Why These Female Founders Left the Corporate World to Start Their Own Businesses
If you’ve ever considered leaving the corporate grind to start your own business, you’re not alone. The 34 female founders featured below once faced the same decision—each encountering a pivotal moment that made them rethink what they wanted from their careers.
To learn more about their journeys, we asked each founder to share the moment that made them realize it was time to leave the corporate world. Their answers range from navigating personal loss and confronting workplace bias to seizing unexpected opportunities—all sparking the decision to create businesses that aligned with their personal vision.
From starting purpose-driven brands rooted in integrity to innovative companies tackling modern challenges, these women’s stories show what it takes to step away from the comfort of a steady paycheck. We hope their journeys inspire you to push past the doubt and embrace your own pivotal moments.
Emily Reza
CEO & Lead Brand Strategist of 4th and Crawford, a creative communications agency that works with pro-athletes and changemakers to create strategic and innovative opportunities and, ultimately, create legacies that change the game.
In 2020, after nine years in the sports industry, I had a pivotal moment while working with a pro-athlete client who shared his life experience and desire to make a positive impact. His story resonated deeply with my own experience growing up in an inner city culture fueled by Chicano pride—listening to Art Laboe oldies, admiring lowriders, and enjoying street vendors like the paletero and taco trucks. That conversation and the opportunity to work with him ignited a fire in me. I realized that if I wanted to create a world where kids from neighborhoods like mine could believe in their power to make their wildest dreams come true, I needed to amplify people and stories like his. I knew I had to find a way to leave the corporate world and use my expertise in communications to uplift pro-athletes and changemakers who are living examples of those dreams.
Mandi Young
Owner & Founder of Juniper Gardens, a set of modern wedding venues for nature lovers.
The moment I got scouted for a really wonderful job that I had wanted for most of my adult life, I realized that the position would require me to choose between the new job and growing my own business. I chose my business and took a big leap by going all in, investing in more infrastructure and in myself.
Catharine Montgomery
Founder & CEO of Better Together, a Black woman-founded and purpose-driven communications agency.
I faced unaddressed racism in my previous role, and the person responsible was rewarded instead of being held accountable. It became clear that the existing structures wouldn't change to support me or others like me. I knew I had to create a space that valued diversity and inclusion genuinely—something that wasn't possible in my former environment. Starting Better Together was not only a personal choice but a necessity to build a company grounded in the values I believe in.
Catalina Parker
Co-Founder of Relatable Nonprofit, empowering growth-driven people with nonprofit hearts to succeed in consulting.
I knew it was time for me to leave the corporate world and start my own business when I stopped caring about what others expected of me. I had a great job, made good money, and was in a leadership role. However, after almost five years, I was miserable. That was when I decided to put myself first and start my business. Making this decision was the first time I truly felt like I was in the driver's seat. I've never looked back.
Amy Crutchfield
Founder & CEO of Amy Crutchfield, Executive Search & The Fractional Coach, offering affordable, on-demand, chat-based career coaching to give job seekers access to expert guidance without the high cost of traditional sessions.
I founded Amy Crutchfield, Executive Search, in 2002 because I'd fallen in love with recruiting while I was at a larger firm, but I felt we weren't acting with our candidates best interests at heart. I knew there had to be a better way, a way that led with integrity. I knew that I needed to do just that. So, the only option was to start it myself.
Emily Luk
Co-Founder & CEO of Plenty, democratizing wealth management and strengthening relationships by challenging traditional, patriarchal fintech models.
In a previous role, I had a practice of tracking how I spent my time. At the end of the week, I would rate each block of time across company impact and energy then brainstorm ways to improve this in the upcoming week. I realized I was spending increasing amounts of time working on energy-draining tasks that were centered on managing up, instead of the energy-giving tasks that had the scale of company impact I most enjoyed focusing on.
Megan Gopp
Founder & Creative Director of The Adventure Agency, an award-winning creative marketing agency dedicated to magnifying the magic that makes each business unique.
