They’re considered a rare breed. Not often seen on the front pages of newspapers, but they are the most in-demand in Danish business. We're talking about female entrepreneurs.
Denmark has been proud of its progress in gender equality, but in 2022, only 27% of Danish entrepreneurs were women. We want to change that by showcasing female entrepreneurs, inspiring more women to take the leap.
Check out our list of the coolest female entrepreneurs below.
Why Entrepreneurs Are Important for Denmark
Each year, around 20,000 entrepreneurs establish new businesses in Denmark. Entrepreneurs play a crucial role in essential parts of Danish society. New businesses generate wealth and economic growth, influencing employment much more than previously thought. In addition, startups create more jobs, new types of jobs, and often offer better pay to their employees. They are also more productive, which makes them highly important when it comes to innovation and development.
Danish entrepreneurial businesses are also much better at hiring and creating jobs for unskilled and skilled workers, which is the complete opposite of established companies, which in recent years have eliminated jobs for unskilled and skilled workers.
If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, it turns out that those who do best are the people who break away from existing companies. Business experience is crucial if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur.
How Many Entrepreneurs Are Women?
Only 27% of entrepreneurs in Denmark are women, and only 5% of women in the Danish population are new entrepreneurs. This is below the OECD average of 8.4%.
The share of women aged 18-64 in the population who are new entrepreneurs, by country within the OECD,
2021/2022 (%)
Source: Dansk Erhverv
Why Are Women Underrepresented in Entrepreneurship?
The table below shows the barriers women face in becoming entrepreneurs.
What are the primary reasons for not wanting to start a new business in the next three years?
Source: Dansk Erhverv
The results reveal the challenges faced by each age group. About one-third of young women (18-29 years) say uncertainty about their abilities is the main reason they are hesitant to start a business, while one in five in the same group are unsure of how to begin. For the older age group (30-64 years), the primary concern is uncertainty about income. As people age, their financial responsibilities increase, which can make the idea of starting a business feel daunting.
Wondering How We Can Solve This?
There is significant potential in uplifting female entrepreneurs, as stated by Dansk Erhverv. This is being done by highlighting successful Danish women entrepreneurs, who can inspire other women with insights on how to start a business, key tips to keep in mind, and how to achieve success.
You’ll have a role model to relate to, guiding you on the path ahead!
While there may be many concerns and uncertainties, there’s no need for such doubt as a female entrepreneur.
Throw Your Doubts Aside and ‘Do It Anyway’
Why Highlight Female Entrepreneurs?
In Denmark, progress is being made in encouraging more women to start their own businesses, but there’s still room for improvement. For example, it’s noteworthy that only 15% of the surveyed entrepreneurs mention one or more female role models. That’s why it’s important to raise awareness of female entrepreneurs to create more role models for women.
It encourages creative women to believe in themselves and gives them the confidence to start their own business.
"There is a need for an entrepreneurial culture in Denmark, where the entrepreneur's gender is not what determines the success of the business, but rather a culture where all creative Danes are more confident in starting their own business. We achieve this, among other things, through analyses that provide an overview of barriers and trends for female entrepreneurs."
- Dansk erhverv
Our List of Female Entrepreneurs You Should Know
We believe that the positive development will continue and that focusing on role models will lead to more female entrepreneurs in the future. In the long run, we hope that we won't need to distinguish between male and female entrepreneurs, but simply use the term 'entrepreneur' for all genders.
At pensopay, we cheer for all the entrepreneurs we engage with, and we believe that they are all awesome and courageous. If we were pressed to give a list of female entrepreneurs we think you should know, it would include:
- Camilla-Julie Skov Hansen and Trine Damborg – Sorelle Jewellery
- Kristin Assaad Andersen – LegalUp
- Julie Sandlau – Julie Sandlau
- Dinna Iben Arbo – Champagne for alle
- Lisbeth Grove Mikkelsen – WallPipe
- Julie Bloch Lauridsen – NipNap
- Louise Mygind Andersen – IX STUDIOS
- Mette Wendelboe Okkels – PetiteKnit
- Camilla Krøyer – Camilla Krøyer Jewellery
- Camille Brinch – Camille Brinch Jewellery
- Jullie Daniele Schytte – BucketBloom
- Lone Sanco – Lisen
- Sabrina Bach Rasmussen – DiModa Clothing
- Sabrina Paulsen – Fashion By STRAND
- Pernille Sandberg Bech – Goodtalks
We look forward to seeing if any of our suggestions make it to Dansk Erhverv's list of '25 female entrepreneurs you should know.' The nomination period ended on March 31, and the list will be published on June 8, 2022.
Believe in yourself and have a wonderful day!
Team pensopay
