Debra Freitas, CEO and co-founder of Light Source Communications (LSC), has been named to Inc.’s 2026 Female Founders 500, the publication announced this week.
The list spotlights women business leaders across the United States whose bold ideas, resilience, and execution are shaping the future of their industries, Inc. said, with honorees collectively generating about $12.3 billion in 2025 revenue and having raised roughly $12.2 billion to date.
LSC, which builds and operates underground dark fiber networks for hyperscalers, neoclouds, and enterprises, framed the recognition as validation of its growing role in supporting AI, machine learning, and other high‑performance computing applications.
“A powerful validation,” Freitas described the award, noting that dark fiber provides the literal foundation for others to innovate and praising her team for its technical execution and partnership-building.
The Inc. selection process combines quantitative metrics with qualitative factors such as innovation and social impact; advisors and executives, including Patty Arvielo, Tiffany Dufu, and Joy Mangano, helped refine the list.
Freitas has led LSC through a sustained expansion, the company said, directing the build of new metro rings in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Tulsa, Kansas City, and Indianapolis, plus a long-haul dark fiber route connecting Tulsa to St. Louis.
LSC describes itself as a carrier-neutral, customer-agnostic provider of underground fiber designed for secure, high‑capacity workloads. The company also highlighted strategic hires of veteran leaders to support its ambitious growth plan, and noted past accolades such as the TITAN Women in Business Awards in 2025 and Stevie Awards recognizing Freitas as a top female CEO and LSC as Company of the Year in the small business services category.
Some AI tools assisted in crafting this report, Broadband Communities editor Brad Randall noted in the piece.