There were many moments that built up over time. However, one that specifically stands out is when my grandfather passed away unexpectedly. I was devastated. One week after attending his funeral, still completely stunned and emotional, one of the higher-ups at the company stepped into my office, closed the door, sat down and simply said, ‘Megan, you are really bringing the office down. We need you to be your happy cheerful self again,’ and left. Needless to say, I was shocked and felt as if I did not matter as a human being at the company, only as the office cheerleader.
Sarah Loughry
Founder & CEO of Em Dash Content Studio, a team of expert writers and strategists who help businesses show up on search and become thought leaders in their space.
I was sitting in a boardroom, surrounded by men who didn't want or value my input. I had so much to give and was wasting my potential on a company that didn't care. It was at that moment I decided to leave.
That said, my journey didn't immediately lead to my own company. I now know I had to first discover my confidence and gain expertise from amazing mentors.
Charmaine Green-Forde
Founder & CEO of Chapter tOO, an organizational and leadership optimization consultancy leveraging data-backed people insights to advance engagement, strategy, and training development processes.
I knew it was time to leave when I became disillusioned with the limitations of working within an organization. I wanted to create meaningful change within organizations without being tied down by internal politics. At the same time, I saw firsthand how employees—myself included—faced challenges and, at times, unfair treatment. I knew I could more authentically help employees by being on the outside, where I could guide them on navigating the systems in ways I couldn’t fully share while serving as in-house HR.
Dora Rankin
CEO of Dora L Rankin Coaching & Author of The Heart Sell, devoted to supporting women entrepreneurs seeking financial freedom.
My moment of clarity was during a Money 20/20 conference. I looked out into the audience of 3,000 and saw less than a dozen women’s faces. After dedicating 25 years to supporting CEOs’ strategic growth plans, I knew it was time to take the leap myself.
Emma Tessler
Founder & CEO of Ninety Five Media, a woman-owned and operated digital marketing agency specializing in creating high-converting content that 3X’s our clients' growth.
After side-hustling in the Girlboss era for five years, I knew it was time to leave the corporate world and pursue building my own business. I could see more of a future at Ninety Five Media than my current job. For so long, I had believed that social media marketing was the future. In 2020, brands everywhere were forced to realize the same. This validation of what I knew to be true, combined with the overall sense of uncertainty in the year 2020, led me to take the leap of faith and trust that my gut was steering me in the right direction. It hasn't failed me since.
Andrea Nguyen
Co-Founder & Design Director of Koi Studios, a modern product design studio that makes good design a competitive advantage for companies.
During a conference, I had dinner with my then-colleague, now co-founder, where we discussed our mutual passion for entrepreneurship and the lack of fulfillment we were feeling in our current roles. As the conversation went on, we both realized that starting our own business was the path we wanted to take and that having a partner was exactly the thing we both needed to make it happen. By the end of that dinner, we knew it was the right decision. We committed to it right then and there, together.
Colleen Krieger
Founder & Principal of Superbloom Strategies, an integrated marketing consultancy that helps companies grow through fractional leadership, strategy and storytelling.
I had just gone through yet another corporate reorg. I was moved into a leadership role that—while highly impactful—was political and operational. I was so far away from what I loved: being a marketer. I missed digging into consumer insights, building strategies, reviewing and running in-market tests with my team. I was at a crossroads. So I sat down and reflected on what I wanted from my professional life: to work on interesting marketing challenges, have flexibility with how and where I worked, and to unleash my earning potential. Seeing what I valued written down in black and white made it clear that I couldn’t stay on the corporate path. It was time to take the leap and bet on myself. I started building my business that day and never looked back.
Dr. Claire Green-Forde
Founder & CEO of Dr. Claire SPEAKS! LLC, a human-centered advisory consultancy advancing health equity, social justice, and organizational wellness through transformative speaking engagements.
