Women now own 22.9% of U.S. employer businesses. The gap with male-owned firms is still real.

Why This Day Exists

American Business Women's Day traces back to the founding of the American Business Women's Association on September 22, 1949, an organization built to bring working women together for education, networking, and leadership development at a time when the professional world offered women very few formal paths in. Ronald Reagan recognized the day nationally in proclamations in 1983 and 1986, and it's carried the date ever since.

The Gap

Women-owned employer firms grew nearly 20% between 2017 and 2023, and women now own almost a quarter of all U.S. employer businesses. Average revenue for women-owned firms still sits at $1.7 million, compared to $4.1 million for male-owned firms.

Why This Day Matters To Me

I never thought I could be an entrepreneur. Looking back, I think past invitations from other people to go into business together, even the ones that didn't work out, were probably an early introduction to the idea. Building The Kharis Company with the intent to bond with my son is what actually helped fuel my passion, realizing I'd found a business I genuinely enjoy. I believe that's the key for anyone: find what you love first, then figure out whether you want to build a business around it.

I love being a business owner and I look forward to the day I can call myself a successful one. What I value most is getting to tell my own story my way, getting to wear my own designs, and having found what lets me actually flourish. Success looks different for everyone.

Being an American, woman-owned business gives me more confidence in what I'm capable of, especially with the decisions I've had to make lately and everything I'm learning from making them.