“I think every working mom probably feels the same thing: You go through big chunks of time where you’re just thinking, ‘This is impossible—oh, this is impossible.’ And then you just keep going and keep going, and you sort of do the impossible.” —Tina Fey

Mother is a loaded word for all women. Regardless of whether you have children, motherhood can throw down battle lines or create a rallying cry. Add “business founder” to this already loaded topic and you are led directly to that controversial word Mompreneur, which can belittle as much as empower.

The truth is, while I am an entrepreneur running a B Corp business I am also a mother of three; while I am practical and capable of risk-taking, I am also nurturing and creative. I know I am not the only one with these seemingly contrary character traits. I believe it’s the innate tension between them that creates the space for me to succeed at both.

That’s who I am, but who are we?

We are connected by our shared values, by how we do business as social entrepreneurs and by how we raise our children. We care about gender equality at the office and in the playground or school. We care deeply about the earth and we teach our kids to share those concerns, to use resources wisely and to reduce waste. We get involved in our local communities at a business and personal level by donating our time and money. We take a stand on issues by doing advocacy work at home and at work – hosting events for local candidates, going door to door with our kids in tow to teach them how democracy works. We say YES to a lot of additional work as school volunteers, mentors, group leaders so that our kids learn by example what civic engagement looks like and what it means to lead a life of purpose.

B Corps are all about the triple bottom line: workers, community, and planet in addition to profit. Caring about these things deeply are the values I hope this group will share regardless of whether your business is certified as B corp. I would love for you to be part of this Founding Mothers group as we come together to share, insights, questions, and advice so that together, we create a platform that nurtures, enables and empowers us.

Founding Mothers is intended as a place where you can find resources and information; sympathetic listeners, enthusiastic cheerleaders, and strategic problem solvers, a powerful alliance of successful, supportive women.

We are Mothers.
We are successful women who founded our own businesses.
We are committed to making a difference through our work and through our lives.
We share a unique set of challenges and demands on a daily basis.
We have collective knowledge, wisdom, and experience that when shared offers benefits to both our personal and professional lives.

Blog post art designed by Nina Reck.