The Power of Entrepreneurial Women
Originally published by The Estée Lauder Companies on October 28, 2025
The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) is an embodiment of the power of entrepreneurial, creative, and innovative women. With vision, grit, and the courage to do things differently, Mrs. Estée Lauder built a beauty empire from the ground up, long before it was common for women to lead global companies. Her story is the blueprint for what entrepreneurial spirit looks like: bold, imaginative, and unapologetically ambitious.
Today, ELC is not just honoring that legacy — we’re scaling it. We’re building a company and supporting an industry where women can think like founders, execute with ownership, and turn bold ideas into lasting impact. Whether we’re launching new ideas inside our walls or supporting women through external initiatives and partnerships, entrepreneurship is not just part of our history—it’s for a more resilient future.
Developing the Workforce of Tomorrow: Advancing Skills, Access, and Opportunity
Through the Estée Lauder Companies Charitable Foundation (ELCCF) and signature partnerships around the world, we are helping fund the next generation of innovators and strengthening pathways to entrepreneurship by supporting programs focused on education, skills training, and leadership development.
The Young Women’s Leadership Schools
For nearly two decades, ELC and ELCCF have partnered with Student Leadership Network to support The Young Women’s Leadership Schools (TYWLS) and help girls and gender-expansive youth from diverse and underserved communities access the leadership, college, and career readiness skills and resources they need for success.
Since 2017, ELCCF has supported Student Leadership Network’s CollegeBound Initiative programs at TYWLS across New York City, supporting students in achieving their higher education and career potential. In the years since, our partnership has scaled to also support affiliates in markets across the U.S., such as Los Angeles, CA; Wilmington, DE; Atlanta, GA; Las Vegas, NV; and Baltimore, MD.
Through our unique, 360-degree partnership model, ELC employees connect with TYWLS students through mentorship, internship opportunities, career exploration events, and skill-building workshops, fostering a pipeline of future leaders who are empowered to pursue higher education and careers in various fields. Programs include the annual Project Beauty Showcase, an event where 12th-grade TYWLS students work directly with ELC employees and brands to hone their entrepreneurial, creative, marketing, and campaign development skills.
Nearly 100% of TYWLS students gain college acceptance, and TYWLS students graduate college at more than twice the rate of their national peers.
