Who run the world? Girls! It’s International Women’s Day, so we’ve rounded up some of our favorite women-owned businesses in every category. These awesome girl bosses have flipped the script in their perspective industries and created companies that are truly changing the world. On this day, we celebrate women from all walks of life and their right to totally slay in business. These ladies saw a gap and chose to fill it with their talents, knowledge and perseverance. So, if you aren’t already shopping these female-founded brands, it’s time to start! Homeware, wellness, food, fashion and beauty. There’s a little something for everyone below!
Here are a few of our favorites and a bit about why we love each company and its mission!
Homeware
Our Place + The Cult Favorite “Always Pan”
Who hasn’t heard of the infamous Always Pan?! At one point, this do-it-all kitchen accessory had a 30,000 person wait list! But making pretty cookware wasn’t the motive behind co-founder Shiza Shahid. As the brand states, We believe in the power of home-cooking to bring people together. Our mission is to create products and experiences that celebrate cultures, honor traditions, and cultivate connections. Every building block of our business is towards a more connected world. We invest in factories with safe and ethical working conditions that pay above a living wage so that the people who make our products have time, energy, and resources to connect with the people they love.
The brand offers more cookware and dinnerware so you can start building your own home cooking memories with your loved ones!
Parachute
Parachute offers everything you could ever need to make a cozy + stylish home. Some of their most popular items include linen duvets and bedding, hand-woven rugs, spa-quality loungewear, and a killer mattress. Founder and CEO, Ariel Kaye, states:
Home is everything to me. I created Parachute to bring more comfort to your world through premium, accessible essentials. Before starting the company, I was a design enthusiast and a super consumer of home goods who couldn’t find a single brand that was high quality, affordable or easy to shop. I realized there was a hole in the market – and saw a true business opportunity. I launched Parachute in 2014 as an online-only, direct-to-consumer brand focused on creating impeccable bedding. We’ve created a loyal community dedicated to comfort, both online and off. And we’re committed to providing you with exceptional everyday essentials that make you feel at home.
The Sill
Calling all Plant People! If ready-to-ship plants and timeless pots and planters seem like you’re thing, then let us introduce you to The Sill. At 26, Eliza Blank, Founder & CEO, decided that plants make her happy, so they must make other people happy too. She wanted to make that happiness more accessible.
The brand states: Our mission is to make the experience of discovering the perfect potted plants as wonderful as the plants themselves. The Sill is the source that bridges the gap between plants and people, offering products and services that fit with your personal style, your lifestyle, and your budget.
Fashion
Girlfriend Collective
Girlfriend Collective is all about ethically made activewear. Co-founder Ellie Dinh says it all started with a legging. Turning plastic bottles and waste into adorable bras, leggings and shorts? Yeah, we’re here for it! The brand shares:
When we started Girlfriend Collective our first goal was to be as transparent as possible. So many companies tout transparency but only offer flashy headlines instead of substance. We chose every part of our process, from our raw materials to our facilities to our partners, with care. We also discovered quickly that high end fit and feel is not a matter of cost, it’s a matter of time. Girlfriend Collective takes the time to make sure every single one of our designs is so beautiful that you won’t cycle through it the next time you look through your closet.
Rent The Runway
Need look good, feel good clothing with a sustainable mindset? Then you might need Rent The Runway in your life. With multiple membership tiers, the brand makes sure designer fashion is accessible to all! Founded in 2009 by Jenn Hyman and Jenny Fleiss, the brand states: Our mission is to make women
feel empowered and self-confident every single day. With an unlimited closet, women can more freely express themselves and dress for the incredible lives they lead – whether that’s a special look for a big event or rotating outfits for everyday. We believe that renting is the future of getting dressed, and we’re only getting started…
Beauty
Ilia Beauty
Clean Beauty is ALWAYS a good idea. Women owned business, Ilia Beauty, founded by Sasha Plavsic, states their motto as this:
Merit Beauty
Merit Beauty is a minimalist brand with the essential products that are really all you could ever need. Founder Katherine Power shares:
In many ways, beauty and self-care has reached a fever pitch — a saturated market with products coming out every few days full of ingredients we can’t pronounce, eyeshadow palettes with 50 colors when we only use two, and more and more additions to the list of what it takes to “be ready” (does a 10-step skincare routine sound familiar?). In 2020, we reset. We learned we don’t need much. We’ve become accustomed to bare nails, natural hair and days without makeup. We’re indulging in minimalism, and brands that bring us more, with less. Welcome to your morning ritual, simplified.
Olive & June
Olive & June was founded on the principle that all women should be able to have that nail salon experience at an affordable price. Founded in 2013 by Sarah Gibson Tuttle, the brand states:
We believe no matter who you are, where you live, what you do, or what you wear, you can have a perfect manicure that makes you feel like your best self. Olive & June is here to make that beautiful feeling happen for everyone. Sarah named the salon after her great-grandmother and grandmother,
the Gibson women who taught her the importance of having high standards and a big heart. Seeing the opportunity to create a pretty space where women could expect and enjoy expert nail care on a regular basis and spend time with their friends, Sarah opened Olive & June.
Wellness
Goldmine
A better way to deal with stress? Yep, that DEFINITELY sounds like a Goldmine! Founded by Rachael Gorjestani, nutritionist & chef, and Tina Hardison, designer & educator, this line of Adaptogen Powders is made from herbs and supermushrooms to help boost overall wellness and build resilience to stress.
