More women are graduating from business schools than ever before and yet, women are still vastly underrepresented in senior leadership positions. Why is this the case and what can be done to close the gap? Helping leaders reach their full potential is a focus area in Janice DiPietro’s work with […]
Interviews
Conversations with women about their multiple roles in the family business.
Cobblestone Living: An Entrepreneurial Family Business Adventure
Interview with Rhonda Steger, founder of Cobblestone Living Rhonda Steger does not regret leaving a lucrative career in the insurance industry; becoming an entrepreneur has proven just as rewarding. Her leap off the beaten path started small when she opened her own compliance firm, but passion soon drew her even […]
Marrying into the Family Business – Shining a Light on the Roles of Wives
For all the studies of commerce and economics that academics have undertaken over the years, family businesses have only in recent decades become a focus of scholarship, and very limited research was dedicated to examining women’s roles and the unique challenges they face in this specific context. Dr Manuela Weller, […]
Mentorship and the Power of Storytelling
Interview with Trish Tonaj, Author, Coach and Speaker Starting a business for the first time presents a host of challenges, from securing capital to figuring out the marketing strategies that will best reach customers and prospective clients. For entrepreneurs, there are often the added hurdles of self-doubt and discouragement. Those […]
Happy International Women’s Day! A Message from the WiFB Community
We’re proud to celebrate women’s contributions all over the world on this International Women’s Day! Your dedication as entrepreneurs and innovators is the momentum driving progress in the professional world. Your commitment to family and community is the foundation of societal development. Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash To […]
Okabashi: Sustainable Family Footwear
When in the late 1970s the Iranian Revolution took hold, shoemaker and businessman Rahim Irvani was forced to leave his home country and start over elsewhere. Rahim brought his skills and experience to the USA, placed his hopes in the country’s business-friendly reputation and built the footwear company Okabashi Brands […]
SCORZA – A Family’s Mission to Advance Urban Hygiene
Sixty years ago, in a small Argentinean town, Luis “Tatin” Scorza had the skill, drive and vision to make his community cleaner. He manufactured street sweepers for a town whose streets were not even paved. He designed waste disposal systems that would transform his community and became a pioneer of […]
A Family’s Journey to Promote the Arts
Women are playing a vital role in the Middle East’s growing contemporary art scene. Recognising art’s power to communicate, engage and transform has helped a lengthening list of female creatives to promote the region’s culture while challenging its stereotypes. Annie Vartivarian is the founder of the Letitia Gallery located in […]
Two Sisters Redefining Fashion for Expectant Mothers and Beyond
Imbued with their family’s entrepreneurial spirit and experience, sisters María Camila and Daniela García Caballero set out to innovate and expand the clothing options for expectant mothers and managed to challenge the status quo of the fashion industry in the process. María Camila is an economist and business administrator with […]
Fathers and Daughters – Building a Balanced Relationship in the Family Business
The transition from daddy’s little girl to CEO in waiting is rarely an easy one. Whereas succession from father to son is not just accepted, but expected in the family business realm. Succession from father to daughter is, for many business families, a road less travelled. Nobody understands this better […]
Raising Responsible Heirs to the Family Business
Women in family business fulfil several roles simultaneously. On top of their responsibilities as decision makers, executives and wives, they often hold the most influence when it comes to inculcating family and company values in the next generation. Ana Maria Matallana Boggio has a deep understanding of this multiplicity. After […]
The Tigress Mother – Running a Family Business and Foundation in India
Interview with Priyanka Malhotra Resilient, compassionate and dynamic, Priyanka Malhotra is admired by many for her “never give up” attitude and her ability to wear many hats with elegant and effortless ease. Her son Nipun affectionately calls her “my tigress mother” in a touching letter that describes the love and resilience […]