Women Executive Channel Advisory Network

What Women Executive Channel Advisory Network does

Women Executive Channel Advisory Network (WECAN) is a US-based, private not-for-profit organization founded in 2019 in Las Vegas by Microsoft executives Kate Johnson and Lani Phillips to address the documented gender gap in technology leadership, where women hold roughly 16% of senior roles and 10% of executive positions in the industry. The organization operates a professional network and educational platform anchored in Microsoft's 800,000-company channel partner ecosystem, offering structured mentorship, leadership development, and corporate advisory services aimed at elevating women into VP and C-level technology leadership positions. WECAN's product portfolio centers on the Career AcceleratHER Program (a $2,500 annual cohort offering with Office Hours and quarterly cohorts), the Inner Circle network of C-level female executives, and a $600 add-on 1:1 Executive Mentoring module, supplemented by downloadable resources such as the Cloud 9 Diversity Paper and Inclusion Quick Start Playbook.

WECAN's revenue model is sponsorship- and membership-driven. The organization sells three tiered corporate sponsorship packages — Enable at $5,000, Elevate at $10,000 (with HG Insights publicly listed at $11,700), and Empower at $25,000 — granting companies varying levels of program participation slots, brand visibility, logo placement, and seats on the WECAN Corporate Council. Disclosed sponsors include Microsoft, RedHat, Insight, HG Insights, Crayon, Ecuity Edge, and Zensa. Distribution occurs through direct enterprise sales, a WooCommerce-based online storefront, and form-based enrollment for the Career AcceleratHER waitlist. The organization is led by President Terri Stephan (formerly of Microsoft), with founder Lani Phillips now serving on the board, and is governed by a board of executive women from companies including Hitachi, Accela, UiPath, and Bank of America. WECAN holds strategic partnerships with Athena Alliance, Women in Cloud, and the WIT Network, and operates with a headcount of 11–50 against a global digital footprint with primary focus on the North American market.

Name

Women Executive Channel Advisory Network

Legal name

Women Executive Channel Advisory Network

Website

https://wecanleadtech.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WECAN is a US-based not-for-profit founded in 2019 that delivers mentorship, leadership development, and corporate advisory programs to elevate women into senior leadership roles across the technology channel partner ecosystem. It generates revenue through tiered corporate sponsorships ($5K–$25K) and its Career AcceleratHER program ($2,500 annual enrollment).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Mentorship Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAFAMAN

Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms

Education/Education Technology (EdTech) & Digital Learning/Career Guidance, College Admissions & Student Success Platforms

SECONDARYEDAMAKAA

Mentorship & Coaching (Career, Academic, Industry-Specific)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/College & Career Enrichment (Mentorship, Internships, Portfolio)

SECONDARYBPACANAA

Corporate & Leadership Development

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/Training, Learning & Development Services

SECONDARYEDABAAAC

Strategic Leadership & Business Acumen

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Leadership & Management Development

Keywords

• Women leadership programs
• Executive mentorship services
• Gender diversity advisory
• Professional development programs
• Corporate diversity sponsorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellevue

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorship Programs: WECAN generates revenue through three tiered corporate sponsorship levels: Enable ($5,000), Elevate ($10,000), and Empower ($25,000). Sponsors receive program participation slots, branding spotlights, logo placement, and corporate council membership. HG Insights sponsorship listed at $11,700 for Elevate level.
2. Career AcceleratHER Program Enrollment: Individual director-level women can join the Career AcceleratHER program for $2,500, gaining access to office hours, quarterly cohort sessions, mentorship, and networking events.
3. 1:1 Executive Mentoring: Six one-on-one mentoring sessions for Career AcceleratHER members at $600 per program, designed to help women break into senior roles in tech.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WECAN offers advisory, mentorship, and educational programs intended to elevate more women into technology leadership roles. The organization runs the Career AcceleratHER Program for director-level women featuring executive mentorship, quarterly peer cohorts, and access to the Inner Circle of C-level female tech leaders, while also offering tiered corporate sponsorships ($5K Enable, $10K Elevate, $25K Empower) that provide companies branded visibility and Corporate Council participation.

Product overview

WECAN (Women Executives Channel Advisory Network) is a professional network and educational organization offering advisory, mentorship, and leadership development programs intended to elevate women into technology leadership roles. The core offering is the Career AcceleratHER Program—a structured development initiative for director-level women featuring Office Hours with executives, confidential quarterly peer cohorts, and access to the Inner Circle network of C-level female tech leaders. The portfolio includes an add-on 1:1 Executive Mentoring module, downloadable resources (Cloud 9 Diversity Paper, Inclusion Quick Start Playbook), and three corporate sponsorship tiers (Enable at $5K, Elevate at $10K, Empower at $25K) that provide companies branded visibility, executive council participation, and scholarship support for women leaders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Career AcceleratHER Program A comprehensive career development program for mid-level and director-level women in technology, providing leadership skills training, executive mentorship from VP/C-level leaders, confidential quarterly cohorts, networking events, and peer-to-peer support. Program includes Office Hours sessions with senior executives, panel discussions, and access to the Inner Circle community of distinguished female tech executives.
• 1:1 Executive Mentoring Six one-on-one mentoring sessions with experienced executive leaders designed to help women break into senior tech roles, providing personalized strategies, leadership insights, and confidence-building for career advancement. Exclusively for Career AcceleratHER members at $600 per program.
• $5K Sponsorship – Enable Entry-level corporate sponsorship providing organization visibility through event material and website logo placement, key Office Hour event sponsorship, mentorship opportunities, and participation in the WECAN Corporate Council at $5,000 annually.
• $10K Sponsorship – Elevate Mid-level corporate sponsorship enabling organizations to invite director-level women to participate in the Career AcceleratHER program, featuring enhanced brand visibility through branded spotlights across multiple social platforms, premium logo placement, and active participation in the WECAN Corporate/Sponsor Council at $10,000 annually.
• $25K Sponsorship – Empower Premier corporate sponsorship offering the most extensive access to the Career AcceleratHER program for women leaders, highest visibility through branding spotlights, opportunity to be showcased as a Career AcceleratHER Scholarship supporter, top-tier logo placement, and influential membership in the WECAN Corporate Council at $25,000 annually.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, elevate, empower, enable and minor.

