April 1st, 2013
Celebrating Entrepreneurial American Women
by: Cindy Bates, Vice President, Microsoft’s U.S. Small-and-Midsized Business group
Click here for the original article on the Huffington Post.
Cindy Bates
In leading Microsoft’s U.S. Small-and-Midsized Business (SMB) group, I pay close attention to various trends in the small business space, and lately two trends in particular have tended to stand out from the rest. The first is the growth in the number of women-owned business, which was 44 percent between 1997 and 2007 — twice the growth rate of male-owned businesses. Second is the incredible impact technology has had in making the process of starting and operating a small business easier and less expensive than ever. In a recent Microsoft survey of women business owners, more than 80 percent of those who have started businesses within the last five years say technology played a critical role in getting their business up and running.
Small business is the lifeblood of the American economy, with entrepreneurship playing a transformative role in our nation’s history. But within the history of American entrepreneurship itself is a fascinating narrative around the collective experience of women who start businesses. From a changing legislative landscape, to a dramatically evolving cultural and social backdrop, the path of women entrepreneurs is marked by sometimes surprising obstacles and often inspiring triumphs.
A new online exhibit recounts the history of women’s entrepreneurship over the last century. The exhibit, “From Ideas to Independence: A Century of Entrepreneurial Women,” created by the National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) in partnership with Microsoft, explores how key socio-cultural, financial, legal and technological developments have influenced women’s entrepreneurship since the start of the 20th century. From Elizabeth Arden’s cosmetics empire, to the franchise success of staffing agency Mom Corps, which offers flexible work opportunities to stay-at-home moms, the exhibit highlights the varied stories of American women who have developed new markets and made notable enhancements to existing ones. Read the rest of this entry »
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March 26th, 2013
(Click above to read the article)!
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April 10th, 2012
The National Women’s History Museum is pleased to announce the launch of its latest Online Exhibit, “Daring Dames: A Photographic Exhibit.” The rare and inspiring photographs in this exhibit depict women, in many eras, who have demonstrated curiosity about the larger world and remarkable resourcefulness in their ability to navigate in it. These adventurous women have, through their daring, transformed the notion of female identity and the popular perception of acceptable female roles. They have broken through the limitations of social convention to explore and conquer new realms—geographic, physical, mental, and metaphoric.
Donna Henes and Daile Kaplan, co-curators of “Daring Dames” stated, “The exhibition celebrates the spirit of adventure and indefatigable determination of these daring dames to manifest their wildest American dreams. These pioneering women are an inspiration to all of us.”
To view the exhibit, go to http://www.nwhm.org/html/exhibits/daringdames/index.html.
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February 24th, 2010
The National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) is pleased to announce the launch of its newest Online Exhibit today entitled “Claiming Their Citizenship: African American Women From 1624-2009.” The exhibit seeks to present African American women collectively and exceptionally throughout American history. Starting with Isabel, the first known African American woman, in 1624 and climaxing with First Lady Michelle Obama in 2008, African American women have contributed to the warp and woof of American history, culture and character. Click here to view the exhibit. Read the rest of this entry »
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January 26th, 2010
Did you know that Vera Anderson, a welder at the Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation in Mississippi, was named one of The American Magazine’s “Interesting People” in its May 1944 issue?
To learn more about women’s roles during WWII, visit Partners in Winning the War.
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December 31st, 2009
Did you know that TV chef Julia Child was a spy during WWII? This exhibit covers women in the intelligence community from the American Revolution through the Cold War. Notable women such as Harriet Tubman, Virginia Hall, and Ethel Rosenberg are profiled. Learn more about the roles women played in the intelligence community in Clandestine Women: Spies in American History.
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December 11th, 2009
Did you know that as a teen, Eliza Pinckney increased indigo production by 2,500% in just two years? Read more about the amazing girls who demonstrated bravery and courage in our nation’s history and are ideal role models for today’s girls in Young and Brave: Girls Changing History.
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November 20th, 2009
Did you know that there were thousands of women’s clubs founded during the Progressive Era? Read more about the amazing women who worked to reform the nation in Reforming Their World: Women in the Progessive Era.
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October 11th, 2007
The founding of Jamestown in 1607 has long been a mandatory topic in American history courses. The story has been romanticized and retold in movies and books that popularized the names of the most famous characters – John Smith, Powhatan, Pocahontas, and John Rolfe. While the founding and subsequent struggles have assumed epic proportions, storytellers have largely ignored the women of Jamestown. These forgotten women and their crucial role to the success of Jamestown are the focus of the National Women’s History Museum’s (NWHM) newest Cyber Exhibit – Building the New World: The Women of Jamestown Settlement.
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