There wasn’t a specific moment. My decision was based on a culmination of moments over my career and life that rendered me frustrated with navigating systems that were seemingly comfortable with maintaining the status quo, despite the harm. One particular day, I was speaking to a coach/friend about my frustrations navigating social and racial disparities as a practitioner, worker, and consumer of healthcare. With all the kindness in her heart, she said, ‘My love, your vision, passion, heart, and insights are way bigger than the spaces you’re in. It’s why you’re frustrated. You are a Koi fish meant to swim in bigger ponds.’ I felt seen. I accepted that I could no longer work in systems that didn't want to change—I had to be the change.
Marika Frumes
Founder & CEO of Mysha, a premier membership community for new mothers.
I was so scared of leaving the comfort of a steady paycheck and never thought that my hobby could ever be how I made my living. I didn't take the full leap right away. It was a gradual progression of going part time at work in order to work on my community-building passions. Eventually, COVID-19 made the decision for me! When the hotel industry shut down, I was out of a job. This was the push I needed to lean into my passion for connecting new moms and helping them in that first year postpartum.
Yulia Saf
CEO & Founder of Miss Tourist, a travel site helping people plan an unforgettable vacation all over the world.
I’ve always been drawn to the idea of starting my own business. However, uncertainty initially pushed me toward a more traditional path. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this wasn’t where I truly belonged. I began exploring various business ventures, from selling onesies to helping students study abroad and even chocolate fountain catering. Some were successful. Others weren't. But they all served as a means to support my passion for travel. After returning from my first big trip to find myself without a company, I had a realization: I needed something that was online, location-independent, and ideally connected to my true passion—travel. That’s when I decided to start a blog and find a way to make it financially sustainable. That was around 10 years ago, and I’ve been fully working on it ever since.
Vanessa Farino
Founder & CEO of Creative CEO, an empowering movement and community dedicated to supporting ambitious women of color and diverse female founders in redefining success on their own terms.
I was at the peak of my career supporting a $25 million fundraise with a small team, working over 80 hours a week. Despite this high achievement, I was emotionally drained. And when personal grief struck, leadership's cold response made me realize I was sacrificing too much for a system that didn’t value me as a whole person. I craved purpose and balance, and that’s when Creative CEO was born—a space where women of color can build thriving businesses without sacrificing their well-being. Leaving corporate wasn’t just about starting a business; it was about reclaiming my life and helping others do the same.
Kelly Hubbell
Founder & CEO of Sage Haus, a platform that helps busy moms reclaim their time by building a village and support system, delegating and outsourcing the mental load, while creating repeatable home systems to support a healthy division of labor.
The moment I knew it was time to leave my corporate job was when I realized how incredibly fulfilled I felt helping other busy parents get the support they deserved. Seeing firsthand the relief and transformation that came from lightening their mental load sparked my own ambition. I wanted to focus fully on making a bigger, direct impact on people’s lives. Going full-time on my own business became the clear path forward. My passion was in helping families thrive—not in climbing the corporate ladder.
Jennie Armstrong
Founder & CEO of Wild Awake, supporting mission-driven consultants with everything they need to master their business, hone their brand, and grow as a leader.
Every job I've had taught me exactly who I didn't want to be as a leader and what I didn't want in a workplace culture. Early on in my career, I was chastised for not responding to a Saturday evening client email by Sunday. That moment cemented my understanding that being my own boss was the only way forward. At 26, I struck out on my own and have never looked back.
Sandra Camacho
Founder of Sandra By Design and an equitable design educator, strategist and advisor who helps teams design solutions and workplaces that further innovation, uphold equity and reduce harm.
I spent five years running experiments to ‘redesign’ my career at Google around human-centered design. By 2018, I hit a dead end. I didn't fit into rigid job descriptions. I was tired of doing my passion as a side project, and I didn't want to uproot myself to another continent to make things work. I realized then I needed to stop designing my career around Google. I needed to design it around my own dreams, which meant leaving the ‘golden handcuffs’ of tech to create my own business.
Brittany Woitas
Founder & Managing Principal of Kōvly Studio, a brand and marketing agency for experience-driven brands.
