Women Over 50: Building Businesses That Thrive

The Rise of the Encore Entrepreneur: Why Women Over 50 Are Building Billion-Dollar Businesses

We’ve been sold the myth that successful startups are built in garages by hoodie-wearing 20-somethings. The data - and the stories of women rewriting the rules - tell us something very different.

Women over 50 are starting businesses in record numbers, and many are not just surviving - they’re thriving. Backed by decades of experience, deep networks, and a refined sense of purpose, these “encore entrepreneurs” are building ventures that scale, disrupt industries, and create lasting impact.

The Case for Age and Experience

Research consistently shows that entrepreneurial success increases with age. A landmark MIT study found that the average age of successful founders is 45, not 25. In fact, a 50-year-old entrepreneur is almost twice as likely to build a high-growth company as a 30-year-old.

For women, this trend is even more pronounced. Female entrepreneurs in their 50s are significantly more likely to succeed than their younger counterparts. They bring what the report calls a “Wisdom Dividend” the accumulated capital of life experience that translates into better decision-making, stronger execution, and a clear-eyed sense of what matters most.

From Investment Banking to Beauty Empire: Falguni Nayar

Take Falguni Nayar. After a long career in investment banking, she launched beauty and fashion retailer Nykaa in India at the age of 50. What started in 2012 as an e-commerce venture is now a multi-billion-dollar listed company, reshaping the beauty industry across Asia.

Nayar’s success wasn’t despite her age - it was because of it. She knew how to build teams, manage risk, and tap into capital markets. More importantly, she understood the unmet needs of Indian women consumers in a way a younger founder might not have.

Reinventing the Beauty Market: Trinny Woodall

At 53, Trinny Woodall, best known as a fashion and media personality, founded Trinny London, a direct-to-consumer beauty brand designed for women overlooked by traditional cosmetics marketing.

Her timing was perfect. She combined decades of consumer insight with the digital-first D2C model, and built a community-focused brand that resonates deeply with midlife women. Today, Trinny London is a multi-million-dollar company with a global following.

Why Women Choose Entrepreneurship at 50+

The report Women’s Wealth, Wisdom, and Entrepreneurship highlights why so many women turn to entrepreneurship in midlife:

A Push from Corporate Structures: Too many workplaces undervalue experienced women, especially during the menopause transition, when symptoms can disrupt traditional careers.
A Pull Toward Purpose: At this stage, many women want work that aligns with their values, not just a paycheck. Starting a business offers autonomy and purpose.
Financial Urgency: With persistent wealth gaps and retirement insecurity, entrepreneurship can be a rational strategy for wealth creation in midlife.

In Australia, the average woman’s retirement savings lag men’s by more than 20%. For some, launching a venture is not just ambition - it’s necessity.

The Hidden Advantage: The Wisdom Dividend

This “second ascent” comes with unique advantages:

Pattern Recognition: Decades of experience mean seasoned founders can anticipate challenges and avoid costly mistakes.
Networks: A career spanning two or three decades builds relationships that younger founders can’t replicate.
Clarity and Conviction: By midlife, many women have shed self-doubt, know what they want, and are more resilient in the face of setbacks.

These aren’t soft skills - they’re competitive advantages that make their ventures more capital-efficient and sustainable.

The Market Failure

Despite this track record, women founders over 50 remain critically undervalued. In Australia, female-led startups received less than 1% of venture capital funding in 2022. Yet studies show female-founded companies outperform male-founded ones by over 60% in ROI.

This disconnect isn’t just inequity, it’s a profound market inefficiency. Investors ignoring women over 50 are overlooking one of the highest-performing founder demographics.

Reframing Menopause as a Catalyst

The report makes another compelling point: menopause, often seen as a barrier, can also act as a catalyst. For many women, the disruption of symptoms - and the lack of workplace support - becomes the push to design their own environment through entrepreneurship. Rather than being a liability, this transition can spark reinvention, resilience, and boldness.

The Bigger Picture

Globally, women are on track to control over half of all wealth by the end of this decade. Much of this wealth will flow to women over 50, who are poised to invest in and build businesses that reflect their values. This convergence of capital, experience, and purpose makes encore entrepreneurship one of the defining economic forces of our time.

Final Thought

The stories of Falguni Nayar and Trinny Woodall are not exceptions. They’re signals of a broader trend: women in midlife seizing control, rewriting the rules, and building ventures that succeed because of their age and experience, not in spite of it.

For women considering the leap at 50 or beyond, the message is clear: your time is not past - it may be the best time of all.

Author Bio
Lisa Erhart is the founder of Funding4Growth, where she helps women and diverse founders turn ideas into fundable ventures. With over 20 years in the grants and funding ecosystem, she has secured millions for entrepreneurs and now builds tools and strategies to level the playing field. Learn more at Funding4Growth.