5 Female Entrepreneurs You Should Know

In honor of Global Entrepreneurship Week, pays tribute to female entrepreneurs throughout the world. Women all over the globe are starting their own businesses, playing by their own rules, and earning respect on their own terms.

As we salute the strength, creativity, and passion of women business owners as a whole, we are pleased to introduce you to five female entrepreneurs we had the pleasure of meeting this week.

These dynamic women are running their own businesses and making a living doing exactly what they love to do.

Here Are Five Female Entrepreneurs You Should Know…

1.Nichole Smith

I founded and currently operate a business called “dane + dane studios” – I am a pet photographer and designer specializing in branding in the pet industry. My business is definitely quirky and creative – as well as uber fun :).

I love making my own schedule and having the freedom and need to travel (my photography work has taken me as far as Africa, regularly to California, recently to Mexico, and in January to the UK).

I love that I get to spend a great deal of time with my dogs and other people’s dogs – and of course as a creative person, I feel very lucky that I actually get paid to do what I love. I founded the studio as a 22 yr. old college student and we’ve been growing for over 5 years now!

What motivated you to start your own business:

I always knew I would be an entrepreneur (both of my parents are). I started my business when I was still in college for two reasons, #1 my puppy inspired me to realize how powerful our love for our pets is, and how valuable portraits of them actually are, and #2 I was ready to build something that mattered – I immediately started a relationship with my local humane society, photographing some of the animals that were tougher to place, thus helping them find homes.

I love my job, my clients and my lifestyle – I think being an entrepreneur is in my blood and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

2. Cynika Drake

I am the founder of Lavish Lifestyles Personal Concierge Service which arranges romantic experiences for you and your special someone.

I help keep busy and lazy men out of the dog house, by working with them to arrange anything from a romantic weekend getaway with their wife to a couples day at the spa, while at the same time negotiating lower rates on their behalf.

In turn, they appear to be more proactive in planning romantic times shared together, and as the saying goes a happy wife makes a happy life.

What motivated you to start your own business:

I have always been the go-to person for suggestions on romantic and exciting places of interest for friends, family, and co-workers. Whether it was the newest eco-friendly resort to open in Costa Rica or the best place for sushi in NYC I’m a walking directory of hotels, restaurants, theaters, you name it!

People started saying, “I feel like I should be paying you” as I was spending hours making arrangements for friends of friends, and after a while I said YES, I feel like you should be paying me too!

3. Ramona Russell

I am the founder of Uptown Liz, which was launched in memory of my 28-year old sister, Liz, who died of breast cancer in 2006.

Uptown Liz is an online marketplace where we aggressively promote products sold by companies, who donate a percentage of proceeds to charitable endeavors. What makes us unique is that we give shoppers an opportunity to shop by cause or by product.

What motivated you to start your own business:

I started my own company because I wanted to create a legacy for my sister, raise awareness about misdiagnosis all while making a difference. Uptown Liz encourages people to be charitable on a daily basis and broadcasts the joys of helping others.

4. Jennifer Chu

I founded Chu Shu, and in June 2010, I launched my first product, Silver Linings, the solution for all women who love their shoes. Silver Linings are ultra-thin shoe liners that provide antimicrobial protection for women who wear shoes without socks. They prolong the life of those favorite (and often pricey!) shoes while keeping feet feeling fresh and clean.

What motivated you to start your own business?

I wore my pumps for 12+ continuous hours each day, without socks. Like other New York women, I walked to and from the office in the comfort of sneakers or flats.

My work pumps, which I stored underneath my desk, barely touched the outside ground. However, while the exteriors of my shoes remained nearly pristine, the interiors became worn quickly, discolored from moisture buildup and lack of breathability.

They also acquired an unpleasant odor. I looked for solutions, but Peds No Show socks actually showed and Dr. Schools insoles made my shoes too tight. I was laid off at the end of 2008 during the financial crisis, and I took the opportunity (severance package, unemployment benefits, COBRA stimulus subsidy and all) to found Chu Shu and create my own solution.

5. Shari Lynn Rothstein-Kramer

I started SLK Creative, a boutique PR/Marketing and branding agency. I focus predominantly on companies in the special events industry. I know that PR is not so extremely “different” it is just the industry specifics that are. I am the only “agency” who really deals with my industry. You have to hear the event industry “music” or it will never work.

What motivated you to start your own business?

When I left BIZBASH, I was not sure what to do but after receiving many phone calls from “sources” asking for help writing articles, press releases, getting the word out, awards submissions, etc. I realized “Wow, there’s a business here!”

Like the female entrepreneurs mentioned above, women all over the world are taking action, building businesses and finding solutions to everyday problems. salutes the strength of female business owners, and encourages even more women to choose the entrepreneurial path.