I sat across from my supervisor during my annual review, listening as he raved about how I excelled in every category for my role. As we transitioned to the annual raise, he said, ‘Even though you outperformed in every category, I know you can do even more, so you'll receive the minimum raise this year.’ Meanwhile my male counterpart—who did the bare minimum and struggled in performance—got the maximum raise.
In that exact moment, I knew I needed to start my own business, shatter the glass ceiling, and take my career into my own hands.
Liz Morrison
Story Coach of Liz Morrison Strategic Storytelling, helping people and teams unlock the power of their personal stories so they can communicate better, connect deeper, and inspire meaningful action.
When I was laid off in May 2020, I faced an identity crisis—my job had defined me for my entire adult life, and I didn’t know who I was without it. After 15 years of telling other people’s stories as a content creator for companies like Airbnb and campaigns like Obama 2012, I turned to my own stories to help me figure out what I wanted next.
Looking back across the various chapters of my career, the worst moments revolved around corporate politics and feeling unable to make a tangible impact. The moments of magic were all about helping people use their stories to inspire meaningful change. That clarity gave me the confidence to stop searching for another in-house job and instead build my own business focused on empowering others to use their stories to spark positive and professional growth.
Lindsay Ruiz
Founder & CEO of human as usual, pioneering the development of 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴™, a blueprint capability and digital solution designed to address the human complexities in hyper-growth, predict the human tensions that derail the scaleup trajectory, and retire ‘business as usual’ scaling practices.
I realized my leadership in the corporate space felt more like lending my talent rather than stepping fully into the leader I know I can be. I saw issues within my previous organizations that needed a more focused, large-scale solution, but I knew I could only do this by intervening earlier in the organizational life cycle to create faster impact across an entire industry. Starting my own startup allowed me to deliberately operationalize my ‘why’— I want people to believe in the companies they work for, the leaders they look up to, their own potential to lead, and the products and services they consume.
Anja Skodda
CEO & Founder of HAPPYBOND, extending your dog’s health and wellness through science-backed, transparent, and functional nutrition.
My Bulldog Tony started to develop arthritis in his shoulder and could no longer skateboard. At the time, I worked in research for rheumatoid arthritis and tissue engineering of cartilage. So I created a supplement for him that brought him back on his board within a week. After having a few more of those success moments helping other dogs in my circle, I decided I wanted to help dogs live a better life!
Katrina Purcell
Founder & CEO of Katrina Purcell LLC, providing fractional COO and consulting services for businesses seeking operational excellence and sustainable growth.
The moment of clarity hit me during a fundraising round for a previous employer. While I was crafting pitch decks and building growth projections, it became glaringly obvious that investors’ focus was heavily skewed toward 'efficient growth,' while well-connected, White male founders still had an easier time accessing capital without efficiency. Witnessing this disparity firsthand fueled my desire to create a company where I could leverage my skills to support underrepresented founders and mission-driven organizations. I realized that true fulfillment lay in aligning my work with my values, and that meant forging my own path.
Leah Dergachev
Founder & Chief Storyteller of Austley, a marketing company that puts communication first.
I found myself starting each week by counting down to Friday—a clear sign that something needed to change. This isn't to say I didn't enjoy the people I worked with or the general nature of my work. But as a first-time mom with ambitious career goals, I felt a growing disconnect between where I was and where I needed to be. My current environment wasn't fulfilling me anymore, and my priorities had shifted. So I took a leap of faith: I quit my job, started freelancing, and a few years later, built my own company.
Shannon Salentine
Founder & Executive Leadership Coach of Lead for Good, a coaching and consulting company for change makers and the places they work.
I realized I wanted to leave the corporate world once I learned that growing my leadership career meant leaving behind the type of work I loved doing in exchange for a promotion and more management responsibility. As a result, I became confident that by starting my own business, I could continue to do the work I loved, the way I wanted.
For me, leading has never been about titles. It has always been about being in spaces, places, and relationships where I can leverage my knowledge, skills, and commitment to make a difference. Working for myself was the most powerful step in ensuring this, as opposed to getting stuck in the boardroom.
Shang Saavedra
CEO & Founder of Save My Cents, a nationally recognized personal finance education platform that teaches thousands of Americans how to save money, get debt free, and invest for retirement, with a focus on mental health.
