Global Sisters
Global Sisters is a Sydney-based not-for-profit founded in 2013 that delivers free business education, coaching, and marketplace programs to 6,000+ women across Australia and New Zealand, funded by corporate, philanthropic, and government partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersSydney, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Global Sisters does
Global Sisters is a Sydney-headquartered not-for-profit organization founded in 2013 by Mandy Richards to provide free business support programs for women in Australia, particularly those facing barriers to mainstream employment including domestic violence survivors, solo mothers, women 50+, refugees and migrants, and women with disabilities. The organization delivers a sequenced lifecycle of programs through its digital Sister Portal, including My Big Idea (ideation), Sister School (launch readiness), First 10 Customers (one-on-one coaching), and Coaching Circles (peer group coaching), supplemented by Financial Pathways, Legal Advice via MinterEllison referral, Specialised Sister Support, and a national Marketplace for product sales. Operating across Australia and New Zealand with regional hub presence in Geelong and Armidale, Global Sisters has supported over 6,000 women since inception and contributes to 8 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The business model is grant-and-partnership funded rather than fee-based: revenue streams comprise philanthropic grants (Paul Ramsay Foundation, AMP Foundation, Snow Foundation, Citi Foundation, Google.org), corporate partnerships (Visa, Afterpay, Unilever, eBay, Meta, MECCA Brands, THE ICONIC, Bunnings, American Express), and government funding (DSS, NSW Office for Women), with material cost offset from pro bono professional services by MinterEllison, KPMG, dentsu, HubSpot and Optus. All programs are provided free to beneficiaries. The organization is expanding its mission scope through the Little Green Houses initiative, partnering with Aspect Design Studios and Citi Foundation to deliver energy-efficient modular homes on low-interest mortgages as a pathway to home ownership for vulnerable women. Sister Pitch (annual pitch competition) and regional hub events are key engagement mechanisms connecting beneficiaries with corporate partners and investors.
Global Sisters firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Global Sisters
- Legal name
- Global Sisters
- Website
- https://globalsisters.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Global Sisters is a Sydney-based not-for-profit founded in 2013 that delivers free business education, coaching, and marketplace programs to 6,000+ women across Australia and New Zealand, funded by corporate, philanthropic, and government partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Global Sisters industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Women Entrepreneurship Support Services
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking Foundations (813211), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO)
Keywords
Where Global Sisters is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sydney
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Global Sisters business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Grants and Donations: Funding from foundations and individual donors including Paul Ramsay Foundation, AMP Foundation, Snow Foundation, and others to support program delivery
- Corporate Partnerships: Support from corporate partners including Google, Afterpay, Unilever, Visa, eBay who provide funding, pro bono services, and in-kind support
- Government Funding: Funding from federal and state government sources including DSS, NSW Government Office for Women to deliver specific programs
- Pro Bono Professional Services: Free professional services from partners including MinterEllison (legal), KPMG (accounting), dentsu (marketing) enabling service delivery at no cost to beneficiaries
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free programs for all women |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Global Sisters product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Global Sisters is a not-for-profit that provides free business support programs to women in Australia seeking to start or grow micro businesses. The offering spans the full business lifecycle — from ideation workshops (My Big Idea) and launch readiness training (Sister School) to one-on-one coaching (First 10 Customers), group coaching (Coaching Circles), financial education, legal referral advice, and marketplace access via the Back Her Brilliance directory. All programs are delivered free of charge through the Sister Portal digital platform and are funded by philanthropic, corporate, and government partners.
Product overview
Global Sisters is a not-for-profit organization providing a comprehensive lifecycle of free business support programs for women in Australia. The offering is a platform-plus-modules architecture centered around the Sister Portal, which provides on-demand access to educational programs (My Big Idea, Sister School, First 10 Customers, Coaching Circles, Workshops & Events), specialized support services (Legal Advice, Specialised Sister Support, Financial Pathways), and community connection. Additional modules include the Marketplace platform for national product sales, the BackHerBrilliance directory connecting women-led businesses with corporate buyers, and the Little Green Houses initiative addressing housing insecurity. Programs are available in multiple formats (self-guided, live group, one-on-one coaching) and are delivered digitally nationwide for free.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Back Her Brilliance: A free national directory designed to connect women-led micro businesses with conscious consumers and corporations who want to buy with purpose.
- Little Green Houses
Products and services
- My Big Idea A workshop program to find or test the 'big idea' for starting a business, available in self-guided and live formats including 'Find Your Business Idea' and 'Test Your Business Idea' workshops. For women at the ideation stage of business.
- Sister School A business launch readiness program that guides women through creating a business plan, providing tools, knowledge and confidence to launch and reach first customers. Offered in facilitated and self-guided formats.
- First 10 Customers A 12-week online program providing one-on-one business coaching with a dedicated business coach to help refine products or services, test market fit, and define business models. For women who have launched and want to acquire their first customers.
- Coaching Circles Small group coaching delivered over 4 weeks, focusing on specific business areas or industries with weekly meetings and an expert coach.
- Workshops & Events Online workshops and events designed for women at all stages of business, offering business insights, expert tips and engaging topics.
- Tailored Programs Exclusive partner-funded programs including Solo Mums in Business and Inclusive Programs, offering specialized support for specific groups of women such as solo mothers and women with disabilities.
- Marketplace A national online marketplace connecting women-led micro businesses with consumers and companies committed to ethical purchasing. Provides national product exposure for Sisters.
- Financial Pathways A 2-week live group program focusing on understanding business finances, articulating financial goals, and developing financial roadmaps. Includes financial products and services designed for micro business.
- Legal Advice Free legal business referral advice for Sisters through a legal referral helpline, connecting women with specialized free legal support via trusted partner network.
