Women business-owners help raise living standards, improve quality of life and break cycles of poverty. In the U.S. women-owned businesses are growing faster than the national average and helping to drive the economic recovery. There are an estimated 187 million women-owned companies globally and interest in female entrepreneurship is on the rise. But here, as in the rest of the world, women are often unseen as role models. The Story Exchange is breaking ground by telling the stories of women who started their own businesses through short video profiles and articles that are available on The Story Exchange website, YouTube and our social media channels.ABOUT THE STORY EXCHANGE

The Story Exchange is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit global video project and website that tells the personal and professional stories of women who have started their own businesses. We know the importance of role models and that’s what The Story Exchange is all about: women inspiring women.

Integral to our mission is connecting women, from the American mid-West to the suburbs of Mumbai, India. Through our online community women access the know how, action steps and inspiration needed to start and run a business.
Read more about The Story Exchange, its accomplishments and partnerships, here.

GET VIDEO DESCRIPTIONS AND LINKS

DOWNLOAD THE STORY EXCHANGE LOGO

1,000 STORIES

In October 2012, The Story Exchange launched 1,000 Stories, a global campaign to increase the visibility of women entrepreneurs (see the press release). And in Nov. 2015, after collecting our 1,000th story, we published our research findings with an article series and interactive map to help readers explore the stories participating entrepreneurs.

Please contact us for follow up interviews and questions at 1-212-925 5170 or [email protected].

THE FOUNDERS

Victoria Wang
Victoria Wang is a former banker and marketing consultant with more than three decades of experience in the business and financial world. As she rose through the ranks of corporate America, she saw very few role models or even other women to talk to at senior levels. By the time she left she wanted to find ways to mentor women and to encourage them down the path to economic independence.

Sue Williams
Sue Williams is a film producer and director who started her own business, Ambrica Productions, in 1986 to make documentaries with an international scope and interest. Under Sue’s leadership, the company has produced awarding-winning films on a range of subjects, including feature-length documentaries about China for the PBS series Frontline and biographies of two American icons, Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary Pickford, for American Experience.

Using data on women and business-ownership, our WHY? Video shows the potential of women entrepreneurship. The video is based on facts on women we gathered, which are available here.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Below is a sampling of some of the feedback The Story Exchange has received on its videos and website.

“Thank you for the amazing work The Story Exchange is doing on behalf of women and entrepreneurs.”
Resa Kiersten, Vice President, SCORE.org, Washington DC

“Your videos rock!”
Janet Hanson, Founder, 85 Broads, Greenwich, Connecticut

“You are doing great work. Always love to find ways to collaborate.”
Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, Deputy Director, Council on Foreign Relations’ Women and Foreign Policy program

“So much in the women’s sphere has such bad production value and design and yours is WOW. I’m really glad to see it.”
Amy-Willard Cross, Editor, Vitamin W, New York, New York

“You are providing a wonderful service and opportunity to women business owners.”
Sherman Blosser, Head of the Women’s Business Center, Mobile, Alabama

“Thank you for the opportunity to watch the amazing videos of the women who deserve to be recognized and promoted.”
Margaret Adams, Program Manager, Women’s Business Center, Benton Harbor, Michigan

“This is terrific and we will make sure our graduates know about it.”
Nicole Levine, Executive Director, Women’s Initiative for Self Employment, San Francisco, California

“There’s a great new web site that’s sharing stories of women’s business success – The Story Exchange. It’s a great place to get inspired, and to learn about the wide variety of ways that women are making a difference in business.”
Julie Weeks, Head of Womanable, Empire, Michigan

“What you all are doing at The Story Exchange is truly incredible! I wish I had a lot of the information that you shared when I first started my marketing business five years ago.”
Bianca King, President and Founder, Seven5 Seven3 Marketing Group, Dallas, Texas

“I am most impressed by what you are doing.”
Roxanne Joffe, Founder and President, Cap Brand Marketing, Sarasota, Florida

“I love the site. I’ve sent it along to a few of my friends and we have all decided we want to be entrepreneurs!”
Laura Azevedo, Associate Director, Filmmakers Collaborative, Boston, Massachusetts

“What strikes me most is how you manage to capture the essence of each woman’s personality. I think I’ll make a habit of watching one or two of your videos on days when my stress level is high and I need the comfort that can be found in shared experiences.”
Lisa Sorrell, Founder, Sorrell Custom Boots

“The video made me feel very encouraged! It has brought me even closer to starting — thank you! These are valuable, practical success stories that help me to add to my personal desire to have a business.”
Laura Dandy, aspiring entrepreneur

“I love this story. It’s so inspiring. My favorite line in the video is when she says “Have I ever thought I could not do it? … NO!” – That’s how I feel. I believe I can do it all and I know I’ll do everything I want to do…. Why not!”
Johanna Salazar, social entrepreneur

“Great job featuring the stories of women entrepreneurs changing the world! These dynamite women are an inspiration to us all.”
Mercado Global, a social enterprise, New Haven, Connecticut