• Athena AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Strategic partner dedicated to elevating more women into the boardroom. WECAN members and companies benefit from Athena's executive development programs and community. Collaboration on providing board readiness and executive advancement opportunities for women leaders.
• RedHatelevateGTM or Marketing PartnerElevate level sponsor aligned with WECAN's vision for gender equity in technology leadership. Supports Career AcceleratHER program and corporate diversity initiatives.
• InsightelevateGTM or Marketing PartnerElevate level sponsor. President Joyce Mullen of Insight North America serves as visible supporter of WECAN mission and featured executive advocate.
• MicrosoftelevateGTM or Marketing PartnerElevate level sponsor deeply committed to enhancing diversity internally and among partners. Satya Nadella's vision for diversity aligns with WECAN's mission. Initial founding ecosystem focus for WECAN's channel partner work.
• CrayonempowerGTM or Marketing PartnerEmpower level sponsor supporting WECAN's programs for elevating women in tech leadership.
• Ecuity EdgeempowerGTM or Marketing PartnerEmpower level sponsor contributing to WECAN's mission and Career AcceleratHER program support.
• ZensaenableGTM or Marketing PartnerEnable level sponsor. Founder and CEO Prerna Goja serves as WECAN VP of Customer Success, demonstrating deep organizational integration.
• Women in CloudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-led economic development organization generating economic access for women entrepreneurs through partnerships with corporations. WECAN board member Sharan Hildebrand serves as advisory board member of Women in Cloud. Collaborative initiatives around digital transformation and supplier diversity.
• WIT NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal nonprofit providing inspiration, education, mentoring, networking and practical advice to empower women in technology careers. Shared mission of enabling women to attain leadership positions and helping companies change the landscape of gender equality.
• National Minority Supplier Diversity Council (NMSDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCouncil connecting diverse suppliers with corporations. Referenced in WECAN content for supplier diversity initiatives and corporate diversity programming.
• Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCouncil for women's business enterprise certification and development. Referenced in WECAN content for diversity programming and supplier diversity events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Girls in Tech: Global nonprofit with a broader mission to increase diversity in technology, spanning career pipelines from early-career to executive levels. Comparable to WECAN in mission overlap but addresses a wider career-stage range and has a larger, more globally distributed footprint.
• Catalyst: Global nonprofit focused on advancing women in the workplace through research, consulting, and corporate partnerships. Comparable to WECAN in serving corporate DEI buyers and producing inclusion resources, but operates more as a research/consultancy and serves all industries, not just tech.

Emerging players

• Forte Foundation: Nonprofit focused on launching women into business leadership through education, community, and career access. Comparable to WECAN's mission of elevating women into leadership, with overlap in mentorship, career services, and corporate partnerships.
• Watermark: Organization producing women's leadership conferences and events focused on advancing women in technology and business. Comparable to WECAN in the women-in-tech-leadership space, particularly through event programming and corporate sponsorship models, though primarily West Coast US based.
• Chief: Private membership network for senior women executives (VP and above) focused on peer connection, mentorship, and leadership development. Comparable to WECAN's Inner Circle and Career AcceleratHER as a premium, paid-membership offering for executive women, though with broader cross-industry positioning.

Direct peers

• Athena Alliance: Strategic partner of WECAN that focuses on elevating women into corporate board roles. Directly comparable because both organizations deliver executive development, mentorship, and board readiness programs for senior women leaders, often serving overlapping populations.
• Ellevate Network: Professional women's network offering mentorship, career resources, and community for women across industries. Comparable to WECAN's Career AcceleratHER as a paid-membership model serving women seeking career advancement, though with broader cross-industry focus rather than tech-channel specialization.
• AnitaB.org: Nonprofit focused on advancing women in technology through programs like Top Companies for Women Technologists and the Grace Hopper Celebration. Comparable to WECAN as a women-in-tech organization with corporate partnerships, leadership programs, and ecosystem-level advocacy.
• WIT Network (Women in Technology): Global nonprofit providing inspiration, education, mentoring, and networking to empower women in technology careers. Directly comparable to WECAN because it serves the same population (women in tech), with overlapping programming around mentorship, leadership development, and corporate DEI support.
• Women in Cloud: Community-led economic development organization focused on generating economic access for women in cloud and technology. Directly comparable as a women-in-tech network with corporate partnerships, mentorship, and supplier diversity programming targeting similar corporate buyers and individual members.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6gACTjv3fQBL6jjtfIKUdA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wecab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women Executive Channel Advisory Network