Business magazine Inc. has identified the 10 fastest growing women-owned and run US companies. The publication is an attempt to illustrate the major impact women are having on the US economy.

According to Inc. nearly 10.4 million firms are owned by women, employing more than 12.8 million people, and generating $1.9 trillion in sales in 2004.

Interestingly, their top 10 features 4 women who run internet, computer and software technology related businesses:

No 1. Zorch. Nicole Loftus.
Zorch is an on-line portal from which corporations can purchase promotional merchandise. Many may have doubted that selling mugs, caps or t-shirts would be a million dollar business, but Loftus, Zorch's CEO and founder, proved them wrong with revenues amounting to $23 million in the past year.

Loftus began her career at Levi Strauss and from there moved on to Corporate Express Inc. in their promotional products division. She is an advocate of women in business projects, by being member of organisations such as the Women Presidents Organization, Entrepreneur’s Organization and the White House Project, a non-partisan, non-profit organization aiming to advance women’s leadership.

No 2. Legacy Resource Corporation. Chiquita R. Young.

Legacy provides facilities and information management and security support services to government agencies. Young is Legacy's Founder and President. She started the company after gaining experience in the government sector, a career she reportedly picked because of her mom's rule that she could work anywhere, as long as it was within the state of Tennessee. Legacy had 2007 revenues of $13.6 million and ranks at No. 57 on this year's Inc. 500 list.

No 3. Creig Technologies. Carol Creig.
The firm is an IT services firm, specialising in engineering. Carol, rather ambitiously, fulfils the roles of  President, CEO, CFO and Senior Software Engineer of Creig Technologies. In 2008, Carol was selected as the “Space Coast Outstanding Woman Engineer” of the year.

No. 9 Earth Resources Technology. Jingly Jang.  The company is a  provider of IT support services to clients like NASA and NOAA.  Jingly Jang,  co-founder of ERT, former CERT's President, and current CEO of ERT,  expects 2008 revenues to double to $50 million.