TULSA, Okla. — When it comes to the workforce, data shows women hold significantly fewer leadership roles compared to men.
In fact, for every 100 men in leadership positions, only about 30 are women.
The factors for this statistic vary, and Oklahoma State University is addressing the issue head-on by hosting a Women's Business Leadership Conference in March.
2 News Oklahoma's Cori Duke will moderate a panel of women at the conference and share how a Tulsa entrepreneur is using her experience to inspire generations of females.
If you step into Fulton Street Books & Coffee on Greenwood Ave., you’ll be greeted by a warm aesthetic, curated shelves of books, and the smell of rich coffee.
“If you know that there is something within you that you have to bring to life in this world, you just gotta do it,” Onikah Asamoa-Caesar, owner of Fulton Street Books & Coffee, said.
She’s the woman behind the concept. Her business began five years ago on Latimer Street and has since moved to iconic Greenwood.
Asamoa-Caesar makes it look easy, but the truth is, in her words, “Entrepreneurship is a dumpster fire.”
“It sounds, woe is me, but I think entrepreneurship is especially challenging, and within that, there are definitely bright spots, and I want to address head-on some of the challenges that entrepreneurs face on a day-to-day basis,” she said.
That is exactly what she'll be doing on March 12 after she was invited to share her experience at the Oklahoma State University Women's Business Leadership Conference.
The theme: "Be Bold: Leading with confidence."
“It's really exciting when people recognize your work enough to invite you to speak at something like this,” Asamoa-Caesar said. “I don't consider myself an expert, but I love to be in community with other folks, especially women."
That's the goal for the conference, to gather women in leadership in the area to give their take on tackling the business world as a female and doing it with confidence.
The conference will address the gender gap, conquering that c-suite job as a woman, work-life balance, and more.
For Asamoa-Caesar,a women-owned business is fulfilling but not without its challenges.
“We know that there are certain double standards,” she said. “We know that in some ways we have to work twice as hard to be taken seriously. I have to repeat myself probably more often than my male counterparts do, so definitely as a woman it can be extra challenging to operate and to attain the same level of respect at the table.”
Asamoa-Caesar said this is just a small hurdle, not a line in the sand. It's something she and others will address at the conference, among other things like funding, marketing, and the day-to-day tasks to keep the lights on.
Statistics show that 13 million businesses in the U.S. are women-owned. That's about 42% of businesses in the country. With more women supporting other women on their journey, that number is likely to change.
For those interested in attending the OSU Women's Business Leadership Conference, click here.
It is at the Cox Business Convention Center March 12, and it is open to men and women.
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