Brazil reaches record number of women entrepreneurs with 10.4 million Brazilians and sector gains prominence with high impact business

The study “Female Entrepreneurship (According to the Continuous PNAD ACHR, conducted by Sebrae based on IBGE data, points out that Brazil reached the mark of 10.4 million women entrepreneurs in 2024, the largest number of the historical series and representing a growth of approximately 42% compared to 2012. Despite the advance, female participation is still below potential: although 51.7% of the working-age population is composed of women, they represent only 34.1% of female business owners in the country.

In this scenario, the trajectory of Juliana Stephani stands out as an example of how passion can become a business opportunity and a reference for innovation. Veterinary training doctor, with specializations held outside Brazil, Juliana joined two of her greatest passions, animals and travel to found PETFriendly Tourism, an agency specialized in the transport of dogs and cats.

“Women bring a humanized, detailed and innovative vision to business. The growth of female entrepreneurship in Brazil is an opportunity to show that we can occupy more and more strategic spaces and generate positive impact on the society” comments Juliana. 

The company offers complete solutions for families who need to move their pets inside and outside the country, ranging from planning and preparing routes to issuing international documents, air tickets, ground transfers, monitoring during the journey without the guardian and the marketing of essential items such as boxes and bags.

The business model has shown significant results. In 2024, PETFriendly Turismo recorded revenues of R$3.5 million, with more than 7 thousand services performed and 1.9 thousand clients served. Currently, the agency organizes an average of 70 monthly trips and projects to reach the mark of 100 trips per month by the end of 2025. For this, it bets on an expansion plan that foresees growth of 15% next year.

The founder's goal is to transform the company into a complete ecosystem, capable of offering everything that involves the transport of pets with comfort, well-being and safety. Among the new fronts under study are face-to-face support services at airports, issuing certifications and visas for tutors, as well as applications that facilitate communication with airlines.