Goldmine was inspired by our own burnout and adrenal fatigue. Being modern women, we’re constantly juggling our many work responsibilities, projects, and maxed out calendars and inboxes. Adaptogens have been consumed in many cultures for hundreds of years to arm people with stress management. But we didn’t like the products that were on the market. They were either hard to consume, didn’t taste good, or the brands didn’t speak to our lifestyles. So we created our own. Our goal is to help you think, create, move, and feel your best.
Your Super
Kristel de Groot is the Co-Founder and CMO of Your Super, a next-gen industry leader in plant-based living, transparent supply chain, and 1:1 giving. Kristel is responsible for developing the formulas, all packaging and branding. Your Super’s plant-based Superfood and Protein mixes and bars contain 5-6 naturally dried superfoods. Every ingredient is grown, harvested, 3rd party tested, and packaged 100% sustainably. The ingredients are certified organic, Non-GMO certified, Glyphosate-Free, plant-based and gluten-free. You’ll never find any sweeteners, stevia, artificial flavors, fillers, preservatives or additives.
Women’s empowerment is very near and dear to Your Super Co-Founder Kristel de Groot’s heart, and she also implemented a Moon Day Policy for Your Super employees who identify as women, allotting them 12 “Moon Days” per year to be used during their menstrual cycles. Female employees can choose to work from home on the couch, cancel meetings or simply take the day off.
Ritual
Who doesn’t know about the vitamin brand in the bright, sunshine packaging?! Ritual is a women owned business that strives to take vitamins back to what they’re meant to be: pure. Katerina Schneider, CEO & Founder, shares:
When I was pregnant, I turned my house upside down to get rid of products with ingredients I couldn’t get behind. I replaced everything from my cleaning supplies to my deodorant. But, in my search for my ideal prenatal vitamin, I found questionable ingredients. I couldn’t find a brand that I trusted, so I decided to build my own. I founded Ritual with the belief that better health begins with better ingredients. With us, you’ll know where ingredients come from and why it’s there. Some call it obsess-iveness, we call it traceability. Welcome to your new daily ritual.
Food & Drink
Brightland
Brightland is California-made olive oil with quality at its heart. Founder Aishwarya Iyer says this:
When my husband and I started to get into cooking, we expected to improve our well being and boost our confidence in the kitchen. Instead, we got a little nauseous. After eliminating likely culprits like cheese and bread, we discovered – much to our surprise – that the cause was actually our olive oil. A bit of research uncovered that the olive oil Americans consume is not what we think it is. Brightland was born out of a desire for better, more honest food production – and a deep belief in the land and what it provides. I believe in the California sun & soil, and the beautiful olives, grapes and fruit they yield. It’s my wish that our products provide abundant nourishment to you and the people you love for many breakfasts, lunches and dinners to come.
Diaspora Co.
Adding that “spice of life” to the list is Diaspora Co. Founded by Sana Javeri Kadri, the brand is committed to the “Made in India” name and meaning:
It’s how we tell our own stories of freedom, struggle, and diaspora through food. In late 2016, as a young woman born and raised in postcolonial Mumbai, I was slowly discovering that not much about our system had changed. Farmers made no money, spices changed hands upwards of 10 times between farmer and consumer, and the final spice on the shelf was usually an old, dusty, and flavorless shadow of what it once was. Today, we work in close partnership with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research to identify and provide ongoing support to our partner farmers, all of whom are on the cutting edge of regenerative, and sustainable agriculture. We pay our farm partners an average 6x more than the commodity price, and by the end of this year we aim to provide health insurance to every single farm worker that is part of our rapidly growing supply chain.
Daily Harvest
Healthy, organic food that also tastes amazing?? Yeah we know… impossible! Not with Daily Harvest! Get your vitamins and minerals through tasty foods, smoothies and ice cream delivered right to your door! Here’s a message from Daily Harvest Founder, Rachel Drori:
A few years back, I regularly found myself grabbing a handful of whatever snack I could find and calling it lunch. I didn’t have the time to cook for myself. I was sacrificing nourishing food for convenient food. Sound familiar? I wanted to do something to change it—that’s why I started Daily Harvest. Everything we make is built on organic fruits and vegetables and crafted into delicious food that is actually good for you. We’re frozen for a reason—because our method means more nutrients, better flavor, and food that keeps up with the pace of your life.
Haircare
Beachwaver
Beachwaver makes gorgeous, healthy hair easy. With styling tools, haircare and fragrances, they are a beauty lover’s best friend. Founded by Sarah, Erin and Emily Potempa, they know what it means to be a women owned business:
As a female-founded company, we feel we have a responsibility and an obligation to develop products that are free of negative energy. With a dedicated focus on research and development, we are continually innovating new products. We have an opportunity and a responsibility to make a positive impact and we are grateful for that every day.
Briogeo
We take care of almost everything on our bodies except our scalps. If you want gorgeous hair, it starts at the roots! Enter Briogeo- A natural hair care line that treats your locks from the inside out.
Nancy Twine, is no newcomer to the beauty-sphere – in fact, she started mixing haircare at the age of five with her beauty guru grandmother! Fast forward about 20 years… Armed with a tiny East Village studio apartment, her grandmother’s coveted beauty recipes and a rockstar natural chemist team, Nancy founded Briogeo Hair Care. A refreshing deviation from a market saturated with products backed by big-name celebrity stylists and deep-pocketed corporations, Briogeo takes it back to basics, offering a high-performance, hair care collection that is naturally based, yet performance driven to provide visible results.
We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to show these women owned businesses our full support! Looking for more shopping guides? Check out our picks here!
Green Wedding Shoe’s product selections are curated by the editorial team. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. If you would like to support GWS, please consider shopping through our links!
