Three of the Charlotte region's female entrepreneurs have the chance to shine after they were named to Forbes' Next 1000 list for 2021.
The list is a year-round initiative that showcases sole proprietors, self-funded shops and pre-revenue startups throughout the country. Each of the founders on the list have under $10 million in revenue or funding but have proven to be driven businesspeople.
The list, which is fueled by nominations, will be comprised of 1,000 names by the end of 2021. The first 250 were released last month and include three women from the Charlotte region: Bee Law, Janelle Doyle and Kate Compton Barr.
Law, founder of Concord-based social video and networking app QuirkChat, told Forbes she created the app to disrupt the white male-dominated "geek fandom" industry, including anime, gaming comics and more.
"No racists, sexists or trolls" are allowed on the platform, Law told Forbes. QuirkChat's tech allows users to send video responses to one another, create niche communities, monetize via in-app transactions and limits online harassment. Law has participated in Snap's Yellow accelerator and the Techstars Anywhere incubator programs.
Doyle, founder of Charlotte-based It's Poppin! Gourmet Kettle Korn, told Forbes she turned her dream into a reality when she opened her business in 2017. Doyle has partnered with large-scale companies including Google and Hampton Hotels and has a customer base of about 10,000 people.
Barr is co-founder of Davidson-based Pip & Grow, a socially responsible baby product company that got its start by bringing Finnish "baby boxes" — a type of portable crib — to the United States. The company is set to launch a new product, two sleep education courses, on March 15. One is based on establishing a good sleep routine and the other is on how to handle transitioning your baby to a more independent sleep pattern.
Barr told Inno she knew she'd been nominated, as Forbes had previously reached out and asked her to complete a questionnaire with additional information about herself and the company. They called on Feb. 11 to let Barr know she'd made it onto the list.
"I still don't know who nominated me, but I wish I did so I could thank them," she said. "(Forbes) never told me why they chose me, but I think it's because we work in a manufacturing space ... We're not doing the tech development stuff; we're trying to inspire American manufacturing, and our corporate ecosystem has a lot to do with that."
Barr said being included on the Next 1000 list is like a dream, and she hopes exposure from it will help open doors for Pip & Grow in the future.
"Being an older female entrepreneur, it can sometimes be tricky to have folks take me seriously. I get the sense that being a mom who owns a baby business kind of puts me in a certain category," she said. "Sometimes that makes it hard to get a seat at the bigger table or meetings with bigger investors."
She added, "Being on this list opens doors and access to great minds that can help us grow."
