Don’t categorize me as a woman entrepreneur; I’m simply an entrepreneur. Identities of women student entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurship education increasingly serves as an identity workspace for young individuals to cultivate entrepreneurial identities. Despite research on gender's impact on entrepreneurship and identity construction, there is limited understanding of women student entrepreneurs and how gender influences their entrepreneurial journey. This gap is significant, as these women occupy a unique intersection of identities, facing fewer family obligations and less work experience compared to older entrepreneurs, which shapes their path. Gender disparities in social, human, and financial capital further complicate their entrepreneurial identity development. Women student entrepreneurs must navigate masculine norms, which challenge their legitimacy and access to support. This study explores how the entrepreneurial experiences of women student entrepreneurs, through the lens of gender, challenge and reshape their identities. Using qualitative focus-group interviews with 20 French women student entrepreneurs, we examine the liminal phase where they are neither fully students nor fully entrepreneurs, prompting ongoing identity reconstruction. Their gender is often set aside to focus on their projects, but as they navigate this liminal space, they develop strategies to resist gender constraints. Financial success marks their incorporation into entrepreneurial legitimacy.