Written by: PETER GASCA

It is no secret that women have long been underrepresented in the executive managerial ranks of large, innovative companies. In fact, according to AmericanProgress.org, while women make up 52 percent of all professional level jobs, only 14.6 percent of executive positions are held by women. Dive deeper into the list of Fortune 500 CEOs, and you will find a paltry 4.6 percent of the positions held by females.

This management gender gap is improving, but it still has a long — very long — way to go. Many companies, especially in the technology field, are taking an active role in closing this gap by providing opportunities for and encourage young women to pursue STEM (science, technology, engineering and math education) and leadership roles at a very young age. This approach, however, requires a generation to affect change.

Many ambitious women, seeing the slow change in the gender-cap trend, are taking matters into their own hands — by starting and leading their own companies. Five women in general, all under the age of 35, have forged their way to entrepreneurial success, and while the paths they traveled were different, the lessons for other aspiring women are universal.

Julie Fredrickson, co-founder and CEO of Stowaway Cosmetics, launched her beauty company in 2015 and is aiming to disrupt the $60 billion dollar beauty industry by developing a cosmetic brand “made around a woman’s life, not the other way around.” The company’s innovative leaders has already attracted $1.5 million in investment capital — no small feat in a highly competitive beauty-product industry.

Carrie Hammer, founder and CEO of CarrieHammer Clothing and Apparel, is aiming to disrupt the professional woman’s fashion industry by challenging our perceptions and expectations of female models. This past year, her runway models featured real executive women of all different sizes and abilities. In 2015, Hammer was named as one of Forbes 30 Under 30 as well as one of 15 Women Entrepreneurs to Watch at Entrepreneur.com.

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