There are so many special days, weeks, and months to celebrate it is challenging to keep track of them all. One month that stands out, particularly given our history and status as a woman-owned business, is National Women’s Small Business Month in October.
According to the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA), in 1972, there were a little over 400,000 women-owned businesses in the United States. Until 1988, women needed a male relative to co-sign if they wanted to apply for a business loan. That same year, the Women’s Business Ownership Act increased SBA’s access to capital to provide financial assistance to organizations geared toward women-owned small businesses. By 2019, women-owned businesses represented 42% of all U.S. businesses and generated $1.9 trillion worth of revenue. Today, there are over 13 million women-owned businesses and counting. Every October, SBA honors the milestone achievements of today’s women-owned businesses.
ROI Solutions was founded in 1999 by Gina VanderLoop, our CEO and Chief Product Officer. As a practicing organizer, activist, and fundraiser, she was unimpressed by the nonprofit CRM solutions available, so she decided she could create something better. ROI Solutions and Revolution CRM were born out of that idea and lots of hard work. Years later, we remain an independent, woman-owned business in a market dominated by public companies and investor-backed conglomerates. Gina’s founding spirit of mission-driven innovation and dedication to the nonprofit sector define our company’s culture.
We’re proud to have strong women on our executive leadership team, including Wendy Fox and Berni Ferguson, and strong women throughout the organization who lead product development, product management, finance, and client operations. Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is a core value guiding our hiring practices and approach to nurturing and empowering our employees.
You can explore SBA’s resources for women entrepreneurs here. It’s always a great time to put your vision into action.
