FEMALE FOUNDERS: LEADING WITH PURPOSE

INSIDERS ROUNDTABLE: HOSTED BY GAYLE KING

- GAYLE KING

LAURA MODI

Modi is co-founder and CEO of Bobbie, which is the only female-founded and mom-led baby formula company in the United States. The product is based on European formulas, and the company offers a subscription service so moms never run out.

Here's a jaw-dropping stat: Female-owned businesses generate $1.8 trillion in revenue a year and that number is only going to continue to grow. Last year, the number of businesses owned by women increased by nearly 30 percent-proving that, more than ever, female entrepreneurs are a force to be reckoned with.

But despite these massive numbers, many women still face uphill battles when it comes to running their businesses. For example, just over 2 percent of all venture capital goes to female entrepreneurs. And the pandemic brought on more challenges. A significant number of female founders are in the hospitality or retail business, which both took a hit over the past few years.

Nonetheless, entrepreneurship is something a large number of women aspire to. One survey of nearly 10,000 people found that 72 percent of women say they'd like to have their own business one day.

To talk about all of this and more, Gayle King sat down with three enterprising and inspiring female business leaders Emma Grede, cofounder and CEO of Good American and cofounder of Safely; Laura Modi, co-founder and CEO of the formula brand Bobbie; and Kristin Sudeikis, founder and CEO of Forward__Space. Keep reading for a preview of their chat, then watch the entire conversation at oprahdaily.com/ roundtable-female-founders.

FINDING THAT BIG IDEA

Here's what inspired these women to start their companies.