Damsel in Defense was founded in 2011 by Mindy Lin and Bethany Hughes to provide non-lethal self-defense products to empower women. Their product line includes stun guns and pepper sprays. They have experienced rapid growth, reaching $1.7 million in annual sales by the end of 2012. Lin and Hughes were recently named the 2013 National Association of Women Business Owners Up & Coming Business Woman of the Year for creating a company with a mission of educating and protecting women.