Female Entrepreneurship Is on the Rise (Infographic) Women are becoming business owners at higher rates -- but there's still a ways to go.

By Rose Leadem

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

RoBeDeRo | Getty Images

Women are founding companies at a historic rate, with more than 9 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. today.

Over the past 15 years, these women-owned firms have grown at a rate 1.5 times other small businesses and are estimated to provide more than 5 million jobs by 2018.

Related: 5 Powerful Rules for Women Entrepreneurs to Live By

There's still a long way to go though -- female-led businesses only make up 30 percent of companies around the world. There's much opportunity ahead -- businesses with at least one female executive team member are more likely to receive higher valuations in their first round of fundraising.

Eventbrite co-founder and CEO Julia Hartz and Sunrun's Lynn Jurich are among the many successful female entrepreneurs from around the world. Check out USC Marshall's infographic below to learn more about the rise of female entrepreneurs.

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Rose Leadem is a freelance writer for Entrepreneur.com. 

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