Katelyn Bourgoin (BA’09), a public relations professional and entrepreneur, has been recognized on a list of “female influencers,” published on Forbes.com.

Bourgoin launched a freelance PR business 6 years ago; she quickly realized that she needed help, and wasn’t sure how to get it. This challenge sparked inspiration to set out to make a tool that would work as a network for women entrepreneurs, and Vendeve was born.

“It’s not about removing men from the picture so much as creating a place that really resonates with women,” explains Bourgoin in an interview with Forbes.  

“Facebook started with students, Amazon started with books. Women are the natural choice for us. We understand this target audience because we ARE this target audience. We know the pains and want to help solve them!”

Gobsmacked to make @forbes list of female influencers <3 via @forbes https://t.co/p2MGsgyHbk

— Katelyn Bourgoin (@KateBour) January 19, 2016

Read the full interview in “5 Secrets to Success For Women Starting Their Own Business” on Forbes.com.