There’s been a growing movement among women in business to reject the term “female founder.” The argument is that their work should stand on its own merit, free from what feels like a DEI qualifier—a dirty word in this political climate. It’s a backlash similar to what we saw with “girl boss” (beyond its toxic hustle culture connotation), with women responding with a resounding: “I’m not a girl boss. I’m just a boss.” The thinking is clear: We don’t call men “male founders,” so why should women be labeled differently?
But what if we’re missing the point?
