Arizona is no stranger to strong women leaders. Major cities statewide such as Phoenix, Flagstaff and Tucson are currently represented by women mayors and the state itself is governed by Gov. Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes.
According to a 2023 study conducted by Merchant Maverick, 20% of Arizona employees work under the leadership of a woman and 30% of Arizona’s businesses are women-led, ranking the state as third in the nation for this metric. The same study found that Arizona ranked as the fourth-best state in the U.S. for women entrepreneurs. For women founders, Arizona could be the ideal place to lay the foundation of a business, especially when looking at the success of other women in the Grand Canyon State.
Alisa Brodkowitz, who founded Lightning Law™ in 2022 headquartered just north of Scottsdale, is a shining example of women founders in Arizona. Frustrated by the lack of tools for practicing law remotely, Alisa set out to create a platform that would meet the unique needs of legal professionals in the digital age. Lightning Law™ revolutionized remote legal work, offering seamless integration of video and document sharing to recreate, and even enhance, the in-person legal experience. This innovation not only saves lawyers time but also makes them more efficient advocates for their clients.
ASU Alumni, Sammi Ekmark and her partner Andrew Ekmark joined Arizona’s tech community when they founded Ink’d Greetings in Phoenix in 2023. The company modernizes gift-giving with an innovative kiosk that prints personalized greeting cards and attaches gift cards on demand. According to an article by Phoenix Business Journal, since the time it launched, Ink’d Greetings has raised more than $2 million from investors and a crowdfunding campaign on StartEngine. The startup is now said to be valued at $19.9 million.
Founded in 2021 by Arizona moms Annie Shoen and Nicolle Hood, My First Nest Egg was born out of frustration with the lack of early childhood financial literacy tools. Determined to make a change, they developed an app that teaches kids the fundamentals of financial responsibility in a fun and engaging way. Through a game-like simulation, My First Nest Egg allows kids to manage virtual money. A standout feature of the app is the Community Page, where children can find motivation through leaderboards that track Achievements, Acts of Kindness, and Savings. This sense of community encourages friendly competition and inspires kids to stay on top of their financial goals.
There are so many women founders succeeding and working to create their own startups and businesses in Arizona. Along with overall advancements in the startup ecosystem of Arizona, within the Greater Phoenix Area in particular, women are achieving their goals, manifesting their ideas and leading their own businesses at ever increasing rates. If you are a woman looking for somewhere that women have succeeded in the past, or maybe you’re looking for a new network of other founders who share your passion. You could be one step away from contributing to a growing legacy of Arizona being a state that welcomes women founders and women leaders.
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