Despite women's long-standing involvement in business ownership, research examining women's entrepreneurial efforts first emerged in the mid-1970s and later picked up momentum in the late 1990s (Brush et al., 2022). At this time, scholars became motivated to explore the distinctions between male and female business owners due to emerging research findings suggesting entrepreneurial activity is gendered (Greene et al., 2003; Mirchandani, 1999). These data indicated that socially constructed gender expectations within Western culture promulgate conscious and unconscious gender bias and reduce women's propensity for entrepreneurial endeavors (Greene et al., 2003). However, a marked shift has occurred in the recent decade, particularly following the economic downturn facilitated by the COVID-19 crisis, in which economic trends suggest a proliferation of female entrepreneurs (U.S. Census Bureau, 2025).


The purpose of the current study was to explore the entrepreneurial experiences of American women, in the context of a recent increase in female-driven entrepreneurial activity in the United States. The sample included 16 women who self-identified as entrepreneurs. Participants were interviewed and responded to open-ended questions exploring the motivations of and challenges experienced by women pursuing entrepreneurial roles. Thematic analyses revealed that most participants experienced push-based motivations (e.g., need for flexibility) when deciding to pursue entrepreneurship. Participants also reported encountering obstacles including self-doubt and other-minimization as barriers to entrepreneurship. Several subthemes emerged from participants' reflections on their alignment with or endorsement of an entrepreneurial identity including empowerment, pride, autonomy, meaning-making, changes in self-perception, and challenging patriarchal systems. The results from this study add to emerging literature on women's entrepreneurship and highlight the need for gender equity in entrepreneurial spaces. The findings suggest implications on how to support women in their entrepreneurial journeys.