Story Contest Winners Highlight Minority Women Entrepreneurs in the U.S.

Minority women entrepreneurs are on the rise, and it’s about time.

Women-owned businesses increased by 27% and minority-owned businesses increased by 38% between 2007 and 2012, according to 2012 U.S. Census Data.

When we examine the rise of minority women entrepreneurs, we find that Asian women-owned businesses have increased 43%, Black women-owned businesses have increased 67%, Latina women-owned businesses have increased by 87%, and American Indian and Alaskan Native women-owned businesses have increased by 36% over the same time period, according to the National Women's Business Council.

Minority women entrepreneurs still face hurdles when starting and growing their businesses. The media can play a role in highlighting success stories and road maps to successes, and inspiring more women to start their own businesses.

The International Center for Journalists, with the support of S&P Global opened a reporting contest in November 2016, and selected six winners in early December 2016.

ICFJ provided grants to the six winners to pursue their story projects. These grants gave the journalists the opportunity to report on the accomplishments and tribulations of being a minority woman entrepreneur in the U.S.

The winners also received advice from our export media mentors, Jeremy Caplan and Sandra Crucianelli. Sandra is a former ICFJ Knight Fellow who specializes in data journalism and investigative reporting. Jeremy is the Director of Education for the Tow-Knight Center for Entrepreneurial Journalism at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism.

The winners had until February 15, 2017 to publish and/or broadcast their story projects. The top three stories received cash prizes ($1,000 for 1st place, $500 for 2nd place, and $250 for 3rd place). The six winning story projects are showcased in the story below. The 1st place prize went to Amy Hsiao-mei Wu, 2nd place to Natalie Van Hoozer, and 3rd place to Amaris Castillo.