Lean In

What Lean In does

LeanIn.Org is a U.S. nonprofit organization founded by Sheryl Sandberg in 2013 to advance women's leadership through peer-led community, research, and free educational programs. It operates through the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) and three wholly-owned LLC subsidiaries — LeanIn.Org LLC, Lean In Girls LLC, and OptionB.Org LLC — serving individuals in 180+ countries. The organization's product surface combines offline peer infrastructure (160,000+ Lean In Circles of 8–12 members; volunteer-led Networks organizing conferences, speaker series, and workshops) with digital distribution through leanin.org and the Lean In Connect community platform. It also publishes research-backed resources including 120+ discussion guides, the Women at Work Leadership Series, the 50 Ways to Fight Bias workshop, and the Women in the Workplace report produced in partnership with McKinsey & Company.

Technology is consumer-grade and content-centric rather than AI-native. leanin.org, Connect, leanInGirls.org, OptionB.org, and SGB.org handle user accounts, Circle/Network management, content delivery, and discussion groups; SSO is provided through Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, and X, with Shopify powering merchandise commerce. Lean In operates as a free, donation-funded organization: all programs — including Circles for Companies and the 50 Ways to Fight Bias workshop for companies — are offered at no cost, and revenue is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is primarily self-service via web, email (The Lead newsletter), and social, with a partner-led direct motion into enterprises; a small ~20-person internal team supports operations, and founder governance is retained through an Office of the Founder.

Strategic positioning has recently shifted: a new AI-focused CEO (Bridget Griswold) leads a repositioning toward AI-gender-gap research and cultural counter-messaging around the "tradwife" trend and the "manosphere," accompanied by staff cuts. Newer initiatives — Lean In Girls (2023), Lean In Connect (2023), and The Lead newsletter (June 2023) — indicate continued product expansion even amid broader restructuring.

Name

Lean In

Legal name

Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation

Website

https://leanin.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LeanIn.Org is a U.S. nonprofit founded in 2013 that advances women's leadership through free peer Circles, the Women in the Workplace research report, and corporate programs, serving individuals and companies in 180+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Leadership Development (Nonprofit Community Programs)

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612), Other Management Consulting Services (541618), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Capital & Workforce Transformation Consulting (BPAHACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Coaching, Feedback & Mentoring Skills (EDABAMAM), Emotional Intelligence, Motivation & Culture-Fit Assessments (BPACAMAI), Workforce Analytics & HR Metrics Advisory (BPACAJAK)

Keywords

• Women's leadership development
• Peer mentorship circles
• Workplace gender equality
• Nonprofit community programs
• Bias training workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Foundation Support: Lean In operates as a nonprofit organization (Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation) funded through donations and foundation support. No revenue model information is publicly disclosed beyond the nonprofit structure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lean In is a nonprofit organization that provides free women's leadership development programs and resources, anchored by Lean In Circles (small peer groups of 8-12 members using research-backed discussion guides), Lean In Networks (volunteer-led professional communities), and the Lean In Connect online platform. It also delivers corporate programs such as Circles for Companies and the 50 Ways to Fight Bias workshop, and produces the annual Women in the Workplace research report in partnership with McKinsey & Company.

Product overview

Lean In is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of free leadership development programs, research, and community resources. The core offerings include Lean In Circles (small peer groups for structured leadership development) and Lean In Networks (larger professional communities), which are complemented by the online platform Lean In Connect. For companies, Lean In provides Circles for Companies and the 50 Ways to Fight Bias workshop. The organization produces the annual Women in the Workplace report in partnership with McKinsey & Company, the Women at Work Leadership Series video curriculum, and practical Lean In Guides for career development. Lean In Girls extends the mission to girls ages 11-15 with a dedicated leadership curriculum. Research publications cover topics including the broken rung, AI gender gap, and various forms of workplace bias.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Women in the Workplace: Annual research report in partnership with McKinsey & Company tracking women's representation and experiences in corporate America since 2015
• 50 Ways to Fight Bias
• Lean In Circles
• Option B
• Women at Work
• Lean In Connect

