Editor’s note: This story was made possible through a sponsorship with the New Economy Initiative, a philanthropic collaboration and special project of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan working to build a regional network of support for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Detroiter Meagan Ward comes from a lineage of entrepreneurs, including a grandfather who ran a meat packing and distribution business that helped put her mother through college.
Those experiences shaped the 34-year-old’s approach to business and her desire to create opportunities for other women.
“For me, the question was, ‘How do I become an entrepreneur on my own terms?’” said Ward, who grew up in Detroit’s Grandmont Rosedale community. “I’ve seen my family do it in different ways, but I wanted to build something authentic to me.”
Ward began that journey at 22 providing freelance website design and branding services through a consulting firm – an endeavor that helped finance her college education.
Now founder and CEO of Femology, Ward went on to build a career centered on supporting female entrepreneurs, particularly through business ventures in Detroit and Japan.
Femology’s four-person team offers programs to help women entrepreneurs navigate barriers to funding, resources and other industry access points. Recently, Ward launched a new suite of services through a partnership with Michigan Central that she hopes will open up even more opportunities.
In October, with help from the Ford Motor Company initiative focused on innovation, Ward launched the Female Founder School. The program provides technical assistance to women to help turn business ideas into legitimate ventures or scale their existing businesses.
With 37 women in its first cohort, the year-long immersive program aims to equip participants with knowledge, funding opportunities and mentorship. The curriculum includes workshops, strategic programming, networking events and more.
“We’ve designed this program from the ground up, studying various models to ensure it truly meets the needs of women at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey,” Ward said. “We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Women should have the ability to define their own success.”
Fostering innovation
Clarinda Barnett-Harrison, Michigan Central’s director of talent development and programming, played a key role in the partnership. Ward’s company is among the organizations that Michigan Central collaborates with to help underrepresented founders, including Newlab and Black Tech Saturdays, Barnett-Harrison said.
“The idea of fostering inclusive innovation at Michigan Central really starts at the top. Our CEO, Josh Sirefman, emphasized that this should be part of our ethos — not just in words but through infrastructure and investment,” said Barnett-Harrison.
Under the partnership, Michigan Central sponsors Femology’s third-floor headquarters in the former train depot in Corktown and its events and engagement opportunities for women interested in tech. It also provides on-site access resources to Femology and the individuals participating in its cohort.
“We didn’t want to replicate other tech and innovation districts where women and people of color are underrepresented,” she said.
Barnett-Harrison first connected with Ward in 2023, and the entrepreneur expressed interest in becoming a member of Newlab. At the time, Michigan Central launched a Community Builder in Residence initiative to identify and support underrepresented founders.
Recognizing Ward’s ongoing work in building a community of women founders — both in Detroit and internationally — Michigan Central brought her on as one of the first Community Builders in Residence.
The Female Founder School, she said, was the product of “thinking intently about how we bring in partners already doing important work” to support underrepresented founders.
People ‘who get it’
Angela Chi, founder of the Chinese food pop-up experience Chi Fan Le, joined Female Founder School in October to find a community of support and expand her entrepreneurial knowledge.
“The journey of building your own business can be really isolating at times,” she said. “Even if we’re not building the same business, it’s nice being around people who get it.”
Through an application-based process, the founder school collects data on participating entrepreneurs to tailor resources and educational content that aligns with their specific goals.
In November 2024, the program surveyed participants on their learning needs and incorporated the feedback into workshop topics, including investor pitching, branding, and go-to-market strategies.
Ward said the program’s mentorship is a crucial part of its design. Participants receive one-on-one advisory sessions with industry leaders in finance, legal strategy, funding, and business growth.
“These are hand-picked advisors who are deeply invested in moving the needle for women entrepreneurs,” she said. “We want to make sure that founders are refining their pitch structure, pricing models and strategic plans with the help of experts who understand Detroit’s business landscape and the unique challenges women face.”
Chi emphasized that the program has pushed her beyond her comfort zone.
“To reach that next level, I have to think way beyond what is comfortable or tangible for me in this moment,” said Chi, who highlighted the value of the mentorship and workshops, particularly discussions on pitching and structuring a business at different stages. “Hearing both early-stage founders and those further along ask questions has been really helpful.”
April Olson, a Detroit-based entrepreneur and owner of Olivate, an app similar to the language learning tool Duolingo, has been in the program since September. Olson’s application has not yet launched.
The school offers two pathways: “Start,” which represents the beginning phase of the work and visioning and the “Scale” pathway, designed for women entrepreneurs who have already built a strong foundation and are aiming to expand.
Olson learned of the founder school at Michigan Tech Week. She was new to the tech startup world and saw the program as an opportunity to build connections and gain insight. She applied immediately and was accepted.
Helping women thrive
Ward was inspired to create Femology in 2017 as a way to transform her family’s future through business ownership. She launched the company as an independent entity without initial government or corporate support.
Her commitment to advancing female entrepreneurship eventually took her beyond Detroit. In her late 20s, Ward became an appointed speaker for the U.S. Department and Embassies, which became an ally in her mission to expand opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
After she spent time working with entrepreneurs in Japan, Ward made her return to Detroit’s entrepreneurial scene in 2023, becoming one of the first tenants at Michigan Central. The experience renewed her commitment to supporting female founders.
She has emphasized the need for more resources for women entrepreneurs, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds and has sought partnerships to create lasting impact.
Women have historically been excluded from entrepreneurship, making up only 3% of those receiving venture capital funding, according to a 2023 analysis by PitchBook.
Ward envisions the Femology-Michigan Central partnership as a worldwide model.
As for the future, Barnett-Harrison expressed optimism about the impact of the Female Founder School, which is set to hold its “Demo Day” in June, showcasing the work of women in tech and providing connections to potential funders, partners and customers. It will be open to the public.
This summer, Femology will host a golf class, teaching women how to use the game as a landscape for negotiating business deals and advancing influence.
Ultimately, Ward says, it’s about “collaboration and seeing women go as far as they can without glass ceilings or barriers.”