Are You A Feminist Entrepreneur?

When I introduce myself as a feminist entrepreneur, I often get a puzzled look. “What is a feminist entrepreneur?” or “How is it different than social entrepreneurship?” Some women (and men) who genuinely care about gender equity then follow up often with this question, “So, if I am an entrepreneur or innovator who believes in gender equity and equality, does that make me one too”?

Let’s find out.

According to researchers Dr. Barbara Orser and Catherine Elliot, feminist entrepreneurship is “…a mechanism to create economic self-sufficiency and equity-based outcomes women, girls and other gender-oppressed communities”. Essentially, entrepreneurial feminists “…enter commercial markets to create wealth and social change, based on the ethics of cooperation, equality, and mutual respect. Examples include Lunapads, City of Women, The Safety Pin Box, and SheEO.

I love this definition. But it’s important to note that feminist entrepreneurship is not just about whether or not you have created a product or service that aims to advance social justice or gender equity. It is about how you express these values in the company’s governance, operations, communications and relationship management processes which combined, act as the heart and soul of any venture. It is also about animating a deeply held worldview. Feminist entrepreneurs take their politics, social systems, the sisterhood and bodies seriously. They dedicate themselves to questioning and challenging the status quo that led to inequality in the first place. They use their education, skills and intellect to design, experiment with and model new ideas and ways of being, that if widely adopted, could lead us towards a more inclusive, gender-just, flourishing society, inclusive economy and healthy planet.

In sum, feminist enterprises are today’s gender equity and social justice labs working on animating a new kind of economy.

In sum, feminist enterprises are today’s gender equity and social justice labs working on animating a new kind of economy.

So recognizing that there are different kinds of feminism (same goal, different ideas on how to get there), where is the common ground among feminist-led ventures? What makes feminist entrepreneurs and enterprises different from say, a woman-led enterprise? LiisBeth, a Toronto-based, reader-supported magazine that informs and nurtures entrepreneurial, intersectional feminists of all genders, finds the following commonalities among most feminist-led enterprises:

• Feminist founders generally view the world from the point of view of abundance versus scarcity; There is enough for all of us. But it’s not evenly distributed. This can change.
• Are committed to fair labour practices, living wage rates, and ensure pay equity among staff, freelancers, and “gig” economy workers.
• Recognize, measure and manage different value streams — not just monetary ones.
• Implement a feminist procurement policy (See an example of a feminist procurement policy here)
• Considers accessible and inclusive pricing policies and practices when holding events, designing service offerings or products
• Ensures an harassment and violence-free workplace, and works to ensure same for their community and industry ecosystem (Duh)
• Values the feminine, whole human, the importance of agency, care work and broader community wellness
• Acknowledges the role intersectionality plays in peoples lived experience — and how it may affect their worldview, voice, and ambitions
• Makes the effort to get out be with others socially who don’t look like them or share the same worldview
• Leverages their enterprise to build and nurture community, provide opportunity or space for political organizing, craftivism, and supports feminist creators and other feminist or women-led businesses.
• Comfortably acknowledges and understands their privilege
• Attends feminist art shows and feminist music festivals to get outside the box; These artists challenge the status quo and are usually ahead of the game
• Aims to ensure up to date inclusive language is used both internally and externally; Understands the difference between gender, sex and sexual preference. Avoids talking in binary terms i.e. referring to just women and men in public settings (unless you are sure there are only women and men in the room)
• Seeks opportunities to practice stretch collaboration; Knows how to debate or talk about tough subjects in a respectful way.
• Understands the concepts and purpose of gender-based budgeting and uses gender-based analysis frameworks to make better decisions.
• Supports academic gender equity researchers like Dr. Barbara Orser by reading their works. Donates to gender research institutes (Rotman’s Gender + Economy Institute) or gendered innovation centres.
• Reads feminist books, magazines, zines, literature, visits feminist bookstores, and does research to deepen their understanding of this rich, centuries-old discipline and field of inquiry; Can name the top ten historical women contributors to their own field or profession. Can speak in an informed way about the potential of gendered innovationwork, design practices, and research.
• Conscientiously addresses staff, colleagues, partners by their preferred pronouns.Encourages the addition of preferred pronouns to company business cards
• Refuses to use shaming as a marketing technique; Ensures marketing materials and images are aligned with feminist values. Avoids marketplace feminism and “gender washing”.
• Demonstrates a willingness to learn and experiment with alternative or women-led venture design and operating tools, including leveraging feminist pedagogy in management practices, innovating organizational governance rules, checking out alternative legal structures (i.e.: collectives, benefit corporations), finding ways to share any wealth created via distributed ownership structures (i.e.: coops) and investment models in an effort to find new ways to break down systemic barriers.
• Recognition of and respect for mutuality, relationships, allies, linkages, the earth, and interdependencies
• Practices radical generosity; Values peace over conflict; Shows compassion for those who are “early” into their feminist journey.
• Not afraid of the word feminist; Understands that it is an important movement, that many of the advances women and men (i.e.: parental leave for all parents regardless of gender) enjoy today were achieved as a result of feminist activists — some of whom died for the cause, were ostracized, or had their careers derailed as a result. Also understands feminism is not a T-shirt — or about armpits. It’s an ambitious worldview and in today’s world, still a punishing set of values to live by.
• Aims to change world and heal the world
• And finally, feminist entrepreneurs are deeply interested in creating systems change. They live a feminist life. They are not afraid to speak truth to power. They show up at marches, rallies because numbers send messages. They write their elected representatives. Run for office. Sign petitions. They mix politics with business which make for strange bedfellows; It limits their addressable market and opportunities for growth. But they accept this.

The list is long. True. But nowhere near exhaustive. I am sure many feminist entrepreneurs out there could add more points. And let’s also remember, there is no “one” feminism — just like there is no “one” religion or way to practice spirituality.

My aim here was to help you understand what feminist entrepreneurs are, and how to recognize one. Mission accomplished? I hope so.

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Want more information?

To join the feminist entrepreneur community, sign up for LiisBeth’s newsletter here.

Want to download a feminist business reading list (20 curated titles). You can do so here:

Want to learn more about feminist business practice? Check out the feminist business school here.

Looking for a cool feminist summer camp for your teen? Check out New York’s feminist summer camp program here.

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Additional Readings:

https://www.liisbeth.com/2017/03/22/enterprise-meet-feminist-business-standard/

https://www.liisbeth.com/2017/08/17/uber-feminist-enterprise/

pk mutch is the founder of LiisBeth Media and Managing Member/Director of the HighWire Collective. HighWire exists to support radical entrepreneurs who are looking to liberate their minds and design post- capitalist enterprises and enterprise communities. For individual entrepreneurs, and startup coaches, we offer salons, programs and workshops. For incubator and accelerators, we offer Executive Entrepreneur in Residence services, staff/mentor training, program audits, advisory board governance transformation services, program design, delivery, plus general advisory and workshop facilitation services.

“We leverage our unique, on the fringe, lived “in the trenches” experience, education and global networks and apply an intersectional feminist, social justice and post-growth/care economy lens to create relevant startup programming and learning opportunities that help radical entrepreneurs and enterprise stewards of all ages/stages succeed on their own terms. “ — founding member, Managing Member/Director, pk mutch

Want to work with us? Visit: www.highwirecollective.com