- Specialised Sister Support Tailored business support connecting Sisters with specialized support through a trusted partner network based on specific needs.
- Back Her Brilliance A free national directory linking Australia's women-led micro businesses with companies committed to better buying practices, providing full support from enrollment to delivery.
- Little Green Houses A groundbreaking housing initiative offering energy-efficient modular homes through low-interest mortgages to help women achieve home ownership and financial independence. Purpose-built modular homes for vulnerable women, produced at scale.
- Sister Pitch An annual pitching event connecting women-led micro businesses with established companies for mentorship, funding, and business support opportunities.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 6000 Australian women supported since inception
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Global Sisters
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Global Sisters technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Global Sisters partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- UnilevermajorCorporate partner supporting women entrepreneurs through mentoring, market access, and promotional opportunities.
- eBaymajorMarketplace partner providing platform access and support for women-led micro businesses to reach customers.
- MinterEllisoncorePro bono legal partner providing free legal business referral advice through their legal referral helpline for Sisters.
- KPMGcorePro bono professional services partner supporting accounting, audit, and advisory services.
- dentsucoreMarketing and communications partner providing pro bono services and supporting Sister Pitch events with brand development and creative support.
- HubSpotminorTechnology partner providing marketing and CRM tools to support Global Sisters operations.
- OptusminorTechnology and communications partner providing pro bono support.
- MECCA BrandsmajorBeauty retailer partnering with Global Sisters through Kip&Co collaboration to elevate women in business with free coaching accelerator.
- MetamajorCorporate partner pledging support at Sister Pitch 2024 for women-led micro businesses.
- THE ICONICmajorFashion e-commerce partner supporting women entrepreneurs at Sister Pitch events.
- BunningsmajorRetail partner providing stockist opportunities for Sisters at Sister Pitch 2024.
- Aspect Design StudioscoreArchitecture partner co-designing modular homes for Little Green Houses initiative, purpose-built for vulnerable women that can be produced at scale.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Global Sisters competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- YWCA Australia: Australian not-for-profit focused on women's empowerment and economic participation through advocacy, housing, and support services. Directly comparable mission addressing similar barriers facing women including domestic violence, homelessness, and economic insecurity.
- Opportunity International Australia: Australian microfinance organization providing financial services and training to women entrepreneurs in developing countries. Direct peer in women-focused economic empowerment with similar program architecture and beneficiary profile; notably Global Sisters' COO Heather Thomson previously worked here.
- Many Rivers Microfinance: Australian microfinance organization providing small business loans and support to disadvantaged entrepreneurs, particularly women. Comparable in supporting micro-business creation with mentoring and capital access; co-founded by Global Sisters' COO Heather Thomson.
- First Australians Capital: Indigenous-led impact investment and business support organization in Australia. Direct peer sharing the $1M AMP Foundation grant with Global Sisters; comparable focus on entrepreneurship for underrepresented populations and parallel funding ecosystem.
- Cherie Blair Foundation for Women: International foundation supporting women entrepreneurs in low and middle income countries through mentoring, training, and market access. Comparable comprehensive lifecycle support for women-led micro businesses with global footprint and corporate partner ecosystem.
- Global Fund for Women: International foundation supporting women's rights and economic justice through grants to women-led organizations. Comparable in funding model and gender equality mission; similar grantmaking role but operating more as a funder than direct service provider.
Emerging players
- Counted: Australian-based impact platform enabling businesses and consumers to support women through counting purchases and donations. Comparable Australian women's economic empowerment focus with tech-enabled marketplace model overlapping with Back Her Brilliance.
- Female Founders Fund: Organization supporting female entrepreneurs through community, education, and capital access. Comparable in ecosystem-building approach for women entrepreneurs but more venture-capital focused versus Global Sisters' micro-business and humanitarian focus.
Broad incumbents
- Women for Women International: Global nonprofit supporting women survivors of war and conflict through vocational training, mentoring, and economic empowerment. Comparable comprehensive lifecycle support model and women-focused economic empowerment mission at larger scale.
Others
- Save the Children Australia: Major international NGO operating in Australia with women's and children's programs. Indirect peer with comparable vulnerable population focus; Global Sisters' National Programs Lead Jo Audley previously worked with newly arrived women and children at Save the Children.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Global Sisters social profiles
Digital presenceGlobal Sisters financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Global Sisters leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Global Sisters funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Global Sisters M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Global Sisters
What does Global Sisters do?
Global Sisters is a not-for-profit that provides free business support programs to women in Australia seeking to start or grow micro businesses. The offering spans the full business lifecycle — from ideation workshops (My Big Idea) and launch readiness training (Sister School) to one-on-one coaching (First 10 Customers), group coaching (Coaching Circles), financial education, legal referral advice, and marketplace access via the Back Her Brilliance directory. All programs are delivered free of charge through the Sister Portal digital platform and are funded by philanthropic, corporate, and government partners.
Is Global Sisters a public or private company?
Global Sisters is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Global Sisters founded?
Global Sisters was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Global Sisters based?
Global Sisters is headquartered in Sydney, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Global Sisters make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Philanthropic Grants and Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Partnerships, government Funding and pro Bono Professional Services.
Who are Global Sisters's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are YWCA Australia, Opportunity International Australia, Many Rivers Microfinance, First Australians Capital, Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and Global Fund for Women. Emerging players are Counted and Female Founders Fund. Women for Women International is listed as a broad incumbent. Save the Children Australia is listed as an others.
Does Global Sisters have an API?
No public API is recorded for Global Sisters.
What industry is Global Sisters in?
Global Sisters's product category is Women Entrepreneurship Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAF, Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment, with a secondary code of EDADALAB, International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs. Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8200.