Female-owned businesses thrive

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

(The Baltimore Examiner) --

Some credit Columbia founder Jim Rouse's vision of a diverse community.

Others point to Howard County's recent growth and progressive attitude for opening the doors.

Whatever the reason, female-owned businesses are thriving in Howard, which boasts the highest percent of firms owned by women in the state, according to a recent study by the Howard County Commission for Women.

"Women are a very powerful force in Howard County," said Dawn Fisk Thomsen, chief executive officer of the YWCA of the Greater Baltimore Area and a member of the commission. "We have very strong numbers as far as business owners and entrepreneurs."

The study details the economic status of women in the county, which may not be perfect, but shows Howard is a welcoming place for women in business.

Howard County Economic Development Authority CEO Dick Story said some of the reason must be Rouse's commitment to diversity, a notion that has permeated the county.

Business Match Inc. founder Malynda Hawes Madzel agreed.

"The types of people who are attracted to Columbia are adventurers and risktakers, and it was founded before the women’s movement took hold," said Madzel, whose Columbia-based company helps small-business owners sell their businesses.

This is the same community that supported interracial marriages in the late 1960s, an acceptance not always found in Baltimore City at that time, said Jennine Anderson, a partner at financial firm PCA Group.

"It’s the very nature of where we live," Anderson said.

Shirley Collier, founder of technology company Optemax LLC, first worked in Baltimore City when she moved from Louisiana to Maryland 20 years ago. In the city, she ran into an "old boys network," she said, which pushed her to open her business in Howard.

"I find Howard County to much more progressive and welcoming," she said.

Several Howard businesswomen pointed to the county’s strong network among women that helped them succeed. Madzel meets regularly with a group of about seven younger female business owners, the second generation of businesswomen she calls her "youngins."

"It amazes me how supportive women are together," she said.