Women-owned businesses are a big driver of the U.S. economy. Women own over 13 million businesses, employ close to 12 million employees, and boast $1.9 trillion in annual revenues, according to a Forbes magazine article published in March 2023. The future is bright for female-founded start-ups, but the challenges are great. 

Listen in to Monica Delores Hooks, the Executive Director of the Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI) of Atlanta and past WIL speaker as she gives us the insights women need to launch and sustain a successful new business.

Under Monica Delores Hook’s leadership, WEI has created more than 1000 jobs for Atlanta and helped garner $7.3 million in capital investment for women-led startups. She built her career at Sony Music Entertainment with roles in Product Management, International Marketing, and Business Affairs and has over 20 years of expertise in startup business development, content marketing, and brand management. Monica is also a graduate of Atlanta’s WEI inaugural class and winner of the 2017 Microsoft Innovation Bots and Cognitive Services Award.