 billion and has been passed down to the couple’s granddaughter.
2. ClassPass
Payal Kadakia founded ClassPass, a membership service that offers unlimited access to boutique fitness studios in your area. Kadakia’s startup is now worth over $400 million.
3. Tinder
Tinder, the social dating platform that took the world by storm in 2012, was co-founded by Whitney Wolfe. Today Tinder is worth over $750 million.
Wolfe then left to create Bumble, a dating app that puts women in charge of making the first move. Bumble is now worth close to $1.5 billion.
4. Cisco
In the early 1980’s, Sandy Lerner and her former husband developed one of the first multi-network routers. They then turned it into a $140 billion company: Cisco.
5. Flickr
Caterina Fake and her husband founded Flickr, one of the largest photo-sharing websites, in 2002. By 2005, Fake and her husband had sold Flickr for $35 million.
Fake is now on the board of directors at Etsy.
6. Pepperidge Farm
Here’s a doozy: in the 1930’s, housewife Margaret Rudkin began baking bread for her allergy-riddled son. This bread was the launching point of Pepperidge Farm.
By 1961, when Rudkin sold the brand to Campbell’s, Pepperidge Farm’s sales had grown to $32 million per year.
7. Build-A-Bear Workshop
Maxine Clark opened the first Build-A-Bear store, where children (and adults) can make their own customized stuffed animals, in 1997. Today the company has over 400 stores and is valued at around $200 million.
8. Proactiv
Katie Rodan and Kathy Fields created the Proactiv Solution in 1995. Their skincare company, Rodan + Fields, is now worth over $1 billion.
9. Spanx
At 29 years old, Sara Blakely created one of today’s most well-known hosiery brands: Spanx. Known as the youngest self-made female billionaire, Blakely and her company are estimated to be worth over $1 billion.
10. Canva
Melanie Perkins launched Canva, an online graphic design platform, in 2007. At 30, she is believed to be one of the youngest female CEO’s to lead a $1 billion startup.
Do you know one that we missed? Let us know in the comments!