The Ladies in the Field
Thus far just two women have entered the field in Vanessa Selbst and Kathy Lehne. The former, who is a two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, is a well-known poker pro and needs little introduction. Lehne, on the other hand, may not be a recognizable name among poker fans.
Lehne is actually the founder, President and CEO of SunCoast Resources, which is a petroleum distributor. Lehne founded the company with her savings of $2,000 back in 1985 when she was just 23 years old. Fast forward to 2009 and the company had more than $1.2 billion in revenue, 400 employees and was named No. 12 on 2008's Entrepreneur’s 50 Fastest-Growing Women-Led Companies.
“When I started Sun Coast Resources, I was 23 years-old and decided then and there to jump in with the sharks," Lehne said in an interview with ladieswholaunch.com. "It was a leap of faith, but the way I figured it, what in the world did I have to lose versus the prospect of a very large gain? So with a burning desire to start my own company, I invested $2,000. Once you make the final decision to take the entrepreneurial plunge, commit to it 100%.”
Needless to say, we'll be keeping an eye on both ladies as they try to navigate the male-dominated field.