Leadership in business might lead to political leadership, at least for some women. A survey of women founders conducted by Fast Company and Inc. found that an increasing number of women said they were considering a run for office.
Several women CEOs and founders discuss the connection between business and political campaigns, the importance of speaking up, political platforms that matter to them, bringing issues of women and other underrepresented groups to the forefront, and why the country and world need women's voices and leadership. Click through to read the full interview.
Can running a business be a launchpad for a career in politics? The 2016 election would indicate yes. But looking past Trump, a number of entrepreneurs have been drawn to the political arena recently, from Giant Spacekat CEO Brianna Wu to Chrissy Houlahan, who helped start nonprofit organization B Lab.
And this year has seen a record number of women running for congressional seats, with 255 women on the ballot in November as major party candidates and the rise of upstart progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley.
In a recent survey conducted by Fast Company and Inc., we heard from nearly 300 female founders and entrepreneurs on issues like fundraising and the discrimination they faced as women leaders. We also asked about their political leanings and activism, and whether the political climate might nudge them to run for office. Here’s what some of the founders who are making their businesses political—and might eventually make politics their business–had to say about running for office.
Image credit: jacoblund | iStock
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