The silver lining in this recession has been the rise of the entrepreneur—many of them women. The lesson of the fiery phoenix is that often from the depths of necessity the most interesting opportunities arise and those with the foresight plus the wherewithal find themselves creating, innovating and enjoying success from great ideas. With Smart Women, Smart Ideas this year, I have covered numerous successful women who have offered us both example and words of wisdom about starting and running businesses…   Read More »

Shien-Ru Tsao came to the United States from Taiwan when she was just two-years old. From Taiwan to Tennessee, she was raised by immigrant parents who taught her about bootstraps and the lifting of oneself through the use of them. Now inventor of a new kind of bootstrap, the KUZA Strap, and founder of Project 116 (a program helping low-income, middle-school aged entrepreneurs learn the marketplace, product design and sales), she has not only reinvented the bootstrap but is also determined to teach a few kids how to lift themselves up by them too.   Read More »

From the death of her dad to the birth of her son Dash in 2008, platinum selling songstress Sophie B. Hawkins has lived through a few relatable ups and downs since her 1992 mega-hit song “Damn I Wish I Were Your Lover”. What many do not know is that she split from her record company a few years back and started her own record label. She’s as much businesswoman + entrepreneur as artist…  Read More »

Soy was unknown even a decade back to mainstream consumers so Austin based Christy Bell, founder of Soy Delites, had her work cut out for her when she started selling votives from the back of her truck 8 years ago. She went from a handful of votives off the back of that truck to now selling 50,000+ soy candles a year…  Read More »

Imagine if you were born with the inability to smile. No one knows more about this than Lisa Lori – owner of Lisa Lori Communications and mother of 3 young boys, all born with facial paralysis. Lisa, rising to the occasion, has launched the Give One, Get One campaign this holiday season with Operation Smile – raising vital funds for children like her own all over the world.  Read More »

Did you know that in 1843 Sir Henry Cole commissioned John Callcott Horsley to illustrate the very first Christmas card? Millions of Christmas cards later and the greeting card industry exploding to include every major occasion yet there are few who are able to name even one greeting card illustrator. From her kitchen table in 2002 to a small business with ten employees, Bonnie Marcus Designs is now a million dollar company and she is one of the most sought-after designers in the greeting card industry.  Read More »

Jennifer Rivlin Roberts, founder of ModernTribe.com and creator of No Limit Texas Dreidel, came to a revelation when registering for her wedding that there was little choice in the world of Judaica. She found the industry to be dusty and old-world without a consideration for modern women like she and her friends. Surprisingly, she then found herself culturally becoming “more Jewish” than her own mom by bringing Jewish retail into the 21st century..  Read More »

Winter has come early once again this year, especially in the Northeast. And if you have any young kids, you’re going to want to keep them snug as a bug in their stroller with SnugglePie – a natural shearling cocoon sewn to fit any stroller. Created by two moms, Dana Moyal Kolevzon and Karolin Falk, who together designed this must-have comfy, cozy baby stroller essential for a cold winter’s day…  Read More »

Snickers! M&M’s! Skittles! Scary to those watching their weight this Halloween as the trick-or-treaters come to your door looking for chocolaty handouts. And Halloween is just the beginning of the frightening junk food journey with the holidays soon to follow. Dr. Michelle May, author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle, wants you to know there are many ways to enjoy food this holiday season. And guilt should not be on the menu.  Read More »

How can one describe Hannah Lavon? A young entrepreneur, a creative force and co-owner of Hooray Hooplah, designer of this season’s holiday must-have mittens: Predator vs. Prey. CNN.com has recently featured Hannah as one of ten Next Generation young entrepreneurs to look out for…   Read More »

Boobies! Ta-tas, The Girls – no matter what you call them it’s the month of October and that means National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Janelle Hail, Founder of the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) and thirty-one-year survivor, has dedicated not just the month of October but her life to the duel mission of educating women on the need for early detection and to providing guidance to women should cancer be detected.  Read More »

Hallie Rich is a 3rd generation vitamin producer. Her dad made vitamins, her grand dad made vitamins-even her grandmother, Charlotte, made vitamins. Her grandparents opened a vitamin business well before she was born and Hallie practically grew up in a vitamin manufacturing plant. Trouble is…Hallie’s life balances on one ironic fact…Hallie can’t swallow pills…  Read More »

Meghan Cleary, aka Miss Meghan, knows that the one thing she can always rely upon is a good pair of shoes that define the situation and define her mood. And Meghan has turned her long-time deep affection for shoes into a glamorous career that takes her around the globe and back again – and does it all in heels!  Read More »

Women warriors. Gun toting, fatigue wearing, troop commanding soldiers. They fight terrorists. They deliver food, aid and medical services. Military women are defending our country with their lives. And, Stephanie Moles, founder of I Support Vets and Grace After Fire, was there with a helping hand – as life back in the States couldn’t be more different than the front lines of Iraq.   Read More »

Jinhee Kim & Sarah Paiji met at a Harvard Business School reunion (though not in the same graduating class). While shopping in London, Jinhee imagined being able to digitally search for interesting products nearby on her smartphone. Having spent years at Harvard being inspired by a number of prominent women working in fields where fashion and technology intersect, she quickly proposed collaborating with Sarah on what would become Snapette.  Read More »