Women's Entrepreneurship Day (WED) is a day on which the work of women entrepreneurs is observed and discussed, held every day of each year. The inaugural event was held in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

at the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

, with additional events being held simultaneously in several other countries. 144 nations overall recognized the first WED in 2014, which included the presentation of the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Awards. The organization behind WED also has an ambassadorship and

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

ship program.

History

Women's Entrepreneurship Day was founded and implemented by Pet Pioneer, Animal Fair Media Founder and

Ellis Island Medal of Honor The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is an American award founded by the Ellis Island Honors Society (EIHS) (formerly known as the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO)), which is presented annually to American citizens, both native-born ...

recipient Wendy Diamond, after volunteering with the Adelante Foundation who provides microcredit to low income women while in Honduras. Upon her return to the US she decided she wanted to develop something to help this and similar philanthropic causes. The first day was held on November 19, 2014, and was observed in 144 countries that year. It was described by Fortune Magazine as “a global movement to celebrate and support female founders and shed light on some of their challenges.”

Forbes Magazine ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also rep ...

wrote that the intention was also “to mobilize a global network of female business owners, entrepreneurs, and change-makers who support and empower this community of women entrepreneurs and their businesses.” November 19 was proclaimed an “official day” by both

New York Governor The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor ha ...

Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cu ...

and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, and

Los Angeles Mayor The mayor of the City of Los Angeles is the official head and chief executive officer of Los Angeles. The officeholder is elected for a four-year term and is limited to serving no more than two terms. (Under the Constitution of California, all j ...

Eric Garcetti Eric Michael Garcetti (born February 4, 1971) is an American politician who served as the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles from 2013 until 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, he was first elected in the 2013 election, and reelected in 2017. A fo ...

and is celebrated annually at the

and around the globe. The U.S. House of Representatives also annually recognizes the WEDO movement November 19 as “A Day in Honor of Women Entrepreneurs” under the leadership of

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

woman

Grace Meng Grace Meng (born October 1, 1975) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 6th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, her district is in the New York City borough of ...

Inaugural event at the United Nations

Women's Entrepreneurship Day event convenes at the

including a conference, speakers, and the inaugural Women's Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Awards. An Education Philanthropy Pioneer Award was given to

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

’s grandmother Sarah Obama, for her work in bringing gender equality to education in that country. Obama was presented the award by actress

Quvenzhané Wallis Quvenzhané Wallis ( ; born August 28, 2003) is an American actress and author. In 2012, she starred as Hushpuppy in the drama film ''Beasts of the Southern Wild'' (2012), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, becomi ...

. Loreen Arbus received an award for her philanthropic work, as did to

Lynn Tilton Lynn G. Tilton (born April 22, 1959) is an American businesswoman and collateralized loan obligation (CLO) creator, owner and manager. She is the chief executive officer and sole principal of Patriarch Partners, LLC and its affiliated entities, ...

. Other attendees of the United Nations inaugural launch included actress

Rose Byrne Mary Rose Byrne (born 24 July 1979) is an Australian actress. She made her screen debut in the film ''Dallas Doll'' (1994), and continued to act in Australian film and television throughout the 1990s. She obtained her first leading film role i ...

;

Miss Universe Miss Universe is an annual international beauty pageant that is run by a United States and Thailand based Miss Universe Organization.Natalie Tadena (July 2, 2015"Donald Trump's Miss USA Pageant Lands on Reelz Cable Channel". ''The Wall Stre ...

Gabriela Isler María Gabriela de Jesús Isler Morales (born 21 March 1988) is a Venezuelan TV host, fashion model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 2013, gaining placement as the seventh Miss Universe of her country. Isler is the founder of ' ...

;

Jimmy Choo Datuk Jimmy Choo Back from ...

co-founder

Tamara Mellon Tamara Mellon (; born 7 July 1967) is a British fashion entrepreneur who co-founded the luxury footwear brand Jimmy Choo. Subsequently, Mellon founded her namesake luxury footwear brand, Tamara Mellon, with co-founder and CEO Jill Layfield and ...

; and

First Ladies First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non-monarchical head of state or chief executive. The term is also used to describe a woman seen to be at the t ...

