In the cut-throat world of startups dominated by male founders, success often means doing things differently. Meet three female-founded organizations who are turning disruption into a calling–the team behind MeepMeep, the visionary duo at Toast and the change-makers leading joni.
What unites these trailblazers is not just their innovative solutions, but their courage to tackle deeply ingrained societal and systemic norms. From redefining how we approach tech hiring and menstrual care to bringing underrepresented communities into the spotlight, these entrepreneurs are proving that meaningful impact and market success go hand in hand.
They share how they lean into discomfort, silence critics and reflect on what drives them to continue challenging the status quo, and how they intend to create a lasting legacy–even when the odds are stacked against them.
Disrupting the status quo
At its core, disruption is about daring to defy the norm. Each of these founders brings their unique approach to fostering change.
Eve Bennett, founder and CEO of MeepMeep, is the first to acknowledge she’s always been a disruptor, “I’ve always been like this, honestly. It’s my nature to be contrarian.” MeepMeep’s approach to fundraising, which integrates consumer-focused strategies and hardware development, challenges conventional norms in a funding world dominated by enterprise B2B and SaaS models—areas often seen as safer and more scalable. MeepMeep’s approach to fundraising admittedly makes people highly uncomfortable."We also started super-niche with disc golf," she explains, showing how a focused, unorthodox beginning can grow into a larger movement. For Bennet, pushing limits is second nature: “Every time I achieve the ‘thing’ … the bar keeps getting higher. I think it’s like mountain climbers–as long as there is a higher mountain to climb, there’s some innate need to climb it.”
Meanwhile, Toast is rewriting the playbook for women in tech by addressing the systemic biases baked into traditional hiring processes. They recognize that women approach job hunting differently and are building a platform and community that empowers them to thrive. By diversifying the datasets companies use to evaluate candidates, they flip the hiring narrative. “We are creating a community where women in tech can thrive,” says co-founder and CEO Marissa McNeelands, highlighting their semi-annual hackathons, as well as their Champions program, which matches members with tech executives to harness the power of men’s social capital. They also host made-for-women tech conferences.
At joni, the challenge is breaking centuries-old stigmas around menstruation, "We’re unapologetic about our menstrual cycles," says co-founder and CEO Linda Biggs. Their mission is simple yet powerful: To create sustainable, accessible period care that’s as essential and ubiquitous as toilet paper. And they’re not afraid to call out the industry for its outdated practices, “We have self-driving cars, but try to find a dispenser that’s not broken, empty, or one that you have the right change for, and suddenly the technology is back to the 1950s.”
Facing the critics
Female founders face a disproportionate amount of skepticism and criticism, but it’s how they handle it that sets them apart. They turn negativity into fuel for their fire. For joni, Biggs has learned to focus on feedback from those who matter, “I take my feedback and criticism from people I admire—those who are in the arena doing the heavy work.” They acknowledge that negativity can sting but emphasize the importance of moving forward with purpose. It just means that there’s always work to be done.
Toast’s approach is to let the results speak for themselves. "We realized early on that we would need to do everything ourselves," McNeelands says. By focusing on purpose above all else, they don’t get the same level of support that most startups get. But this steadfast commitment to their values positions them to outlast many venture-backed businesses. They’re continuing to attract clients aligned with their values–and the money still comes in.
MeepMeep also takes criticism in stride, using it as inspiration to keep climbing. Their founder’s steadfast contrarian mindset helps them turn skepticism into determination, pushing boundaries in ways their critics can’t imagine.
Fueling the fire: what keeps them going
Without an unrelenting connection to purpose, none of these organizations would exist, let alone thrive. At joni, the founder’s personal experiences of scarcity and resilience shape their mission. “My family didn’t have money growing up and we often waited in Food Bank lines. I know what it’s like not to have enough of life’s basic necessities.” Through their 5% giveback model, joni ensures that every sale supports non-profits providing period care to those in need. “It’s one thing to have a customer love your product, but it’s another to see how their purchase also supports incredible organizations.”
Meanwhile, the driving force at Toast comes from a desire to honor the struggles of the women who came before them, as well as the founder’s personal experiences. “There were generations of women before me that went through so much to ensure that I could do things like vote, open my own bank account and have choice in my life. They crawled so that I could walk,” McNeelands says. The experience of almost a decade in the tech industry, often being–or witnessing–the struggles of being the only woman on tech teams, unleashed something major in McNeelands. “We were building AI products for all Canadians, but our team only represented 50% of them. When I pushed back, I heard ‘women just aren’t applying,’ so I went into my network and started pulling women in–explaining that AI isn’t intimidating and that we need their voices. I built Toast as a way to scale these efforts and to give companies a way to hire more women in tech roles knowing that they may not be willing to change their recruitment process to attract more women.” With this personal experience in mind, Toast aims to create a future where the next generation of women in tech doesn’t just survive–they lead.
For MeepMeep, motivation lies in the thrill of climbing ever-higher mountains. They find fulfillment in achieving one goal after another and proving doubters wrong every step of the way. Their journey is about more than business. It’s about personal growth and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
Building a lasting legacy
The stories of MeepMeep, Toast and joni show that daring to defy the norm takes more than innovative ideas–it takes an unrelenting commitment to purpose and a dedication to lasting change.
These founders aren’t just building businesses; they’re creating movements that challenge norms, empower underrepresented communities and leave a legacy that changes how business is done. As Biggs from joni aptly puts it, “I want to leave the world better than I found it for my daughters and the generations to follow.”
Whether it’s rethinking gender gaps in hiring practices, destigmatizing menstruation or exploring niche markets, these trailblazers are proving that success isn’t about following the rules—it’s about rewriting them.