Contributed by Alexi Cashen, an EO San Francisco member who is CEO and co-founder of Elenteny Imports, co-founder of St. Hildie’s Botonica, and host of The Alexi Cashen Podcast.

The progress women in leadership have made over the past decade is energizing and generates hope and excitement for the future of female entrepreneurs. This historic shift is evidenced in a report published by Women Business Collaborative, C200 and Catalyst, which announced that the number of women CEOs has risen from 6 percent in 2019 to a projected 8.2 percent by February 2021.

It is humbling to be a part of the growing group of female CEOs and entrepreneurs—or “femmepreneurs,” as some call us—in the beverage alcohol industry. As co-founder and CEO of Elenteny Imports, a B2B freight forwarding logistics company, and co-founder and chief revenue officer of St. Hildie’s Botonica Spiked Tincture Tonics, I have been honing my business acumen for the past 19 years while working in the food, wine, and spirits industry.