11Women Building: Stories and Roadblocks
The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any.
—Alice Walker
No country can ever truly flourish if it stifles the potential of its women and deprives itself of the contributions of half of its citizens.
—Michelle Obama
BUILDING CAN BE one of the loneliest endeavors. The journey is marked by passion, excitement, and occasional isolation. As a female founder, I often felt alone during my early days of building, searching in vain for relatable stories. This chapter aims to fill that void by sharing authentic narratives of women who have embarked on similar journeys. Their stories offer invaluable insights into the challenges and triumphs of building.
The absence of these stories is not just a matter of missing data; it's about the absence of shared experiences. The scarcity of women's narratives in entrepreneurship affect our collective understanding and influences decisions. To address this gap, this chapter features more than 40 women's accounts of building. It aims to provide you with a comprehensive view of women shaping the future and reminds you that you're never alone on this journey.
At a Glance: The Numbers
Before diving into their stories, it's important to understand some key statistics that come from the She's Next Visa Annual Report in 2019 (https://usa.visa.com/content/dam/VCOM/regional/na/us/run-your-business/documents/visa-state-of-entrepreneurship-research-summary.pdf). In the ...
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