Inc.:
When Kathryn Kerrigan, a former college athlete, entered the professional world, she was discouraged by the lack of stylish shoes for tall women.
At six-feet tall with a size 11 shoe, she began looking for solutions. While getting her MBA, she drafted a business plan for a company that sold dress shoes to women with larger feet — sizes 10 and above.
In 2005, Kerrigan launched her website, KathrynKerrigan.com, where other women like herself can find everything from stylish high heels to trendy flats. Kerrigan works with a craftsman in Italy to create her original designs. Her shoes can be found in boutiques nationwide and in her new flagship store, which opened this year in Libertyville, Ill.
Sales are expected to quadruple this year.
Photo by Nicole Radja.