A person who starts and manages a business or project, taking on financial risks in the hope of making a profit or creating something new.
From French *entrepreneur* ('one who undertakes'), from *entreprendre* ('to undertake'), from *entre* ('between') + *prendre* ('to take'). It referred to someone who took on projects or contracts.
An entrepreneur is literally an 'undertaker' of projects—someone who takes things on between people, money, and ideas. The risk isn’t just financial; it’s reputational and emotional too, which is why the word carries a sense of boldness.
Historically, ‘entrepreneur’ was associated with male business founders due to legal and social barriers that excluded women from owning businesses, accessing capital, and entering many markets. Media and business culture long centered the ‘male entrepreneur’ archetype, underrepresenting women and nonbinary founders.
Use ‘entrepreneur’ for people of any gender and avoid qualifiers like ‘female entrepreneur’ unless gender is specifically relevant to the context or data.
["founder","business owner","startup founder"]
Women and gender-diverse entrepreneurs have been central to innovation in fields like technology, healthcare, retail, and social enterprise, often building successful ventures despite restricted access to funding, networks, and formal recognition.
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