In 2025, Maranhão also had two national winners of the Sebrae Business Woman Award. Disclosure/Sebrae Maranhão ranked 3rd in Brazil in the number of entries completed in the Sebrae Business Woman Award 2026. In total, 650 entrepreneurs from the state applied for the award, which recognizes stories of women leading businesses in different areas. With the result, Maranhão also led the Northeast ranking. In the country, the state was second only to São Paulo and Minas Gerais. ?Download the g1 app to see MA news in real time and for free According to the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (Sebrae) in Maranhão, growth was 48% compared to 2025. In the previous edition, the state had registered 438 completed applications. In 2025, Maranhão also had two national winners. Vilena Ribeiro Silva won in the Science and Technology category, and Camila Policarpo was champion in the Individual Microentrepreneur (MEI) category.
Maranhão is the 3rd state in Brazil with the most entries in the Sebrae Business Woman Award 2026
In 2025, Maranhão also had two national winners of the Sebrae Business Woman Award. Disclosure/Sebrae Maranhão ranked 3rd in Brazil in the number of entries completed in the Sebrae Business Woman Award 2026. In total,...
The increase in the number of registrations accompanies the growth of female presence in entrepreneurship in Maranhão. Today, more than 145,000 small businesses in the state are run by women. The number represents more than 40% of small businesses in Maranhão. The activities of these entrepreneurs have been driven by the search for financial independence, innovation and creation of opportunities. Furthermore, businesses led by women help to move the economy and generate income in municipalities. In 2025, Maranhão also had two national winners in the Sebrae Business Woman Award Divulgação/Sebrae São Luís had the largest number of applications São Luís concentrated the largest volume of applications in the state, with 131 applications. After the capital, the highest numbers were recorded in Caxias, with 86 registrations, and in the Lençóis-Munim region, with 81. There was also significant participation by entrepreneurs from Açailândia, with 50 registrations; Pinheiro, with 48; Chapadinha, with 43; Empress, with 39; Grajaú, with 37; Presidente Dutra and Santa Inês, with 36 each; Ferries, with 32; and Bacabal, with 31. The candidates compete in the Individual Microentrepreneur (MEI), Small Business, Rural Producer, Science and Technology and International Business categories. According to Sebrae Maranhão, the distribution of registrations shows the presence of women in sectors such as commerce, industry and agribusiness. For the state manager of Women's Entrepreneurship at Sebrae Maranhão, Reijane Almeida, the performance was the result of a mobilization carried out in several regions of the state. "We had an intense mobilization of Sebrae teams in all regions, who worked to raise awareness, guide and monitor entrepreneurs throughout the registration period. More than reaching significant numbers, we were able to take the PSMN to women from different municipalities, sectors and life stories", highlights Reijane. The director of Administration and Finance at Sebrae Maranhão, Édila Neves, assessed that the record shows the strength of women entrepreneurs in the state. "This result demonstrates the strength of female entrepreneurship in Maranhão and how willing our entrepreneurs are to share their stories of overcoming, innovation and success. More than numbers, this performance represents women who transform their realities, generate employment, income and contribute to the development of their territories", adds Édila Neves. Award values ??stories of female entrepreneurs In 2025, Maranhão also had two national winners in the Sebrae Business Woman Award Disclosure/Sebrae The Sebrae Business Woman Award was created to recognize women who transformed challenges into successful businesses. The award highlights trajectories linked to leadership, innovation and social impact. In addition to giving visibility to entrepreneurs, the award helps to expand the participants' network of contacts, strengthens local companies and can open paths for new opportunities for training and growth.