Products and services

• Lean In Circles Small peer groups of 8-12 members who meet regularly to support each other's personal and professional growth using free research-backed discussion guides. Circles are confidential, action-oriented spaces for women to build skills, set goals, and hold each other accountable.
• Lean In Networks Independently run, volunteer-led professional communities that connect Lean In Circles and individual members within a shared city, company, or industry. Networks organize speaker series, leadership workshops, and annual conferences.
• Lean In Connect Online community platform built for ambitious women, combining Lean In resources (Women at Work Leadership Series, discussion guides, Circle tools) with community features including discussion groups, direct messaging, and a resource library. Free to join for individual members.
• Circles for Companies Free peer leadership development program bringing Lean In's peer mentorship model to organizations of any size. Employees form small groups that meet regularly to build leadership skills using research-backed curriculum, scaling across departments, seniority levels, and global locations.
• 50 Ways to Fight Bias 90-minute interactive workshop helping employees recognize and respond to gender bias at work. Participants work through real-world scenarios to build a shared language around bias and practice concrete responses, with facilitator training and ongoing support. Free for companies.
• Women in the Workplace The largest annual study of women in corporate America, conducted jointly by LeanIn.Org and McKinsey & Company. Tracks women's representation across all levels of the corporate pipeline and produces data-driven recommendations for companies.
• Women at Work Leadership Series Structured collection of 12 video lessons with accompanying discussion guides covering leadership fundamentals, navigating workplace challenges, and leadership for working mothers. Available on demand free at LeanIn.org and usable independently or within Circle groups.
• Lean In Girls Free research-backed leadership program for girls ages 11-15. The 15-session curriculum is designed for use in schools, after-school programs, and community groups, helping girls build confidence, challenge perfectionism, use their voice, and support one another.
• Option B Program and platform helping people build resilience and navigate loss and hardship, based on the book by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant. Operates as a separate LLC subsidiary of Lean In.

Quantifiable outcome

• Circle members are promoted at twice the rates of the general population
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.

• #MentorHer Campaign PartnersflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2018#MentorHer campaign launched in 2018 calling on men to actively mentor and sponsor women at work. Part of Lean In's effort to push back against senior men pulling back from mentoring women post-MeToo.
• McKinsey & CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership for Women in the Workplace report — the largest ongoing study of women in corporate America and Canada. Published every year since 2015, with over 1,000 companies and 490,000 individuals participating over its history. Joint research identifies barriers and provides recommendations for companies.
• Lean In Girls Partners (KIPP Public Charter Schools, Girls Inc., Girl Scouts)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched Lean In Girls in 2023 in partnership with organizations including KIPP Public Charter Schools, Girls Inc., and the Girl Scouts of the USA. These partners help deliver the free leadership curriculum to girls ages 11-15 in schools and youth organizations.
• Network Sponsors and Co-SponsorsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSome Circles and Networks may be co-sponsored by Third-Party Services such as social networking services (Facebook, X, Tumblr) with a particular interest in the mission of that Circle or Network. These co-sponsors have access to member listings and email addresses of Circle/Network members.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Catalyst: Catalyst is a nonprofit research and advisory organization advancing gender equity in workplaces globally. It is the closest direct peer to Lean In: it produces flagship annual workplace research, partners with major corporations, and offers DEI tools — but without the peer-led community model that distinguishes Lean In.
• AnitaB.org: AnitaB.org is a nonprofit focused on women in technology, offering leadership programs, research (Top Companies for Women Technologists), and community. It overlaps with Lean In on women-in-leadership programming and corporate engagement but is narrower in scope (tech-only).
• Girls Inc. Girls Inc. is a nonprofit delivering leadership and life-skills programming for girls, and is both a Lean In Girls partner and a structural peer in girls' leadership development. Comparable mission, partnership model, and donor base.
• American Association of University Women (AAUW): AAUW is a longstanding nonprofit advancing gender equity in education and the workplace through research, advocacy, and member-led community programs. Comparable in mission, member-led structure, and policy influence.
• National Women's Law Center: NWLC is a nonprofit legal and policy organization advancing gender justice through research, litigation, and advocacy. Overlaps with Lean In on workplace gender research and corporate accountability but skews more policy- and litigation-driven.
• Dress for Success: Dress for Success is a global nonprofit supporting women's economic advancement through career development programming and a worldwide network of affiliates. Comparable in mission and volunteer-led global delivery model, though with a workforce-readiness focus rather than leadership development.
• YWCA USA: YWCA USA is a large nonprofit operating local affiliates that deliver women's empowerment, leadership, and DEI programming nationwide. Comparable mission, local-network delivery, and corporate partnership model.
• Paradigm for Parity: Paradigm for Parity is a coalition of CEOs and companies committed to gender parity in corporate leadership by 2030. Directly comparable on corporate-engagement model and Women in the Workplace-style research, but smaller and narrower.
• International Women's Forum: IWF is a global nonprofit membership organization for senior women leaders across industries. Comparable member-network model, peer-leadership development focus, and corporate leader pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey & Company (Women in the Workplace partner): McKinsey is Lean In's research partner on the Women in the Workplace report and runs a broader DEI consulting practice. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping research output and corporate relationships, but operates as a paid consultancy rather than a community-led nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/leaninorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/leanincommunity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leaninorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/leaninorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Lean In