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13 female founders from Austin make this year's coveted Inc. 500 list
- Allison Ellsworth of Poppi made the new Inc. 500 list.Allison Ellsworth/Facebook
- Jewelry designer Kendra Scott is one of Austin's best-known entrepreneurs.Photo courtesy of Kendra Scott
- Katie Kime (left, with Anne Campbell) was recognized on the Inc. 500 for 2025.Photo by Miguel Angel
- Isabella "Bella" Hughes (left) and Semira Nikou (right) show off their sour snacks.Better Sour/Instagram
- Veronica Garza founded Siete Family Foods.Siete Family Foods/Facebook
- Jennifer Seay connects clients with artists at Art + Artisans Consulting.artplusartisans.com
Thirteen innovative female founders from Austin have been recognized by Inc. Magazine for leading their industries forward.
The women were named to Inc.'s Female Founders 500 list, which features female entrepreneurs based in the U.S. The group attracted approximately $9 billion in 2024 revenue and $10.6 billion in funding, according to Inc.
“Female founders know what struggle is, but they’re also experts of improvisation, adaptability, and creativity. The women featured on this year’s list exemplify these qualities," Diana Ransom, Inc. executive editor said in a release. "Through times of uncertainty, their unwavering dedication and steadfast leadership are not only inspiring but vital to driving progress.”
The Austin honorees represent industries ranging from AI tech to jewelry to baby food.
Here are the Austin-area founders, their companies, and why Inc. says they chose them:
Allison Ellsworth, co-founder of Poppi (just acquired by PepsiCo for nearly $2 billion). "For leveraging social influencers and pop-up events to bring its prebiotic soda to 160 percent more households, expanding retail partnerships, and garnering more than 350 million TikTok views."
Ellen Wood, founder of vcfo. "For helping companies streamline their financial operations and achieve sustainable growth with remote, fractional CFO services."
Isabella "Bella" Hughes and Semira Nikou, co-founders of Better Sour. "For driving a 30-fold increase in [their] company's retail presence, including with Hawaiian airlines, and launching a new brand collaboration with Moana."
Jennifer Seay, founder of Art + Artisans Consulting. "For growing a small art consultancy that helps artists and corporations connect on creative real estate projects, and recently installing the largest Mr. Doodle mural in the U.S."
Katie Kime, founder of Katie Kime. "For expanding a fashion and lifestyle brand highlighting distinct 'city toiles' with intentional collaborations and category expansions, and launching 20 new prints and six new product categories."
Kendra Scott, founder of jewelry brand Kendra Scott. "For creating a cult jewelry brand with multigenerational appeal that continues to grow through consistently increasing sales and incredibly loyal repeat customers."
Marcela Andrés, founder of designEDengagement, PBC (Pflugerville). "For increasing family engagement in schools among underserved communities with trainings and resources."
Neha Sampat, founder of Contentstack. "For raising nearly $180 million to develop an AI-powered headless CMS that reduces developer time for major companies, including Walmart, Mattel, and Burberry."
Sarah Mayes, founder of Alafair Biosciences. "For making strides in medical device manufacturing, growing revenue by more than 100 percent, and securing contracts with the two largest health care GPOs in the United States."
Serenity Carr, founder of Serenity Kids. "For expanding a line of nutrient-dense baby foods and increasing its retail distribution by 80 percent."
Shanaz Hemmati, founder of ZenBusiness. "For helping 700,000 entrepreneurs launch their ventures, resulting in revenue and customer growth, and partnering with nonprofits such as Synergies Work to expand access to resources."
Veronica Garza, founder of Siete Family Foods. "For leading a heritage-inspired Mexican-American food brand into a $1.2 billion acquisition by PepsiCo and launching two product lines in Starbucks stores nationwide."
In all, 28 Texas female founders made this list. See the full list of winners here.
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This story originally appeared on our sister site, InnovationMap.