2 Birmingham businesswomen make Inc.’s 2023 Female Founders list

Birmingham’s honorees for Inc.’s 2023 Female Founders list. Dr. Dionne Mahaffey (left) and Lindsay Davis (right). (Dionne Mahaffey/ Spartan Investors on Facebook)

Today, Inc. announced its sixth annual Female Founders list highlighting 200 women whose ideas and innovations are shaping the future and setting an example for aspiring businesswomen.

Two of these women, Dr. Dionne Mahaffey and Lindsay Davis, are Birmingham natives making big change in our city.

Inc.’s Female Founders 200

Each year, Inc. reviews thousands of applications honoring female founders across the nation who represent world-changing companies. The list features women who have challenged the status quo and uplifted others on the way.

Dr. Dionne Mahaffey

Female Founders 200 honoree Dr. Dionne Mahaffey. (Dionne Mahaffey)

Dr. Dionne Mahaffey is an I/O psychologist and psychotherapist originally hailing from Birmingham. A graduate of West High School and Auburn University, Mahaffey has a unique career that spans technology, mental health and entrepreneurship.

After working for over 30 years in software development and engineering in Atlanta, her work in psychology began as a business psychologist assisting tech stakeholders. A jack-of-all-trades, Mahaffey is also a tech startup founder and entrepreneur who was recently featured on QVC. Her father, who was a well-known jeweler in Birmingham for over 25 years, taught her much of what she knows about business and work ethic.

“A lot of what I know about entrepreneurship and hard work, I learned growing up at home in Birmingham. I firmly believe that entrepreneurship and innovation are guided by a higher power. As the founder of Culture Greetings, Be Mindful Socially and Roots to Branches, my consistent goal is to empower people to remain connected and to be the best version of themselves. I’m thankful for the opportunity to bring my ideas to life and proud to be a problem-solver.”

Last year she was also named in the Forbes Next 1000 list. A mental health advocate and practitioner, entrepreneur and tech developer, she stands among other exceptional women who represent innovation and diversity.

Lindsay Davis

CEO Lindsay Davis. (Spartan Invest on Facebook)

Birmingham’s Lindsay Davis is the co-founder and CEO of Spartan Invest. As well as making Inc.’s Female Founders list, Davis’s company has ranked on Inc.’s Fast-Growing Companies list for 8 years since 2013.

Davis got her start in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Shortly after graduating from the University of Alabama, her and co-founder at the time Clayton Mobley left their corporate jobs and began their real estate company in a tiny office by the Tuscaloosa courthouse.

Since then, the company has grown exponentially. Davis now manages over 1,800 rental properties and over $25 million in assets. Davis is no stranger to awards– she has been recognized by the Birmingham Business Journal as one of the decade’s top 40 Under 40 and received several awards from the Stevie Awards for Women in Business including International Woman of the Year and Female Executive of the year.

Want to check out the full list of 200 Female Founders? Click the link here.

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