Gertrude Maseko Gertrude Hendrina Maseko is a former member of the national assembly and the former First Lady of Malawi. Maseko originates from the village of Kapasule in Balaka District. She was educated at St Mary's Secondary School in Zomba. She was a m ...

of Malawi and

Penehupifo Pohamba Penehupifo "Penny" Pohamba (born 16 June 1948) is a Namibian nurse and politician who was the second First Lady of Namibia while her husband, Hifikepunye Pohamba, was President of Namibia from 2005 to 2015. Early life Pohamba was born in Okatale ...

of Namibia. Delegations were sent from many different nations attended the event as well. A second WED is planned at the United Nations in 2015: the

United Nations Foundation The United Nations Foundation is a charitable organization headquartered in Washington, DC, that supports the United Nations and its activities. It was established in 1998 with a $1 billion gift to the United Nations by philanthropist Ted Turner, ...

is a founding partner of the events.

List of Pioneer Award winners

2014

* Loreen Arbus (Philanthropy) – President of Loreen Arbus Productions *

(Business) – Founder and CEO of Patriarch Partners * Mama Sarah Obama (Education) – Founder and CEO of The Mama Sarah Obama Foundation *

Sandy Lerner Sandy Lerner, (born 1955) is an American businesswoman and philanthropist. She co-founded Cisco Systems, and used the money from its sale to pursue interests in animal welfare and women's writing. One of her main projects, Chawton House, is in E ...

(Technology) – Co-founder of

Cisco Systems Cisco Systems, Inc., commonly known as Cisco, is an American-based multinational digital communications technology conglomerate corporation headquartered in San Jose, California. Cisco develops, manufactures, and sells networking hardware, ...

and Founder of

Urban Decay Urban decay (also known as urban rot, urban death or urban blight) is the sociological process by which a previously functioning city, or part of a city, falls into disrepair and decrepitude. There is no single process that leads to urban deca ...

* Shannon Schuyler (Social Responsibility) – Chief Corporate Responsibility and Purpose Officer of

PricewaterhouseCoopers PricewaterhouseCoopers is an international professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounti ...

, LLP (PwC US), and President of the PwC Charitable Foundation, Inc. *

(Fashion) – Co-founder of

Jimmy Choo Datuk Jimmy Choo Back from ...

and Creative Director & Founder of the Tamara Mellon brand

2015

* Dr. Jen Welter (Sports) – First woman to hold a coaching position in the NFL and linebacker for women's

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

for 14 years * Heidi Messer (Technology) – chairwoman and co-founder of Collective and Founder of LinkShare * Kelly O. Chezum (Education) – President of External Relations at

Clarkson University Clarkson University is a private research university with its main campus in Potsdam, New York, and additional graduate program and research facilities in the New York Capital Region and Beacon, New York. It was founded in 1896 and has an e ...

Leona Lewis Leona Louise Lewis (born 3 April 1985) is a British singer, songwriter, actress and activist. Born and raised in the London Borough of Islington, she attended the BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology in Croydon. Lewis achieved nationa ...

(Music) – British singer-songwriter and Animal Welfare campaigner * Leslie Blodgett (Beauty) – Creator of bareMinerals, former CEO of

Bare Escentuals is a Japanese multinational cosmetic company founded in Tokyo, Japan in 1872. Its product categories consist of: skin care, makeup, body care, hair care, and fragrances. The company is one of the oldest cosmetic companies in the world and ...

, Board Member for Every Mother Counts, Stella & Dot, and

SPANX Spanx, Inc. is an American underwear maker focusing on shaping briefs and leggings, founded in Atlanta, Georgia. The company manufactures mainly pantyhose and other underwear for women and, since 2010, produces male underwear as well. Spanx spe ...

* Martha "Muffy" MacMillan (Philanthropy) –

Recipient, Director on the board of Cargill, Inc., Director of the Cargill Foundation, Waycrosse, Inc., Boards of the

American Federation of Arts The American Federation of Arts (AFA) is a nonprofit organization that creates art exhibitions for presentation in museums around the world, publishes exhibition catalogues, and develops education programs. The organization’s founding in 1909 w ...

, Global Minnesota, The Economic Club of Minnesota, and

Walker Art Center The Walker Art Center is a multidisciplinary contemporary art center in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is one of the most-visited modern and contemporary art museums in the United States and, to ...

, Chair of

Opportunity International Opportunity International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is working to end global poverty by creating and sustaining jobs. Through a network of 47 program and support partners, Opportunity provides small business loans, savings, insu ...

's agricultural-finance campaign

2016

Iris Apfel Iris Apfel ( Barrel; born August 29, 1921) is an American businesswoman, interior designer, and fashion icon. In business with her husband, Carl, from 1950 to 1992, Apfel led a career in textiles, including a contract with the White House that sp ...

