Supporting Female-Owned Small Businesses

In the United States, there are 30.2M small businesses. Nearly half of the nation’s workforce (49.2%) are employed by small businesses and represent 44% of the US GDP. Additionally, in recent years an increasing number of small businesses have been owned by women and minorities. No doubt, small businesses are the backbone of communities and the economy. They recirculate money locally, employ locally, and invest locally.

The recent health crisis has had dire impacts on small businesses. As a daughter of small business owners myself — my mom owns a hair salon and my dad owns a coin laundry business — I’ve seen the impacts and challenges firsthand. Whether they were forced to close by public health measures, or moved to reduce staff, operating hours, and services, it will take significant time and resources to recover — if it’s possible to recover at all.

This year, Small Business Month takes on a different meaning. It is crucial that we show up: show up and defend the local bakers, the local service providers, the local coffee shops, the local bookstores. Our communities depend on it.

Pandora is committed to supporting small businesses, and in light of Small Business Month, we’ve focused this past month’s Pass the Mic content on a suite of strong, bad-ass female entrepreneurs. From sex toys to wellness brands, the below female-run businesses are doing amazing things to disrupt societal norms and break down racial & gender barriers.

Take a listen to their incredible contributions:

Putting the Human Back in Business With Beatrice Dixon, CEO of The Honey Pot Talking Taboo & Pleasure Data with Liz Klinger, CEO of Lioness Mini Mic Interview with Camila Marcus, Chef/Founder of west~bourne Mini Mic Interview with Stacy Lambatos, Founder of CAYA Studios

Visit Pandora Presents Pass the Mic for more inspirational content.