Feminist Business History : What, when, and why it matters

Are you a feminist entrepreneur hoping to infuse your business with feminist principles?

And you want to work wisely, avoiding common mistakes and building on feminist successes? 

This Feminist Business History course might be just right for you.  Sign up here:

This class is designed to help us remember what feminist businesspeople have already learned-– by diving into the histories of feminist businesses, recognizing their struggles and successes, and translating these into practices for *today*.

In this three-part online course, we’ll explore the history of feminist businesses in the United States (with a little Canada and Britain). We’ll discuss how feminist businesses have flaunted the norms of conventional business, challenged themselves and their communities, fought for social justice, and set a foundation for activist businesses today.

Three Tuesday Evenings:
Sept. 12, Sept. 26, Oct. 10  7:00 – 9:00 Eastern time

We’ll start by defining what feminist businesses are and how they differ from conventional businesses. We’ll look at how several different kinds of feminist businesses flourished in the ’70s and ’80s here in the USA, and how they influenced other activists. Then, we’ll dive into the history of a classic example: the feminist bookstore movement. Finally, we’ll discuss the insights and implications of feminist business histories for current and future feminist businesses.

The first and third classes, I will compile, condense, and compose the material for you. I’ll draw on my study of over two dozen feminist businesses and industries as well as my own academic work on defining feminist business and guiding feminist enterprise. While I don’t really like to lecture (and look like I think my own view is the only valid, expert one) I’ll present a rich and useful perspective for us to consider. The idea is for me to do most of the academic work (reading, synthesizing, pondering) so you don’t have to. Instead, you’ll bring your curiosity and questions so that we can discuss the ideas I bring forward and focus on what matters to you.

For the second class, we’ll draw on the rich, complex, provocative book by Kristen Hogan, The Feminist Bookstore Movement: Lesbian antiracism and feminist accountability (2016, Duke University Press). I’ll summarize the main points of this history, highlighting the bookstores’ feminist products and profit orientations. I’ll also share how they worked to address racism, classism, and homophobia in their own organizations. Participants will be invited to read key sections of the book (but won’t have to), and everyone can share their insights and conclusions.

You can check out all the details of the class here: https://cvharquail.com/feminist-business-history-fall-23-course-details/

When you’re ready, sign up here:

Whether you’ve already launched a feminist business, or think you might build one, or are determined to be a better feminist activist in your current work, this class will give you understanding, perspective, and insight to draw on.

You’ll know you’re not alone — rather, you’re the latest, boldest step in the revolution we know as feminist business.