(Fashion) – interior designer and businesswoman * Joan Hornig (Accessories) – American jewelry designer and the founder of Joan Hornig Jewelry and

Winner * Katia Beauchamp (Beauty) – CEO and co-founder of Birchbox *

Kay Koplovitz Kay Koplovitz (nee Smith, born April 11, 1945) is an American businesswoman, best known as the founder of the cable television channel USA Network, for which she served as chairwoman and CEO from its founding in 1977 until 1998 when it was sold fo ...

(Finance) – Founder of

USA Network USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Madison ...

and Syfy and the first woman to serve as network president in television history *

Mindy Grossman Mindy Grossman (born September 8, 1957) is the former CEO of WW International (formerly Weight Watchers). The '' Financial Times'' listed her in the top 50 women in world business in 2010 and 2011, and she has been ranked among '' Forbes'' 100 m ...

(Philanthropy) – CEO of WeightWatchers and CEO and director of

HSN HSN, an initialism of its former name Home Shopping Network, is an American free-to-air television network owned by the Qurate Retail Group, which also owns catalog company Cornerstone Brands. Based in the Gateway area of St. Petersburg, Flo ...

and a member of the company's Board of Directors * Sandra Lee (Celebrity) – television chef and author * Tao Porchon-Lynch (Sports) –

Yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...

master and author *

Yue-Sai Kan Yue-Sai Kan () is an American, international television host and producer, successful entrepreneur, fashion icon, bestselling author and humanitarian. People magazine called her "the most famous woman in China" and Time magazine proclaimed her "th ...

(Business) – television host and producer, entrepreneur, author and humanitarian

2017

* Andrea Kerzner (Arts) – Daughter of

Sol Kerzner Solomon Kerzner, (23 August 1935 – 21 March 2020) was a South African accountant and business magnate. He founded both of South Africa's largest hotel groups, the Southern Sun Hotel Group and Sun International. He was also the Founder, Chair ...

, Founder and CEO of Lalela Project, Co-Creator of themoreweshare.com, Director of the Board of Kerzner International Holdings Limited * Angie Bastian (Culinary) – Founder, Angie's Boomchickapop *

Bobbi Brown Bobbi Brown (born in April 14, 1957) is an American professional make-up artist, author, and the founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics. She created ten natural-shade lipsticks which according to ''Entrepreneur'' "revolutionized the beauty industry". ...

(Beauty) – CEO of Beauty Evolution and Former CEO & Chief Creative Officer of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics * Dorothy "Dottie" Herman (Business) – Co-founder, President & CEO of Real Estate brokerage firm Douglas Elliman Real Estate, LLC * Judith Ripka (Accessories) – Luxury Jewelry Designer & Founder of Judith Ripka * Lucy Jarvis (Media) – First woman television producer, Peabody Award winner * Muna Rihani Al-Nasser (Philanthropy) – Chairwoman of the UN Women for Peace Association * Sara Bareilles (Music) – Singer-Songwriter

Waitress Waiting staff (British English), waitstaff (North American English), waiters (male) / waitresses (female), or servers (North American English), are those who work at a restaurant, a diner, or a bar and sometimes in private homes, attending ...

Writer/Composer * Sonia Gardner (Finance) – President, Managing Partner, and co-founder of

Avenue Capital Group Avenue Capital Group is an American multinational investment firm focusing on distressed securities and private equity with regional teams focusing on opportunities in the United States, Europe and Asia. The firm operates as both a private equ ...

& Global Chair of the Board of 100 Women in Finance * Suzanne Lerner (Fashion) – President and co-founder of Michael Stars and Board Member of Women Thrive Alliance *

Twinkle Khanna Twinkle Khanna (also known as Tina Jatin Khanna; born on 29 December) is an Indian author, columnist, interior designer, film producer and a former film actress. In 2015, she released her first non-fiction book, " Mrs Funnybones" which was decl ...

(Celebrity) – actress, entrepreneur, author, and philanthropist

2018

Anna Sui Anna Sui (; born August 4, 1964) is an American fashion designer. She was named one of the "Top 5 Fashion Icons of the Decade", and in 2009 earned the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America ( ...

