Strictly Business: The women who own Grand Rapids

Business growth and development to Grand Rapids is not breaking news, and we will continue to see more change with every passing year. Our city is already home to many women owned and operated businesses, and with this development boom we are likely to see a continued rise in women's ownership and leadership. Nationally, business growth among women entrepreneurs continues to be on the rise.

According to the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) “More than 9.4 million firms are owned by women, employing nearly 7.9 million people, and generating $1.5 trillion in sales as of 2015.”

Furthermore NAWBO’s website states “Women-owned firms (51 percent or more) account for 31 percent of all privately held firms and contribute 14 percent of employment and 12 percent of revenues.” and “Over the past seven years, the overall increase of 8.3 million (net) new jobs is comprised of a 9.2 million increase in employment in large, publicly traded corporations, combined with a 893,000 decline in employment among smaller, privately held companies.”
Although not a comprehensive list, below is a snippet of the businesses of the greater Grand Rapids area that are owned and operated by women. 

Delasie
Rhoda Abena Klomega

Parliament The Boutique
Elyse Marie Welcher

The Meanwhile & Pyramid Scheme
Tammy VandenBerg

Rebellious Creatives Web Design
Adriane Johnson

Citizen
Rachel Lee

cultured.GR
Holly Bechiri

Matthew Agency 
Kelly Koning-Ramic

Aesthetikhs  
Kelley Hughes


‎La Fuente Consulting, LLC 
Ana Ramirez-Saenz

Sanchez Income Tax-Translation 
Zoraida Sanchez

Samaria J’s Salon & Suite 
Synia Elizabeth Jordan

La Casa de la Cobija 
Angelica Velazquez

Mira Krishnan LLC
Mira Krishnan

El Granjero Mexican Grill 
Mercedes Lopez-Duran & Paola Mendivil 

I Got Face 
Latesha Lipscomb

Happy Cat Cafe 
Kati Dodge

Nationally, women owned business are vital to our business landscapes, as NAWBO adds “These firms employ 1.4 million people and generate $226 billion in revenues annually” and “One in five firms with revenue of $1 million or more is woman-owned.”

Furthermore, women of color contribute in growing numbers to the overall trend in the labor and business market. NAWBO’s website reports “2.9 million firms are majority-owned by women of color in the U.S.” 

Grand Rapids already prides itself as being the leaders and best in many fields, it would be no surprise if given some time that it could lead in women’s business growth and leadership on a national stage.

As always be sure to let us know in the comments if you do not see your favorite woman owned business is mentioned. 

Ken Miguel-Cipriano is Rapid Growth’s Innovation and Jobs Editor. To reach Ken, you can email [email protected] or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.