Yet another class of truly excellent women of color entrepreneurs has arrived to take over the workforce. Prepare to be inspired.
In case you’d mistakenly assumed that corporate America has been making the progress we’ve all been promised, only 28 percent of corner-office roles are currently occupied by women—and only 6 percent of those roles are filled by women of color. Which makes the triumphs achieved by the 13 founders down below all the more wow-worthy. They’re launching exciting companies, and embracing emerging technologies to solve some of the world’s biggest problems, all while focusing on a common goal: to create meaningful change for everyone who comes next.
Refreshing Your Memory
Every year, Cosmo and digitalundivided (a nonprofit geared toward catalyzing economic growth for Black and Latina female entrepreneurs) spotlight a select group of innovative female founders of color. Our judges (noted below) spend months screening hundreds of applicants to land on the final list of honorees. As members of the New C-Suite, these entrepreneurs receive mentorship, workshops, and business support as they scale their companies to the next level. So without further ado…
Meet the 2023 Honorees
Her Business
ShearShare is an app that allows independent stylists and beauty professionals to rent workspace in salons, spas, and barbershops.
Her Bragging Rights
Businesses in more than 900 U.S. cities are currently using ShearShare, which was recognized as one of Fast Company’s 2022 World Changing Ideas.
How It Started
Courtney and her husband, Tye Caldwell, have owned a salon and barbershop in Plano, Texas, for more than 20 years. About a decade ago, they noticed how rising generations of stylists wanted location flexibility (versus working at the same salon for years). They developed their app to connect stylists to open chairs across the country.
How It’s Going
On average, salon hosts on the app earn an extra $50,000 per year. For three years now, ShearShare has had a partnership with Lloyd’s of London that gives its freelance users daily liability insurance. It recently launched portable healthcare benefits and personalized continuing education guidance.
Why She Does It
“This is an industry that’s fed our family for more than 30 years. I wake up every day really completely obsessed with providing the tools people need to live out a long-term successful career. When someone tells me, ‘Thank god you guys are around—you are literally helping to keep my small business open…,’ hearing that from the industry we have the honor of serving every day is enough.”
Her Motto
“You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
