Welcome to Women’s History Month!
Back in 1978 in Santa Rosa, California, it was a local celebration where The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County Commission on the Status of Women (wow, that’s a mouthful), planned and executed a “Women’s History Week” celebration. The movement made waves across the country and other communities began implementing their own celebrations of Women’s History Week the following year. In 1980, a group of women led by the National Women’s History Alliance successfully lobbied for national recognition and President Jimmy Carter issued a Presidential Proclamation declaring the week of March 8, National Women’s History Week and eventually in 1987 it was extended to an entire month.
One of our partners over at ADM Insights & Strategy provided us with information regarding the demographics, pay, and equality of women currently in the United States.
As a woman founded company ourselves, we are passionate about supporting other women in their dreams! When you support a small business instead of buying through Amazon, the state and local taxes that are charged actually help put money back into the local economy – supporting schools, first-responders, and more! A study in 2020 even found that businesses that were more gender-diverse were likely to outperform 25% above the industry median. Female-owned businesses are not only growing in ranks, but are essential to the economy! In fact, women owned businesses represent the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S.! While we have come so far, we still recognize there is always room for improvement. Additionally, the State of Women Owned Businesses Report revealed that Black women-owned companies earned an average revenue of just $24,000 per firm vs. $142,900 among all women-owned businesses. What can we do to help close these gaps?
Supporting female-owned businesses is a small way to help more women continue making waves in various fields and businesses.
From clothing to food, baby products to skin products, women are crushing the business game and we wanted to share some of our favorites so you can support them too!
Lifestyle and Self Care
Honey Pot | HoneyPot is the first complete feminine care system that cleanses and balances your vagina. AND 2% of thehoneypot.co sales go to charitable organizations that share their intention to provide access, connection, kindness and education to humans with vaginas across the globe. You can find their products at your local Target and other retailers!
Morrow Soft Goods | Morrow Soft Goods was founded in 2016 by friends Stephanie Cleary and Michelle Toney. Both with backgrounds in design, Stephanie in fashion and Michelle in architecture, they were passionate about building a brand that creates beautiful products while simultaneously focusing on sustainability.
Berlin Skin | Berlin Skin, founded by Monica Watson, was started with the hope of helping people transform their skin and find greater healing through a balanced, minimalist lifestyle. It’s holistic skincare and well-being, existing to help others find healing and health for their skin and inspire more peace in all aspects of customers’ lives.
Kate McLeod | Simple, powerful ingredients giving you a better way to moisturize. Waterless, plastic-free, no waste ever.
Beyond Yoga | Beyond Yoga was built upon the mission to give every body – of every size & shape – the luxury-level comfort they deserve from activewear.
Olive and June | Olive & June was founded in 2013 by mani-obsessee Sarah Gibson Tuttle in Beverly Hills, California. O&J elevates the salon experience, giving women personalized attention and luxury service at an approachable price. With their extended product line, customers can now have a salon level experience from their home.
Clothing
Odd Bird | Oddbird Co. was established by Ceren Alkaç-Lee (pronounced Jeren), a Turkish native, wife and mother to 5 who now resides in Los Angeles. Oddbird was born from Ceren’s deep desire to showcase and share the traditional handcrafted textiles of her homeland of Turkey while creating sustainable alternatives to the most used and loved items for the home and body.
Doen | Santa Barbara born sisters and a collective of five other women created down to offer clothing collections inspired by the nostalgia of Coastal California of decades past. Rejecting trends and aiming for classic and timeless pieces, Doen is thoughtfully designed to celebrate womanhood.
Bryr Clogs | Bryr Studio is a collection of hand-made clogs inspired by the West Coast lifestyle. Every pair of Bryr clogs are hand-made in San Francisco. Dedicated to the simple idea that the best products are made with the best materials, Bryr clogs are constructed using the strongest, most supple American leathers and traditional European solid wood bases.
Sonnet James | Moms who are looking for practical clothes that still look cute, this is for you. A mother founded Sonnet James for other moms to have a chance at being playful and confident at the same time.
