TYO Recommends: Friday, August 17

 

This week TYO takes a look at the advances in women-owned businesses, examines a fundamental characteristic of homegrown entrepreneurs, and explores the growing skate and roller movement in the West Bank town of Qalqilya.

Did You Know: In the past 15 years, women-owned businesses grew by 54%? But that despite owning nearly 30% of U.S. businesses and employing 7.7 million people across the country, women attract only 5% of the nation’s equity capital? Learn this and more in Mashable Business's list of 10 things you didn't know about women-owned businesses.

We Are the 3%. Despite the advance of women-owned business and increase of women in senior positions, only 3% of Fortune 500 companies have female CEOs. What is it that allows women to ascend, but keeps them from the top of the ladder? What changes do we still have to make, in our workplaces and our communities?

Taking a Stand. Interested in the articles above, and in women-run businesses? Think you've got what it takes, or want to learn more? Visit the AmericanExpress Open Forum for women in business! Articles range from fact sheets to brainstorming to educational videos on finance and definition. Get started now!

Born or Made? That is the question the Harvard Business Review is asking about extraordinary young entrepreneurs - are they born with a special skill set, or do they make their own futures? Can we "make" entrepreneurs? The answer is a tentative yes, and perhaps a reframing of the original question.

Skating For Freedom. West Bank youth in Qalqilya take up skateboarding and the culture that comes with it as a means of social expression. They take to the streets to perform gravity-defying stunts and artistic displays of graffiti; but more than that, they're inspiring their peers and discovering a path to peace of mind.

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