Author, Historian
I am many things, but first and foremost a writer and passionate women’s historian who loves sharing women’s stories and ensuring their place in history. As an associate professor and chair of the Humanities Department at Merrimack College, my research centers on women’s entrepreneurship since World War II, exploring the forces that have made business ownership increasingly attractive to women. I am especially interested in women’s goals in starting ventures, the impact of their personal and professional experiences in this decision, the role of access to credit in launching and growing businesses, how women’s business ownership has shaped society, and whether business can be a tool for social change – all of which I explore in my book, She’s the Boss: The Rise of Women’s Entrepreneurship since World War II (Rutgers, 2025).
She's the Boss:
The Rise of Women’s Entrepreneurship since World War II
Since World War II, women have moved increasingly into business ownership, often outpacing male start-ups and typically seeking to meet a combination of personal and economic needs. She’s the Boss chronicles the history of what drew so many women to entrepreneurship over the past 80 years so that today they own more than 40% of all US businesses. In rich detail, it shares the stories of the countless women of all races, ethnicities, genders, and abilities who contributed to this important history. It also explores the intersection of women’s personal choices with changing social, political, and economic factors, such as the rising divorce rates of the 1960s and 1970s, ongoing workplace and credit discrimination; civil and women’s rights activism and activist entrepreneurs, the 1970s recession and 1980s “Reagan Revolution,” and more recently, the internet, crowd-funding, and social entrepreneurship.