(Fashion) – Fashion Designer and Entrepreneur *

Eileen Murray Eileen Murray (born 1958) is an American financial services executive and is the former co-CEO at Bridgewater Associates, one of the world's largest institutional asset managers. Murray has also held executive positions at Morgan Stanley, Credit Su ...

(Finance) – CO-CEO

Bridgewater Associates Bridgewater Associates is an American investment management firm founded by Ray Dalio in 1975. The firm serves institutional clients including pension funds, endowments, foundations, foreign governments, and central banks. It utilizes a glob ...

* Her Highness

Princess Märtha Louise Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

of Norway (Politics) – Author & Chair Princess Märtha Louise's Fund to benefit disabled children * Kathleen King (Culinary) – Founder Tate's Bake Shop * Mary Ann Thompson-Frenk (Civics) – President/Co-founder Memnosyne Foundation & The John Philip Thompson Foundation * Shannon Dellimore (Beauty) – Co-founder & Creative Director GLAMGLOW * Shari Staglin (Philanthropy) – CEO Staglin Family Vineyard, Co-founder One Mind * Shelley Zalis (Technology) – Founder OTX Global Technology Consulting Firm, CEO/Founder The Female Quotient

2019

* Wendy Diamond (Humanitarian) – A Social Entrepreneur, Impact Investor, Humanitarian, Animal Advocate, Best-Selling Author and CEO/Founder of Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization (WEDO)/#ChooseWOMEN, a non-governmental philanthropic volunteer organization. WED, with chapters in 144 countries and 112 universities/colleges, is on a global mission to alleviate poverty and empower women in business. *

Hannah Stocking Hannah Stocking-Siagkris (born February 4, 1992) is an American comedian and internet personality who first gained recognition from the social media platform Vine. She later became known for her comedy videos on YouTube.

(Influencer) – Global Entertainer 25+ Million Followers * Missy Elliott (Music) –

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

Winning Musical Artist * Leah Solivan (Technology) – General Partner Fuel Capital & Founder TaskRabbit * Stephanie Newby (Finance) – Founder Golden Seeds, the premiere early-stage investment firm for women-led companies * Patty Baker (Philanthropy) – Philanthropist, Broadway Producer, Founder Baker Scholars, Board Member Hunter College Foundation (Baker Theater Building),

New York Public Theater The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp, with the intention of showcasing the works of up-and-coming playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: An American L ...

, Naples Players, Baker Art Museum &

Milwaukee Repertory Theater Milwaukee Repertory Theater ("Milwaukee Rep") is a theater company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded as the Fred Miller Theatre Company, the group is housed in the Patty & Jay Baker Theater Complex, which includes the Quadracci Powerhouse Theater, ...

. *

Norma Kamali Norma Kamali ( Arraez; b. June 27, 1945) is an American fashion designer. She is best known for the "sleeping bag" coat, garments made from silk parachutes, and versatile multi-use pieces. Early life and education Norma Arraez was born on Jun ...

(Fashion) – International Fashion Designer, Founder/CEO *_Francine_LeFrak_(Accessories)_–_Founder/Visionary_Same_Sky.html" ;"title="Normalife, Founder/CEO Wellness CAFÉ & STOP OBJECTIFICATION CAMPAIGN * Francine LeFrak (Accessories) – Founder/Visionary Same Sky">Normalife, Founder/CEO Wellness CAFÉ & STOP OBJECTIFICATION CAMPAIGN * Francine LeFrak (Accessories) – Founder/Visionary Same Sky, Chair Harvard Kennedy School Women's Leadership Board & Founder LeFrak Productions.

International events

Additional events were held internationally, including one at the University of Luxembourg, which held a conference that featured speeches from women entrepreneurs as well as discussions between local entrepreneurs. The keynote address was provided by Deputy Chief Executive of the

European Investment Fund The European Investment Fund (EIF), established in 1994, is a financial institution for the provision of finance to SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises), headquartered in Luxembourg. It is part of the European Investment Bank Group. It ...

Marjut Santoni. Other events were also held, for example, in

Lagos, Nigeria Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the List of cities in Africa by population, second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national ca ...

. WED founded and launched the Women Wednesday social media event held on the Wednesday after

Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden ...

in 2014, to support women in business and related causes.

Fellowships

In addition to the annual events, WED founded and initiated a Global Ambassador Initiative, in order to develop WED communities on university campuses. It also runs the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Fellows Program, which is chaired by Kunal Sood.

References

{{reflist

External links

Official website
Recurring events established in 2014 November observances Entrepreneurship organizations