Inc.'s annual Female Founders list celebrates the nation's most innovative women entrepreneurs, who collectively generated approximately $12.3 billion in 2025
MILL VALLEY, Calif., March 12, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Allison Messner, CEO and Co-Founder of Yardzen, is honored to be named to Inc.'s 2026 Female Founders 500, an annual list honoring the most dynamic women business leaders in the United States. The list recognizes founders whose bold ideas, resilience, and execution are shaping the future of their industries. Under Messner's leadership, Yardzen reimagines how homeowners design and build outdoor spaces.
The 2026 Female Founders honorees collectively generated approximately $12.3 billion in 2025 revenue and $12.2 billion in funding to date, underscoring the economic impact of women-led businesses across sectors.
Each year, Inc. editors evaluate applications through a rigorous, multi-round selection process. Founders are assessed on both quantitative performance metrics, including revenue growth, funding, sales, and audience size, as well as qualitative factors such as innovation, social impact, and brand momentum. The final list represents entrepreneurs who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and measurable progress over the past year. Previous honorees have included such game-changing leaders as Billie Jean King, Sallie Krawcheck, Serena Williams, and Emma Grede — all of whom have transformed their industries and broken barriers along the way.
"To be recognized among such an incredible group of women is truly an honor. Building a company in a traditionally male-led industry with a primarily female client has reinforced that both trusting my instincts and following the data ultimately helps us fulfill our mission of helping homeowners live better outside," said Allison Messner, CEO and Co-founder of Yardzen. "It's inspiring to be part of a growing community of women founders who are redefining industries and proving that purpose-driven companies can deliver both returns and exceptional customer experiences."
Honoree selection is also honed through the evaluation of the program's advisory board, which includes Patty Arvielo, co-founder and CEO of New American Funding; Tiffany Dufu, president of the Tory Burch Foundation; Joy Mangano, co-founder and CEO of CleanBoss; Michelle Cordeiro Grant, founder and CEO of GORGIE; Sheila Lirio Marcelo, co-founder and CEO of Ohai.ai and founder of Care.com; and Melissa Mash, co-founder and CEO of Dagne Dover.
Yardzen is the leading landscape design and build platform in the United States. Founded in 2018 with the goal of helping people live better outdoors, Yardzen has transformed outdoor spaces for hundreds of thousands of clients. Today, 89% report spending an additional 24 more hours outside each month after their projects are completed.
In November 2024, Yardzen was acquired by CRH, a Fortune 500 building materials leader and the world's largest manufacturer of outdoor building materials. The acquisition positions Yardzen to accelerate growth in the $527 billion home renovation market while scaling sustainability initiatives at the core of the brand, including the American Rewilding Project, which offsets climate change by restoring regional, climate-resilient landscapes through native planting, permeable and recycled materials, water conservation, and biodiversity.
"Each year, we are increasingly amazed by the extraordinary leaders on our Inc. Female Founders 500 list," says Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc. "The honorees on this year's list include innovators in AI, beauty and wellness trendsetters winning devoted fans, and nonprofit leaders making a real impact in their communities. Together, they're showing all of us what trailblazing female leadership looks like."
Several honorees will be featured in Inc. magazine's Spring print issue, on newsstands March 17, 2026. To see the complete list of honorees, please visit: https://www.inc.com/female-founders/2026.
About Inc.
Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
About Yardzen
Founded in 2018, Yardzen is the leading online platform for landscape design and build, transforming how homeowners approach outdoor renovations. By combining best-in-class landscape design, transparent pricing, and a seamless digital and human experience, Yardzen delivers a custom design firm experience that respects clients' time budget and priorities. From its online studio to the field, Yardzen connects homeowners with professional designers and a network of vetted contractors who bring their outdoor visions to life. Named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative companies, Apartment Therapy's Changemakers, and Inc. Female Founded 100. For more information, please visit https://yardzen.com.
Media Contact
Jamie Werner, Yardzen, 1 888-927-3936, [email protected], https://yardzen.com
SOURCE Yardzen
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