The Bee and the Fox | The Bee & The Fox, pays homage to the legacy of t-shirts; they tap into the nostalgia that has been around long before us. Their shirts are built from a love for design, authenticity, and empowerment.
Food and Drink
Sweet Laurel Bakery | Sweet Laurel is a whole foods baking company, meaning, no filler, no weird stuff. Just the best organic, whole ingredients going into delicious grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free baked goods. Founded by Laurel Gallucci, a friend of Ergobaby, who has baked delicious treats since she could turn on the oven: chocolate chip cookies for her brothers, beautiful layer cakes for community events.
Sakara | It’s clean eating straight to your door. This subscription food service brings life-transforming, plant-rich super meals to your door, ready-to-eat.
Daily Harvest | Daily Harvest is on a mission to make it really easy to eat more fruits + vegetables every day. From seed to plate, they’re committed to a better food system, one that prioritizes human and planetary health. Their subscription program is transforming what we eat, what we grow, and how we grow it!
Kids
Rylee and Cru, Quincy Mae, Nora Lee | These three clothing lines are founded by illustrator Kelli Murray and inspired by her children Rylee, Cru, and Quincy Mae. Each line offers something unique for the modern child and mom. Yes mama, we’re talking MATCHING outfits.
Yumi | Founded by a busy mom who was unhappy with the baby food store options, she took to blending science with fresh, organic ingredients to help children reach their full potential at every stage. Their goal is an easy, worry-free option that you can feel good about and to share knowledge that inspires a lifetime of healthy eating.
All the Babies | Designed ethically and sustainably in Los Angeles, all the babies is a European-inspired baby and adult clothing brand with a mission to give back to babies in need. Simple, minimal, and 100% cozy.
Freshly Picked | Freshly Picked was started by Susan Petersen sewing late nights at her kitchen table in 2009. She discovered a lack of cute baby shoes that wouldn’t fall off her little one’s feet. With that in mind, Freshly Picked was born. Her first pair of leather moccasins were created from yard sale scraps to fit her baby boy’s chubby feet.
The Natural Nipple | As a nurse practitioner, founder Lauren was studying the gut microbiome of preterm infants in her PhD program where she discovered that babies who weren’t being given breast milk were suffering fatal complications. She wanted to find a solution that would give all babies the ability to have breast milk, and support prolonged breastfeeding. By designing a bottle that offers seamless continuity between breast and nourishing with pumped milk, The Natural Nipple hopes to empower parents with nature’s first life vaccine (breastmilk), promote bonding, and improve the health of families around the world.
Slumberkins | Slumberkins is a leading children’s educational brand on a mission to promote early emotional learning. As a family therapist and an educator, two friends saw a need for an intentional children’s brand that reinforces a positive attachment between children and their caregivers. Their stories (and corresponding stuffed toys) use evidenced-based techniques to teach little ones important social-emotional skills. Through pro-active and supportive narratives, each collection is intentionally crafted to build resilient, caring, and confident children.
Resources
Monti Kids | Monti Kids is everything you and your 0-3 need for your Montessori adventures. Heirloom-quality Montessori toys, digital courses for parents, coaching from Child Development experts and more!
Luscious Mother | Luscious Mother is a coaching company for moms, created from a desire to see women live fully expressed lives while bringing their best to motherhood, relationships, and career. As a company of trained and accredited coaches, they fully believe we can design our own reality; and if we want our children to have the kind of lives we want to create, we better get busy showing them how it’s done.
Totum Women | Feel like motherhood is a constant adjustment, with too little support? Totum is the friend who gets you what you need to get back on track. Their products, resources, and community help you feel whole as you move through motherhood.
Tend Lab | Launched in 2021, the new TendLab is an incubator and an instigator, convening the people who want to create better futures for working parents. We recognize the power and potential of parents at work, and we are galvanizing the leaders of the movement to build an emerging future that works for everyone.
This list is by NO means conclusive. It would simply be impossible to share every incredible female-owned business that we love and support, but we hope this is a launching point for you as you learn more about supporting local and supporting small.
Do you have any favorite female-owned brands of your own? We want to hear!