“It’s funny how you can pick a topic that seems like it’s about one thing and it’s really about everything,” said Debra Michals, chair and associate professor of Merrimack College’s humanities department and author of the recently published “She’s the Boss: The Rise of Women’s Entrepreneurship since World War II.”
“This story is about people,” she continued, “human beings trying to survive, thrive, maximize their talents, care for their family and change the politics of their country.”
Michals is a featured speaker representing the School of Arts and Sciences at this year’s Tolle Lege ceremony. The annual event, hosted by the McQuade Library, celebrates students, faculty and staff who published works over the previous year. In 2025, 108 Warriors published 204 pieces. This includes full books; chapter contributions; web, magazine and academic articles; conference papers and posters.
“When they asked me (to speak), I was honored,” Michals said. “I’m excited, but I’m also a little nervous. I have no trouble talking to people I don’t know about this book, but I’ll be speaking to my peers and my friends, people who mean so much to me.”
Michals is no stranger to publishing. She previously contributed to academic works in the past and worked as a business journalist before entering academia. “She’s the Boss,” however, is the first book she’s written all on her own.
“The reception has been lovely,” she said. “The National Association of Women Business Owners was promoting the book and I was on their podcast. I’ll be going back to my alma mater, New York University, where I did my doctorate, for Women’s History Month. They’ll be hosting an event for the book.”
Michals was inspired to research the topic after learning about the ongoing boom of women-owned businesses in the United States. The U.S. The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship reported women founded a record-high 49 percent of all new businesses in 2024.
“I found myself thinking, ‘Where did all this start?’,” Michals recalled. “That’s how I landed in World War II. The war was ending and women were getting pushed out of jobs. It was the first time the government and women leaders actively encouraged women to start businesses of their own.”
Through her research, she learned about pioneers such as Jane Todd, the first female deputy commerce commissioner of New York state. According to Michals, she was the driving force for helping large numbers of women start businesses after WWII.
“She’s such a fascinating character,” Michals said. “She comes from the suffrage movement. Now, in the 1940s, she used her appointment to create a program to cultivate women-owned businesses. My favorite story is that her office would get 750 calls a day from women all across the country asking how they can start their own businesses.”
One of Michals’ favorite chapters in “She’s the Boss” covers the rise of feminist businesses starting in the 1960s.
“They started everything from credit unions, banks, mechanics, health centers, art galleries and publishing companies,” she explained. “The language they used showed these businesses were more than just businesses. I call it revolutionary entrepreneurship.”
