Female-led brands, whether founded or owned, are not as few and far between as a consumer may think.
Globally, 34% of small, medium and large firms are owned by at least one woman, according to the World Economic Forum. In 2021 in the U.K., the number of women running a microbusiness – a business operated by fewer than 10 people – was 40%, according to GoDaddy. This number was up 8% from the previous year.
In 2020, only 28% of start-ups were founded by women. However, in 2021, female-launched start-ups increased by over 20%, making the number of start-ups founded by women, only one year later, nearly 50%, according to Gusto.
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As for the US, in 2021, women founded 49% of new businesses, according to the World Economic Forum. This is up dramatically from 28% in 2019.
Women are founding and owning more businesses across the globe than ever before, and while they are building empires in the beauty and wellness industries, they are also breaking barriers in male-dominated industries – like the beverage industry.
These five women-owned businesses in the alcohol industry are stepping over barriers and stepping into what it means to be a business owner.
Kasama Rum – founded by Alexandra Dorda-Marcu
Kasama Rum is a Philippines-inspired beverage company founded by Alexandra Dorda-Marcu. Dorda-Marcu is a second generation spirits entrepreneur. She is the daughter of Tad Dorda, founder of Belvedere and Chopin Vodka.
Before becoming the owner of her own Filipino-inspired liquor company in 2021, Dorda-Marcu studied international relations at Stanford University. She is now paving the way for women in the beverage industry in an unconventional and inspiring way.
Read more about Dorda-Marcu and Kasama Rum.
Tipperary Boutique Distillery – founded by Jennifer Nickerson
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Before breaking into the spirits industry, Nickerson was a tax adviser who loved her job. Though work was not fleeting for Nickerson, she dreamed of doing something she was more passionate about that she could truly be proud of.
Tipperary Boutique Distillery is a whiskey distillery based in South Tipperary, Ireland. The light for Nickerson’s business venture was flicked on when her father was in town on a typical visit. He recognized the opportunity for barley growth on the very land she was living. Now, Nickerson travels across the globe and wears every hat, from saleswoman to bookkeeper to distiller.
Read more about Nickerson and Tipperary Boutique Distillery.
Baxus – co-founded by Carrie Kellar
Carrie Kellar, co-founder and CEO of Baxus, graduated from Columbia University before working in finance, software engineering and machine learning before entering the beverage industry.
"I just got so excited about how many opportunities there are in the alcohol space," she told FOX Business. "There is so much that women can bring to this industry."
Baxus is an online marketplace for peer-to-peer wine and spirits trading. Kellar is inspiring women in AI to step into their unique approaches to male-dominated industries.
Read more about Kellar and Baxus.
Mezcal Campante – founded by Shirley Leigh-Wood Oakes
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Shirley Leigh-Wood Oakes is a partner and CEO of Mezcal Campante, a small-batch mezcal spirit. Oakes has a background in branding and marketing and is introducing a traditional spirit to the modern world.
"There’s a lot of uncertainty when you’re running your own company and building a brand," Oakes told FOX Business. "But if you do have that entrepreneurial spirit, even though it's daunting, and you never know where you might go, it’s also thrilling."
Read more about Oakes and Mezcal Campante.
Talea Beer Co. – co-founded by Tara Hankinson and LeAnn Darland
Tara Hankinson and LeAnn Darland co-founded Talea Beer Co. after working together at another company for three months before realizing they were there for the same reason – to start a brewery of their own.
Today, the homebrewers turned co-founders own the first and only woman-owned brewery in New York City. The have opened four taprooms since launching their business.
Read more about Hankinson, Darland and Talea Beer Co.