Owner: Shelby Bills

Years in business: 59

Number of employees: 34

Percentage woman-owned: 100%

It took eight years, but Shelby Bills was able to buy out all her former partners and their interest in Graeber & Company, of which she is the CEO and full owner. She is proud of the move, which has enabled her to pursue current and future expansion plans.

She believes in supporting other women to the point that she tried to keep a recent project entirely women-led.

“Recently, I sought out to create a women-driven team for my new location purchase and full buildout,” Bills said. “I hired a female Realtor, attorney, designer, architect, marketing firm for our rebrand and, originally, had a female lender. However, at the last minute, we had to pivot.”

Bills stated she’s had to work extra hard to overcome the challenges of being a woman in the business world and to be taken seriously, allowing her to create a path for future stakeholders in the company.