These are the Top Women-led Businesses in South Florida, According to Survey

Janet Kyle Altman | Featured in South Florida Business Journal | May 10, 2019

Florida’s Top 50 women-led businesses report their revenue has tripled since 2014 and say they expect that growth to continue, according to a new survey from The Commonwealth Institute and Kaufman Rossin.

Those women-led businesses reported collective total revenues of $1 billion in 2014, which tripled to nearly $3 billion in 2018, according to the survey, based on the responses of more than 300 female presidents, CEOs and owners of women-led companies in the state.

Sixty percent of the survey’s respondents reported higher revenues in 2018, with 20% of respondents reporting revenue surpassing $10 million.

Fifteen percent of respondents said they are responsible for more than 250 employees, compared to 5% who reported that number in 2015.

“The survey results indicate women leaders are making smart decisions for their companies and themselves, and they’re doing it here in Florida,” said Janet Altman, a TCI member and marketing director of Kaufman Rossin.

Florida’s professional services, manufacturing, technology and non-profit industries have the highest share of women-owned businesses, according to the survey.

Twenty-nine percent of the state’s professional services firms are led by women, followed by 9.3% of non-profits and 8.9% of manufacturing firms.

Laurie Davis, executive director of TCI, said female entrepreneurs reported they still face multiple challenges, with lack of venture capital funding, pay inequality and gender discrimination among the most-reported.

The 10 highest-earning for-profit businesses in South Florida included in the survey are:

  • Carnival Cruise Lines
  • Bureau Veritas
  • EWM Realtors
  • One Parking
  • Miami Herald Media Co.
  • Image Skincare
  • Express Travel
  • Momentum Consulting Corp.
  • Fabric Innovations
  • Cherokee Entreprises

The five highest-earning South Florida startups included in the survey are:

  • The Story Room
  • Raymond James/Enrichment Wealth Management (an independent advisory led by Arlene Alvarez)
  • Innovation Senior Management
  • Wander PR
  • J Kelly Advisors

Janet Altman is a Chief Marketing Officer, Principal at Kaufman Rossin, one of the Top 100 CPA and advisory firms in the U.S.