11 Women-Owned Companies Creating Real Change

Devoted to creating a more sustainable, ethical, beautiful world, these entrepreneurial women are the names to know.

Smart, compassionate design can make a resonant change in the world, and no one understands that better than the pioneering women behind some of our most beloved brands. From empowering artisans across the globe, to modelling climate-conscious practices, to streamlining our day-to-day experience at home, these women-led businesses are making waves with big ideas and good design.

Nicole Gibbons of Clare

Paint, according to interior designer Nicole Gibbons, has "traditionally been a hassle." Her work familiarized her with the overwhelming number of colours and product lines in the industry—and the simultaneous "importance of colour in the design puzzle." She finally decided to take on the traditional experience with the mission "to make paint shopping simple, and help people everywhere create the spaces they love." 

The result is Clare, a direct-to-consumer paint company that delivers designer-created colours and supplies. Its Colour Genius quiz offers consumers a personalized colour recommendation, too. The lean operation means that "everyone is wearing many hats and working really hard," says Gibbons. The experience has helped her grow as a leader, forcing her to be "confident in what [I] know, and equally confident in what [I] don’t know."

Hana Getachew of Bolé Road Textiles After working in architecture and interior design for a number of years, Ethiopian-American designer Hana Getachew decided to make a change and marry her desire to create Ethiopian products with her love for textiles. Her Brooklyn-based studio Bolé Road Textiles brings bold, traditional fabrics that are handwoven in Ethiopia to a broader market.

Establishing her company has provided Getachew both freedom and challenges. "Starting and growing business in any capacity is difficult, but being a solo founder, a mom, and also bootstrapping my business is especially intense," she says. However, she values the ability to choose those she works with: "Back in my architecture days, I found myself remaining in instances that I would not tolerate today, ranging from remarks that were racist, sexist, or just demeaning. Now I love and enjoy everyone I work with, whether it’s my vendors, artisans, or consultants."

Carly Nance and Rachel Bentley of The Citizenry 

Carly Nance and Rachel Bentley met in college. After graduating and working on opposite coasts, both uninspired by what they found at national and global retailers, they "set out to create a brand that gave people that next-best experience of traveling the globe and meeting amazing artisans personally." 

They created The Citizenry, a home furnishings brand with products ranging from handwoven baskets from Colombia, to pillow cases from Mexico, to linen bedding from Portugal. The goal was to "set new standards of quality, transparency, and social responsibility for the home décor category," says Nance. Together, the friends travel the globe in search of artisan partners with whom they develop designs using traditional techniques that are, in many cases, on the verge of being lost.

Ariel Kaye of Parachute

While working in advertising and brand development in New York, Ariel Kaye—a self-described "super consumer of home goods"—was frustrated by the lack of accessibly priced, high-quality bedding. "I recognized a true business opportunity—there was a serious void in the market," she says. To fill that need, she launched Parachute as a direct-to-consumer, online-only purveyor of premium bedding. 

Since then, the company has expanded beyond the bedroom, developing collections for the living room, bathroom, kitchen, and beyond; Parachute has also opened several brick-and-mortar stores around the country. The best part about starting her own business? Kaye says that "creating something that people care about and that has impact are my favourite parts of being an entrepreneur."

Miki Agrawal of Tushy Founded by entrepreneur Miki Agrawal in 2015, Tushy is rethinking the old-school bidet—making it simple, affordable, and beautiful. Determined to alleviate the hygienic and sustainability issues of toilet paper, Agrawal notes that "this area of our body is critical to our health and happiness, and yet we don’t properly take care of it because it’s a taboo area." Her team of "toilet crusaders" are fighting to reduce global waste and the unnecessary felling of trees through the Tushy attachment, which comes in a Classic, temperature-controlled Spa, and portable version. Michelle Aaro of Cedar & Moss

It was the renovation of her own mid-century, Eichler-style ranch in Portland, Oregon—and her inability to find the fixtures she wanted—that inspired Michelle Aaro to found her lighting company, Cedar & Moss. Drawing from a background in the lighting industry, she developed her own designs that would then become the first Cedar & Moss collection in 2013. The company has evolved from a one-woman show to a busy studio known for its mid-century-inspired designs, subtle palettes, and delicate textures, where each piece is made-to-order.

"It’s not enough for me to make beautiful lighting," clarifies Aaro. "I want to show how nurturing, progressive, and environmentally responsible companies can thrive in the U.S." The company strives to minimize its environmental impact and celebrates diversity; she proudly states that the company is 75% female, 40% ethnic minority, and 25% LGBTQIA+.