The 15 Fastest-Growing Women-Led Companies

Thirty-One Gifts ranks as the fastest-growing woman-owned company in the world. Based in Columbus, Ohio, it is a direct seller of purses, totes, fashion accessories, and organizing solutions. Monroe, founder and chief executive, started the company in her basement in 2003.

Strategic Communications is a Louisville, Kentucky-based provider of technology services. Run by Mills, it ranks second this year.

WDS, Inc., an international warehousing, distribution, and inventory management company based in Lake Wylie, South Carolina, rounds out the top three.

Ressler founded Cenergy in 1996, working from her home office in New Orleans. By 2001, Cenergy had outgrown Ressler's home and moved into its first office in the Central Business District. Today, Cenergy is based in Houston, Texas, and has over 1,300 field consultants, working in 17 countries and on every continent except Antarctica.

Based in Gurnee, Illinois, and with over 250 locations nationwide, BrightStar offices help keep parents and grandparents in the comfort and familiarity of their own homes, as well as assisting parents with their childcare needs. Sun is a regular on this list, ranking No. 1 in 2011 and 2012.

Erkunt Tractor Industries was launched in 2003 in Ankara, Turkey. Within a year, the company produced Turkey's first domestically designed tractors. As of today, Erkunt produces 65 different tractor models. Erkunt-Armagan, who is the only female CEO of a tractor company in the world, has been in the manufacturing industry for more than 24 years.

Tower Legal Solutions is a full-service legal staffing company based in New York City. Leslie Firtell is a 17-year veteran and pioneer of the legal staffing industry and an attorney herself. Seeing the limitations of the traditional staffing model, she founded Tower Legal Solutions in 2007 and has since seen explosive growth.

Morning Star Financial Services is a financial management firm based in Golden Valley, Minnesota. It provides fiscal intermediary and administrative services for individuals with disabilities and the elderly in Tennessee, Ohio, Utah, Oklahoma, and in Minnesota via Orion ISO. Thomley serves as president and CEO of Orion Associates; Meridian Services, Incorporated; Zenith Services; and Orion Intermediary Services Organization.

Kim has been involved in the fashion industry for more than 20 years. Her company, SungJoo Group, is based in Seoul, South Korea. Since 1990, it has successfully launched several globally renowned brands as an exclusive franchisee of Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Sonia Rykiel, and Marks & Spencer, with more than 100 direct run stores in Korea. The company has also acquired MCM's global business, distributing to more than 150 retailers in 30 countries worldwide.

Boost Technologies is based in Dayton, Ohio, and is the parent company of Shumsky and Boost Rewards. Shumsky was established in 1953 and has since been a long-standing leader in the industry. Emoff is a native of Denmark who moved to the U.S. in 1994 and founded Boost in 1999.

Wellness Corporate Solutions is a corporate wellness company based in Bethesda, Maryland. Prior to founding the company, Gathright owned a successful legal research company that served 99 of the top 100 law firms, as well as numerous investment banks. Rodman, a co-founder, is a registered dietitian and exercise physiologist who specializes in weight control, cardiovascular health, sports, and general nutrition.

2009 revenue: $692,000
2013 revenue: $12.6 million
Four-year percentage growth: 1,720.8%
Four-year absolute growth: $11.9 million

Technology Group Solutions, a certified minority- and woman-owned enterprise based in Lenexa, Kansas, is a provider of technology infrastructure and services solutions. Many of its employees are lifelong residents of the Kansas City metro area, which president/CEO Leonora Payne says fosters long-term relationships with its customers.

Cenni founded Atrium Staffing in 1995 in New York City. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin and working briefly for a national staffing firm, Cenni set out to establish a firm focused on investing in her applicants and employees. She trademarked her Applicant-CentricTM philosophy, a system that fosters higher quality associates by providing benefits normally associated with corporate employment.

Elting co-founded TransPerfect in 1992. Today, it is the world's largest privately held provider of language and business solutions. Headquartered in New York City, the company has over 85 offices in cities around the globe.

The 50 Best Employers In America >>