Share, Growth, Change, and Love for Young Female Entrepreneurs

Ed. Note: Champions of Change is a weekly initiative to highlight Americans who are making an impact in their communities and helping our country rise to meet the many challenges of the 21st century.

Thursday, August 18th, the weekly initiative Champions of Change highlighted young entrepreneurs. I was honored to be among those chosen as a young American who is making an impact in my community. My community is that of young, female entrepreneurs. I am 26 years old, a wife, and a new mother. As an owner and the Director of Operations at Ovaleye Cloud Services I feel every day the challenges that all entrepreneurs face. I created Young Female Entrepreneurs to celebrate these challenges with others in my community.

Young Female Entrepreneurs is an online support group and incubator for entrepreneurial women in their 20s and 30s. Young, female entrepreneurs want success on our own terms, to feel validated, to help, make money, expand our reach, feel inspired, to share, to grow, to change, and to love.

Entrepreneurship is not for everyone, and it looks different to many different people. This diversity in thought energizes the Young Female Entrepreneur community to help and encourage one another. It's not about selling the idea of owning a business, but about supporting those who are already in business.

As an entrepreneur you face challenges on a daily basis, just as you would as a mother or in full time employment. Having a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, and a willingness to ask for help has personally gotten me through the first four years. Even so, when my son was born everything changed. How could I continue to grow my business as I had been? How were others doing it? At that time especially, it was wonderful to be a part of a trusted community that I could ask questions to and be inspired by.

My son is now a year old, my business is now five years old, and I have been married for six years. It just doesn't get much better than this. But then the White House calls, and I realize I am still just at the beginning, and what a beginning it is. I am truly thankful to have been given this opportunity to connect with many of those who have influenced me in business, along with new leaders I admire. I look forward to sharing my excitement with other young, female entrepreneurs, and passing on the inspiration that I have received. If "Winning the Future" is our goal then please count me in.

Jennifer Donogh is an owner and Director of Operations at Ovaleye LLC and the creator and Director of Young Female Entrepreneurs.