Breaking the Mold

The northern Plains’ top 25 women in business

BY KRIS BEVILL

Our region of the country ranks among the best in terms of employment rates for women — North Dakota, in fact, was determined to be the best state for women-owned firms based on the growth rate of women-owned businesses and overall economy, according to American Express OPEN’s 2014 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report — but the number of women-owned businesses, locally and nationally, continues to lag compared to male-owned firms. Nationwide, about 30 percent of all privately held companies are owned by women, according to the report, and only about 4 percent of those women-owned firms have revenues of $1 million or more. All the more reason to celebrate the groundbreakers and leading women in business, we thought. Therefore, we are proud to highlight this year’s top 25 women in business in the Dakotas and western Minnesota. They represent nearly every industry you can imagine and have success stories built upon years of hard work and dedication. Honorees include South Dakota’s only female licensed plumber, a fourth-generation real estate brokerage firm owner, a rancher and serial entrepreneur, a general contractor, a published research scientist, tech experts, bankers and more. Read on for details on these inspiring leaders of the region.