Gloria Steinem was an entrepreneur—just not the Silicon Valley kind.
She didn’t raise venture capital or chase billion-dollar exits. She created something far more powerful. As an entrepreneur of social change, she built media, philanthropic institutions, and movements to disrupt a culture and economy that historically benefited men. Her work transformed media and the lives of generations of women.
“I became aware I could no longer just write about something. I also had to act on it,” Steinem said.
Her conviction to turn her frustration with a world that fought to hold women back from their careers is what made Steinem a model for entrepreneurs.
Ms. Magazine And The Creation Of An Untapped Market: Women
As a journalist in the 1960s, Steinem refused to be confined to the subjects traditionally assigned to women reporters. In 1968, Steinem co-founded the New York Magazine with Clay Felker and Milton Glaser. Her political reporting column, “The City Politic,” served as an incubator for applying mainstream investigative journalism to civil rights issues.
In 1971, Steinem co-founded Ms. Magazine, creating a national publication that put issues including abortion rights, sexual harassment, domestic violence, workplace inequality, and the Equal Rights Amendment at the center of public conversation.
“When we started, there was not even a term for sexual harassment. It was just called life.”
The magazine launched as feminist groups like the National Organization for Women were rapidly growing and fighting for women’s rights across the US.
The first 300,000 test copies of Ms. sold out nationwide in eight days, generating approximately 26,000 subscription orders and more than 20,000 reader letters.
The magazine’s significance went beyond its sales.
“Gloria made the personal political, pushing issues dismissed as “women’s problems” from the private sphere into the public arena,” said Kim Villanueva, President of the National Organization for Women.
Steinem’s work made women’s experiences impossible to ignore for today’s women entrepreneurs.
“I didn’t grow up thinking about Gloria Steinem as an inspiration—I grew up benefiting from what she fought for,” says Sydney de Arenas, founder and CEO of The Hive.
De Arenas recalls going to construction sites with her father and never questioning whether she could do his job, run a company, or enter any field she chose simply because she was a woman.
“It was only later, as an entrepreneur, that I began recognizing the gender barriers that were still there.”
For de Arenas, that is the power of Steinem’s work: it changed not only laws and institutions, but women’s expectations for their own lives.
“You build something, challenge a system, or open a door so effectively that the women coming behind you assume that door was always theirs,” she says.
Independence And Integrity As Business Model
Steinem also understood that a business’s mission must align with its values.
Ms. initially relied on advertising and subscriptions for revenue. But in 1990, it restructured into an advertising-free format to protect its editorial integrity from corporate advertiser pressure, such as Big Tobacco. Then in 2001, Ms. turned over its operations to the Feminist Majority Foundation, where the magazine and digital news site operate today.
Steinem’s influence extended far beyond the brand she built. “She did not merely build a recognizable personal brand. She built trust, community, and a body of work that moved conversations forward for generations,” says Paula T. Edgar, Esq., founder and CEO of PGE Consulting Group.
For Edgar, Steinem demonstrated “the power of using your voice, platform, and influence in service of something larger than yourself.”
From Feminist Brand To Lasting Infrastructure
Steinem’s legacy was much more than Ms. She focused on building women’s political and economic power. She founded or co-founded several organizations including the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Women’s Action Alliance, and the Women’s Media Center.
Her approach was consistent: identify a problem, bring people to the table, and build organizations and systems to advance the work.
“Steinem didn’t just talk about the problems she saw. She helped build movements, media, and institutions around them,” said Grace Tabib, founder and head of advocacy at DUPAY.
“Impact needs infrastructure,” Tabib says.
“It’s not enough to care about a problem or call attention to it. You have to build something that can actually change it and make that change last.”
The Talking Circles
For decades, Steinem hosted “Talking Circles,” in her Manhattan apartment bringing women together from across generations to listen, exchange ideas, and discuss the issues shaping their lives and society. The conversations ranged from the challenges of childcare to the impact of AI on people, the economy, and society.
The format was deliberately focused on open and raw conversations and building connections, networking, and relationships.
The Long Game
Steinem always focused on the long game. The movements and organizations she helped build were never meant to be about her. They were meant for others to carry forward, build upon, and evolve with new bold ideas and visions.
Kimone Napier, CEO of Hire Breakthrough, says this is what she admires most.
“I admire her that she turned her beliefs into a long lasting system to last more than a lifetime. Inspiring someone is only surface level. The organizations are how change gets compounded.”
Steinem didn’t simply argue for a different world. She helped create places where people could organize for one. “Feminism has never been about getting a bigger piece of the pie. It’s about baking a new pie,” she said.
For entrepreneurs, that’s the legacy Gloria Steinem leaves behind. Figure out what needs to exist on your terms that will make the world a better place. Then go build it.
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