Celebrations shine spotlight on women

Women-owned businesses grew 114 percent, report says

April 24, 2019

In celebration of March as National Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day (March 8), it’s a fitting time to spotlight the achievements and contributions women have made to society and, of course, within the beverage industry.

The adage “We’ve come a long way baby,” continues to resonate. As of January 2017, there were an estimated 11.6 million women-owned businesses in the United States that employed nearly 9 million people and generated more than $1.7 trillion in revenues, according to the 2017 State of the Women-Owned Businesses Report.

During a 20-year period, the number of women-owned businesses grew 114 percent compared with the overall national growth rate of 44 percent and the rate at which women-owned businesses took on employees outpaced all businesses at 27 percent vs. 13 percent, the report said.

During March, several events across the country shone the spotlight on the contributions of women. For example, Jane Walker by Johnnie Walker hosted “The Face of Change: A Conversation on Women’s Progress” panel featuring actress and activist Sophia Bush, along with women who are leading the charge forward in their industries, including Sophie Kelly, senior vice president of whiskies at Diageo North America.

At Natural Products Expo West, Caroline MacDougal, Founder of Teeccino Caffé, a certified woman-owned company, highlighted the company’s dedication to bringing healthy, delicious tasting roasted herbal teas and caffeine-free coffee alternatives to consumers worldwide. The woman-led company also helps to educate and support women as income earners in Guatemala, the company said in a statement.

Another successful entrepreneur, Kara Goldin went from experimenting with different fruit and vegetable combinations in her kitchen to founding hint Inc., a successful, $100 million beverage company offering flavored still, sparking and caffeinated waters and a new kids’ lineup. (To learn more, please click here).

“Why isn’t drink culture celebrated in the same way as food? We are aiming to change that; bringing exciting and engaging programming that highlights the world of booze that permeates our culture, but just hasn’t been captured yet — until now.”

— Statement from Jared Cotton, Co-founder of DrinkTV, a digital streaming destination that celebrates the visionaries in the world of cocktails, beer, spirits, travel and adventure.

Barbara Harfmann, managing editor of Beverage Industry, visits beverage companies for cover stories and facility tours, and writes and edits for the magazine’s print and online components. She also represents the magazine at trade shows and events. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications and Public Relations from Illinois State University.

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