Los Angeles, Calif., July 24, 2026 — (KOREWIRE) — Twenty-four of the 100 companies recognized in the inaugural PurposeBuilt100™ are still led by women who helped found them, a striking finding from a new national recognition program celebrating fast-growing, purpose-driven businesses.

To qualify for this group, a company had to satisfy two distinct tests: a woman must currently occupy its top executive role, typically as CEO, and that same woman must have been a genuine member of the company’s founding team.

Women founder-executives therefore lead 24% of the PurposeBuilt100. By comparison, a record 55 women lead Fortune 500 companies in 2026, representing 11% of America’s largest companies by revenue.

The two lists represent dramatically different populations and are not directly comparable. The Fortune 500 consists of the country’s largest companies, while the PurposeBuilt100 recognizes businesses of varying sizes selected from the purpose-driven economy. The PurposeBuilt100 standard is also narrower: its 24% figure counts only women who both helped found their companies and remain their top executives, while the Fortune 500 figure includes all women CEOs regardless of whether they founded the business.

Still, the contrast highlights the prominent role women founders play in building and scaling purpose-driven companies.

“PurposeBuilt100 did not give companies additional credit for being founded or led by women,” said Devin Thorpe, CEO of The Super Crowd, Inc., which created the PurposeBuilt100. “Companies qualified because of their social or environmental impact, and they were ranked on revenue growth. The fact that nearly one-quarter are still led by women who helped create them emerged organically from the results. These women didn’t simply launch promising businesses. They remained in command as those businesses grew.”

The finding is especially notable in the context of the persistent capital gap facing women entrepreneurs. PitchBook reported that companies founded solely by women received just 1.9% of all capital invested in U.S. venture-backed startups in 2024.

That venture statistic measures all-women founding teams and therefore does not precisely describe every company among the 24 PurposeBuilt100 winners, some of which may have mixed-gender founding teams. It nevertheless illustrates the broader fundraising environment in which women founders frequently build their companies.

Purpose and Growth Reinforce Each Other

The 24 women founder-executives represent businesses operating across food, healthcare, environmental technology, professional services, education, apparel, financial management, hospitality and other sectors.

Among them is Lisa Curtis, founder and CEO of Kuli Kuli, a company that has helped introduce moringa-based foods to American consumers while creating economic opportunities through its global supply chain.

“Women founders are often told—directly or indirectly—that they must choose between building a commercially successful company and pursuing a meaningful social mission. Our experience at Kuli Kuli demonstrates that purpose can be an engine for growth. When a company creates value for its customers, its partners and the communities connected to its supply chain, impact and business success can reinforce one another.”

Danielle Godfrey, founder and CEO of SetApart Accountancy, demonstrates that purpose-driven growth is not limited to consumer products or environmental technologies. Her firm represents the professional-services companies helping mission-oriented organizations build durable operational and financial foundations.

“Founders should not have to abandon their values—or surrender their leadership—to build disciplined, scalable companies. Strong financial systems, accountable leadership and a clear sense of purpose belong together. I’m proud to be recognized alongside women who are proving that companies can grow while remaining deeply grounded in why they were created.”

Thorpe said the combination of founding, leadership and demonstrated growth makes the group especially meaningful.

“There are many ways women contribute to building successful companies—as founders, executives, investors, directors and successors,” Thorpe said. “This particular finding recognizes something unusually demanding: women who helped conceive their businesses, endured the difficult early stages and remain in the top executive seat as the companies achieve meaningful scale.”

The 24 PurposeBuilt100 Companies Still Led by Women Founders

The following companies are listed alphabetically. Their placement here provides no indication of their position in the PurposeBuilt100:

  • 29Bison — Laura Kellers Queen

  • AnaOno — Dana Donofree

  • Aquacycl — Orianna Bretschger

  • BabyQuip — Frances Maier

  • Bamboo Services/My Panda — Tamara Lucas

  • Caladrius Therapy — Jessie Ogienko

  • Coje Consultants — Jennifer Powell

  • FIGS — Trina Spear

  • GGirls Closet — Patricia Gillmore

  • Health Care Originals — Sharon Samjitsingh

  • Holidaily Brewing — Karen Hertz

  • Instant Teams — Liza Rodewald

  • Jiminy’s — Anne Carlson

  • JSDA — Janice Stevenor Dale

  • Kuli Kuli — Lisa Curtis

  • Mission Enrollment Strategy Solutions — Alisa Evans

  • Momentum Coffee — Nikki Bravo

  • Poetry vs. Hip-Hop Productions — Queen Sheba

  • Redwood Literacy — Kait Feriante

  • SetApart Accountancy — Danielle Godfrey

  • Strata Project Management Group — Amy Johnson

  • Tampon Tribe — Jennifer Eden

  • Transparent Health Group — Betty Heiman

  • WISE Advise + Assist Team — Diana Jaquith

Four additional PurposeBuilt100 companies have a woman founder, a woman CEO, but the current top executive is not a founder: Bio Essence, Revalue, Sunrun and The Honest Company. 

Together, the two groups mean that nearly three in ten PurposeBuilt100 companies have a woman founder who serves as the top executive or a woman serving as CEO today.

Qualified by Impact, Evaluated by Growth

PurposeBuilt100 is a national recognition program for fast-growing, purpose-driven companies in the United States. Thousands of companies were screened and considered. The 100 fastest-growing were ranked by growth rate. 

Gender was not a factor in either eligibility or the growth evaluation.

Every company named to the PurposeBuilt100 is a winner. The complete ranking will be revealed during the PurposeBuilt100 Showcase on the final day of SuperCrowd26, a three-day televised event taking place August 25–27, 2026.

The event will bring together founders, investors and impact-economy leaders for discussions focused on capital, community and credible business growth. Programming will be distributed through SuperCrowd.tv and the e360tv network, including connected-TV platforms such as Roku and Amazon Fire TV.

The event’s central theme, “Impact Scales,” reflects the premise demonstrated by the PurposeBuilt100: companies created to address social and environmental challenges can also build durable businesses and achieve substantial growth.

About PurposeBuilt100

PurposeBuilt100 is an annual recognition program created and produced by The Super Crowd, Inc. It celebrates the 100 fastest-growing, purpose-driven companies in the United States. Companies must demonstrate meaningful impact to qualify and are ranked by revenue growth. Winners receive national recognition, founder-storytelling opportunities and inclusion in the commemorative full-color PurposeBuilt100 book. Learn more at https://PurposeBuilt100.com.

About SuperCrowd26

SuperCrowd26 featuring PurposeBuilt100 is a three-day, broadcast-quality convening taking place August 25–27, 2026. The event connects founders, investors and ecosystem leaders working to make capital more accessible and effective as a tool for positive impact. The program culminates in the PurposeBuilt100 Showcase. Learn more at https://SuperCrowd26.com.

About The Super Crowd, Inc.

The Super Crowd, Inc. is a public benefit corporation dedicated to making money a force for good. Through media, events, education and investment analysis, the company helps connect impact entrepreneurs with investors and communities committed to building a more inclusive and sustainable economy. Learn more at https://TheSuperCrowd.com.

Media Contact

Devin Thorpe
CEO, The Super Crowd, Inc.
devin@thesupercrowd.com
(801) 747-9575
TheSuperCrowd.com

 

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