From kitchen tables to digital storefronts. How Long Island's women entrepreneurs are building businesses.

As Angela Carillo, of Bethpage, set up her table of handmade soaps made of plant-based oils and butters at this year’s Women’s Expo at the Middle Country Public Library, she seized the moment to reconnect with fellow women entrepreneurs... 

Carillo, the owner of Alegna Soap, has built a network of women in her field since she first attended the expo about 15 years ago. On Oct. 9, she and another soapmaker she met at a past event caught up on their respective businesses. Carillo, who started her business as a hobby, said she now has a digital storefront and her products are featured in hotels and specialty shops.

She and her fellow soapmaker collaborate on orders, which helps cut shipping fees for both, Carillo said. 

“The female camaraderie is very uplifting,” she said. “It’s one of the reasons why I’m happy to be here.”

Across Long Island, thousands of women have followed a similar path — turning hobbies and side hustles into sustainable businesses. This fall marked the 25th anniversary of the Middle Country Public Library’s Women’s Expo, which has mirrored that growth as founders have moved from kitchen tables to digital storefronts and regional brands. Since its launch in 2000, the event has grown from about 20 vendors to nearly 80 — a reflection of how women-owned enterprises have flourished on Long Island.

The showcase drew dozens of vendors and returning founders whose stories illustrate how women’s entrepreneurship has matured — and how institutions like libraries have become unexpected incubators for small-business growth.

The expo was organized by the Middle Country Library Foundation, which encompasses the Miller Business Center, and is sponsored by organizations like the Small Business Development Center at Stony Brook University. The proceeds support the Miller Business Center. Officials estimate this year’s proceeds to be approximately $22,000 from sponsorships, vendor fees, raffles and donations.

Growth in women entrepreneurs

That growth is evident to Elizabeth Malafi, coordinator of the Miller Business Center. The center hosts classes on business planning, marketing and digital skills — programs that many entrepreneurs say helped them grow.

She said women who once came for basic startup advice now return seeking help to expand their companies online or open brick-and-mortar locations.

“Women’s motivation to start businesses [has] shifted from being necessity driven to increasingly opportunity driven,” said Shu Yang, a researcher and associate professor of management and entrepreneurship at Hofstra University.

The number of women entrepreneurs in New York State has grown since the inaugural expo, from about 505,000 in 2002 to more than 764,000 in 2023, according to the Small Business Administration.

Experts say part of that rise is due to expanding support networks.

“There's more places to get resources,” said Joy Williams, associate director at Hofstra's Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, who noted that more women attend business schools and can access new grant opportunities.

Grants such as the New York State Minority and Women-Owned Business Growth Accelerator program help women entrepreneurs get off the ground. The initiative awards grants of up to $200,000 to organizations that provide mentorship, training and access to funding for women entrepreneurs.

The Middle Country Public Library has become an unexpected incubator of small businesses, providing resources to help entrepreneurs expand operations into storefronts and digital platforms.

“They still do classes that I pop into because I’m always learning,” said Linda Johnson, of Stony Brook, the CEO and founder of artisan chocolate shop Chocology, and a seven-time expo attendee. “They have social media people, website people, LinkedIn classes.”

Chocology sells chocolate from around the world and offers an array of tasting and team-bonding events. Johnson said she relied on the Miller Business Center when she first started her business, learning how to establish her brand and obtain proper business licenses.

Technology has also lowered the barrier to entry, Williams said. “Twenty-five years ago, you would have to get someone to build a website for you. Now you can build one yourself.”

For Kayla Barthelme, 33, of Cutchogue, who runs Soul Creations, an herbal remedies business without a storefront, social media and e-commerce are essential. “I’ve been able to reach a lot of people that I haven’t met in person who find me through those posts,” Barthelme said. These resources have given her a platform to sell her homemade and farm-grown herbal remedies, tinctures and teas.

Barriers remain for some women

Yet even with more tools and support networks, many women still face continuing obstacles — limited capital, time constraints and the tug between ambition and family. Women own just 39.6% of businesses across the state even though they make up more than 51% of the population, according to 2023 Small Business Administration data from New York State.

Yang said many women still shoulder the bulk of child care responsibilities and feel pressure to prioritize family.

Terry Morris, CEO and founder of The Lather Cloth, a business that sells exfoliating body scrubbers, said parenting often limited how much time she could devote to her company.

“If you dedicate too much time [to work] when the kids come home,” Morris said, “they say they feel like you're ignoring them.”

Morris, of Wheatley Heights, who raised two daughters while building her business, worked when her kids went to sleep or were at school, a schedule that slowed her business growth but allowed her to separate home and work life.

“It took longer, because you'd have to work around when they were in school,” Morris said. It was pretty challenging.”

Funding also remains a hurdle for women to scale.

“It’s still more difficult for women to receive capital,” Yang said.

According to a 2024 study, startups founded solely by women received just 2.3% of global venture capital, compared with 83.6% for all-male teams.

But Williams noted most women entrepreneurs self-finance what she called “lifestyle businesses,” which support their families and way of life.

Morris used her salary and 401(k) to fund The Lather Cloth. Barthelme and Johnson also financed their ventures independently.

Building connections can also be difficult for small-business owners.

Yang said new entrepreneurs often struggle to expand their circles because child care demands limit time and because women are less likely than men to seek help.

“Women have relied more heavily on informal networks such as family, friends and community connection to start their businesses,” Yang said.

Morris said she wished she had a stronger group of mentors who could have offered guidance when starting out, as with finding the best manufacturer or learning how to transport goods through customs.

Like Morris, many women say having the right guidance can make all the difference. That’s why the Women’s Expo focuses on helping participants find mentors and build connections, Malafi said.

This year marked Lori Ledek’s 18th trip to the expo.

Since her first time at the event, Ledek, 49, of Ridge, has expanded her hand-painted glass company from a home-based business to a storefront, and now operates primarily online and at events. A small-business course and web development classes are just some of the resources the Miller Business Center provided her to grow.

Ledek said the expo provides unmatched opportunities for women to showcase their work and expand their reach.

“It’s hands down the best event I’ve attended,” Ledek said. “It’s the Ritz-Carlton of events.”