The Story Exchange - Where Women Mean Business
by Karin Kamp, Guest Blogger
The Story Exchange is a new non-profit that inspires women to gain economic independence by starting and growing a business. Through the power of video, The Story Exchange profiles accomplished women entrepreneurs who speak candidly about why they began their businesses and the obstacles they overcame to achieve success.
Deborah Olivo: A Simply Unstoppable Woman Entrepreneur
When Deborah Olivo lost her job she wasn't sure how she was going to pay her rent. This aspiring entrepreneur took the leap and started VidaAire, a line of environmentally-friendly sanitizers she created by mixing essential oils in her kitchen. Her products are now in Whole Foods as well as 50 other stores and she has just launched a new product.
Deborah struggled throughout her life but now she is a woman entrepreneur who will not be stopped. "I look in the mirror and I see the potential that I possess," Deborah told The Story Exchange.
Melissa Mowbray-D'Arbela: Business Woman and Terminator
Growing up below the poverty line, this woman entrepreneur learned to be resourceful early on. Today she runs a cutting-edge biotech firm based on ethical principles and disruptive ideas. The bio-mask she developed was used in the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Japan. Since September it is now available in Walgreens just in time for to flu season.
"Being a woman in business ... sure you're treated differently. So I decided 'embrace that', use it to your advantage," Melissa Mowbray-D'Arbela told The Story Exchange.
Puifung Leung: Social Entrepreneur Pays A Fair Price
Puifung Leung is on a mission to make trade more equitable and help improve living standards in developing countries. She is a social entrepreneur who pays farmers a fair price for their crops, which she uses to make drinks and snacks.
"The most important thing is to take risk. Where there are risks, there are opportunities" Puifung told The Story Exchange.
WHY? Video
See hard facts on the potential of women entrepreneurs.
About
The women behind The Story Exchange are inspired by the fact that women around the world are starting businesses at ever higher rates in an astonishing range of fields – from biotech and wine-making, to construction and cakes. Women highly value women role models and that’s what The Story Exchange is all about. It’s women inspiring women to live their dreams and uncover their full potential.
The Principals
The Story Exchange was founded by Victoria Wang, a former bank executive. After working three decades in the financial world, Victoria knew that women lack role models. Throughout her career, she had often wished there were more senior women for her to share experiences with, and to talk to about issues both business and work/life related.
Two years ago, she travelled to Singapore to interview successful businesswomen in Singapore for a research project. After each interview she went away thinking “Wow, what a great story to share with other women in business. What a wonderful role model she would be for someone who wants to start a business.”
She felt the only way to do this was to have these women tell their stories on video and that the filmmaking would have to be first class. She was lucky enough to find Sue Williams, a director and producer who has produced award-winning documentaries for shows such as American Experience and Frontline and was a Senior Producer on the series Faces of America.
The goal of The Story Exchange is to give women the confidence and strength to take risks, to take things one step at a time, to reach out to other women for help, and then to give back.
As Victoria puts it: “I want The Story Exchange to get women thinking about what they love to do, how they can make a business out of it, and how they can impact others. I think a lot of viewers will identify with the individual women we profile here and they’ll say, “If she can do it, I can do it too.”
Links:
We are also actively looking for more stories for upcoming blogs and films. We are taking submissions through our website, where all the women's stories will appear. See the link: http://thestoryexchange.org/category/yse/
Have a question about starting or growing your business. Ask an expert here and see other question and answers: http://thestoryexchange.org/ask-an-expert/
Find helpful advice, business trends and more stories on our blog: http://thestoryexchange.org/category/tse-blog/
Business women are scary. Seriously, they're always really hardcore because they feel like they have to be stronger than men to compete in a business environment. Scary stuff.
Posted by: las vegas seo company | October 30, 2012 at 02:55 PM
In every business, there are downfalls and there also successes. These women are really trying to do their best to reach their goals. Good businesses will be able them to empower the economy. I am pretty sure that these women didn't have any problems in paying their taxes since they have good amount of money to pay the auditors and accountants and even lawyers.
Posted by: tax relief attorney | March 21, 2012 at 06:14 PM
The women power is getting stronger nowadays. More and more women are leading into making the business world a better place for all qualified people, both men and women. The emancipation of women brought out the best in the economy.
Posted by: business consultants | February 15, 2012 at 07:20 PM
It is very inspiration to hear something good from the professional women.
Posted by: Clipping Path | December 07, 2011 at 02:44 AM