Inc.’s seventh annual Female Founders list highlights entrepreneurs with world-changing companies
STARKVILLE, Miss., April 9, 2024 – Inc. today announced its seventh annual Female Founders list, honoring a bold group of 250 women whose innovations and ideas are shaping the world into a better place. Among this year’s honorees is Anna Barker, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of The Glo Companies, the Mississippi-based maker of Glo Pals, Glo Cubes and Light-Up Library.
The founders cross all industries and bring with them unique stories of success from each stage of the entrepreneurial journey, from startup to going public, being acquired by big buyers, or spending decades at the helm of an organization. They are reinventing everything from shoes to food and are challenging issues like financial literacy and reproductive health.
“Glo started as a student project, and every step since then has been about making things that bring a little more light into a family’s day,” said Barker. “Being named to this list alongside so many women I admire is humbling. This recognition belongs to our whole team, and to the parents and kids who have welcomed Glo Pals into their homes.”
Barker co-founded Glo with Hagan Walker while the two were students at Mississippi State University, and she has led the company’s brand, design and creative direction from the beginning. Under her creative leadership, Glo Pals, the water-activated light-up sensory toy, has grown from a hometown idea into a product found in more than 60 countries, with more than 10 million units sold.
Beyond the flagship product, Barker has guided the company’s expansion into new categories, including Light-Up Library, a line of interactive children’s books, and the launch of Glo Fulfillment, which now provides warehousing and shipping services to other brands. She also leads a distributed creative team across Mississippi, Alabama and beyond, and has helped build the culture that earned The Glo Companies a spot on Fast Company’s list of the Best Workplaces for Innovators.
Each year, Inc. editors review thousands of applications highlighting female founders who are challenging the status quo and tackling some of the world’s biggest problems. The list features women who have overcome challenges and lifted those around them, while leading impactful organizations across the country. They join the ranks of previous honorees including Jessica Alba, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rihanna, and Shonda Rhimes.
“The past year, for many, will go down as one of the hardest ever, between a funding freeze and ad-spending pull back,” said Diana Ransom, Inc. Executive Editor. “The female founders on this year’s list are a testament to what triumph over adversity looks like. They should all be proud of this singular accomplishment.”
To see the complete list, go to inc.com/female-founders.
After launching in 2018, the Female Founders list is one of Inc.’s most esteemed franchises. Inc. magazine’s Female Founders issue (April 2024) will be available online on April 9 at inc.com/magazine and on newsstands on April 16. Join the Female Founders conversation using #FemaleFounders.
About Inc.
The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning, multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels, including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion among the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
About The Glo Companies
The Glo Companies is a children’s sensory toy and interactive content company headquartered in Starkville, Mississippi, with additional offices in Birmingham, Alabama. Its brands include Glo Pals, the water-activated light-up bath toy; Glo Cubes; and Light-Up Library. Through Glo Fulfillment, the company also provides warehousing and fulfillment services to other brands. Learn more at glo.co.
Media Contact
Cecilia Wood, Communications Manager
pr@glo.co
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