The defining characteristics in the gilded age included individualism, urbanization, new values, art, and forms of entertainment. The Gilded Age refers to the era of rapid economic and population growth in the United States during the post?Civil War and post-Reconstruction eras of the late 19th century.
Maria has already opened the business, she has moved past the seed and development stage and has moved into the startup phase. This of course can share elements with the growth and development phase, but given that she is initiating hiring employees and the question does not mention expansion, she is in the startup phase.