I landed in the ICU after giving birth to my second child. I heard someone nearby pass away, and I asked myself if I really loved what I was doing for work. I didn't. Around the same time, I received a book deal, which I knew would require two years of my life to complete. Leaving corporate life to fully dedicate myself to a mission that gave me hope and a sense of purpose simply made sense.
Amanda Hofman
Co-Founder & CEO of Go To Market - Anti-Boring Branded Merchandise, merch experts changing the way the world handles swag.
In my last corporate job, I was assigned an analysis to map out where our clients were in the world. I delivered it and accompanied my report with research-supported ideas for how we could expand. But nothing ever changed. This happened again and again because I was a small piece of a big organization. As an entrepreneur, I can take big swings and be flexible in my business. It's so exciting and rewarding.
Kendall Cherry
Founder & Executive Ghostwriter of The Candid Collective, a one-woman ghostwriting agency that delivers world-class storytelling that sells your products and services.
I'd been an ‘intrapreneur’ at my corporate job for long enough to realize that I clearly had some key skills in the business world that were transferrable. I don't think enough people realize that program development and management is something that every entrepreneur does (and is arguably 95% of the job).
I kept thinking about how I wanted to do ‘more’ in this world but in a way that was authentic and aligned to my own values and the unique contribution I could create. I stopped focusing on the golden handcuffs and got really curious about what enjoying the process of building a path to abundant wealth might look like.
Meredith Noble
Chief Grant Writing Unicorn at Learn Grant Writing, helping you learn to write grants and make money doing it.
I had been considering branching out to do my own thing for about eight months. One day, I was walking into my boss’s office for my annual review when a coworker stopped me. She was upset with me for leaving my clothes in the locker room to dry (I biked to work.). For whatever reason, that moment was my tipping point. I walked into my boss’s office and shared that I would be leaving. I decided life is too precious to spend with those that don't bring us joy.
Elizabeth McNevin
CEO & Social Ad Strategist of sociale, a boutique agency with a mission to elevate women-owned businesses through strategic social media advertising.
My entrepreneurial journey began at a pivotal moment, when my personal and professional lives collided. After spending over a decade in social media marketing for lifestyle brands like Travel Channel, WeddingWire, and Weber Shandwick, I found myself facing an unexpected challenge. Just days after learning I was pregnant, I was laid off during a company-wide downsizing. Instead of seeing it as a setback, I recognized it as the perfect opportunity for a fresh start and a chance to pursue a long-held dream. With nine months ahead, I set out to build a business while starting a family.
Misasha Suzuki Graham
Co-Founder of Dear White Women, LLC, helping White women use their privilege to uproot systemic racism without centering themselves in the process by using honest, open heart-led conversations through our book, podcast, and speaking appearances to find our common humanity.
When I had my two Black/Japanese/White boys, I realized that their very existence would be politicized and challenged throughout their lifetimes. But through my own deep knowledge of White women’s culture and multiethnic existence, I was equipped to bridge the gaps between learning and action in an empathetic, thoughtful, unifying way (and with my best friend). We're fighting for all of us, our kids in particular, through conversations that we didn't hear in our own professional or personal circles, but we know how important they are if we really want to focus on inclusion and belonging in any real way.
Jenny Hanh Nguyen
CEO & Co-Founder of Y'OUR Skincare, driven by powerful AI and human insights to create a personalized skincare system that changes with you.
I often question whether leaving the corporate world was the right choice, especially when things get tough. Sometimes, I think how easy it would be just to work a 9-to-5 and enjoy a steady paycheck. But what keeps me pushing forward, even through those doubts, is our incredible impact on our customers' lives. Knowing that my work truly matters fuels my drive and having complete control over the direction I take gives me the freedom to create something meaningful.
All individuals featured in this article are members of Dreamers & Doers, an award-winning community that amplifies extraordinary women entrepreneurs, investors, and leaders by securing PR, forging authentic connections, and curating high-impact resources.