What Ladies Who Launch does

Ladies Who Launch is a 501c3 nonprofit organization headquartered in San Francisco that delivers free educational resources, networking events, and direct grant funding to women and non-binary entrepreneurs. Founded in 2013 by former Square employees Sarah Friar and Kelly McGonigle and formally incorporated as a nonprofit in 2019, the organization has built a portfolio of programs including a curated grants database (updated weekly), a free resources library of business plan templates, pitch decks, and marketing guides, recurring virtual and in-person summits, and direct grant programs such as EmpowHer Grants (up to $50,000 per award) and the Launch Program. Distribution is global online alongside in-person presence in at least eleven cities including San Francisco, New York, Dallas, Denver, Belfast, Toronto, Sydney, Dublin, St. Louis, Stockholm, and London. The organization reports having reached 120,000+ entrepreneurs online, hosted 100+ events attended by 3,000+ community members, and distributed more than $500,000 in grants to entrepreneurs since inception.

The underlying platform is a Squarespace-hosted web property (ladieswholaunch.org) delivering self-serve access to all resources, with no native mobile app and no API or developer-facing integrations. Content is delivered via a free resources portal, a bi-weekly newsletter, social channels (@LWLGlobal on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter), and event platforms such as Eventbrite and Hopin. Capital resource partners (Backstage Capital, BBG Ventures, Forerunner, Golden Seeds, Tory Burch Foundation, and 20+ others) are aggregated into a single directory alongside venture firms, angel networks, accelerators, and nonprofit funding competitors like the Cartier Women's Initiative.

The business model is nonprofit grantmaking and donor-funded operations: there is no pricing on core services (the grants database, educational resources, business templates, and event access are all free to users), and revenue is sourced from foundation grants and corporate philanthropy rather than product sales. The board includes Frédérique Campagne Irwin (CEO, National Women's History Museum), Anna Collins (Operating Executive, ex-Amazon, ex-Microsoft), Elena Gomez (CFO, Toast), Tokunboh Ishmael (Co-Founder & Managing Director, Alitheia Capital), and Rosie Rios (former U.S. Treasurer, CEO of Red River Associates). The organization holds a 2023 Candid Gold Seal of transparency and was awarded a $125,000 Her Village grant from Boundless Futures Foundation in February 2026 to support the Launch Program.

Name

Ladies Who Launch

Legal name

Ladies Who Launch

Website

https://ladieswholaunch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ladies Who Launch is a 501c3 nonprofit that provides women and non-binary entrepreneurs with free business resources, a curated grants database, educational summits, and direct grant funding, headquartered in San Francisco with global online reach.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Entrepreneur Support Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

Keywords

• Women entrepreneurship resources
• Small business grants database
• Entrepreneur educational events
• Nonprofit community support
• Female founder funding

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Programs: The organization administers grant programs funded by foundations and corporate partners, distributing funds to women entrepreneurs. As a 501c3 nonprofit, revenue comes from grants and donations rather than product sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ladies Who Launch is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides free educational resources, networking events, a curated small business grants database, and direct grant programs (including the Launch Program and EmpowHer Grants) to support women and non-binary entrepreneurs in launching and growing their businesses. The organization runs signature summits, a free resource library with templates and pitch decks, and a resource navigator that connects founders with capital opportunities.

Product overview

Ladies Who Launch is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of programs and resources for women and non-binary entrepreneurs. The core offerings include: (1) a Small Business Grants Database that aggregates grant opportunities for U.S.-based businesses; (2) a Free Resources Library with business plan templates, pitch decks, marketing resources, and capital guides; (3) Events & Summits including virtual and in-person educational gatherings; and (4) Capital Resources providing curated lists of women-focused investors and funding guides. The organization also runs direct grant programs including EmpowHer Grants (up to $50,000 per award) and impact grants. These offerings work together to provide a comprehensive ecosystem supporting women entrepreneurs through education, community, and funding access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Small Business Grants Database A curated database of grant funding opportunities for U.S.-based small businesses at all stages, updated weekly with new deadlines and opportunities.
• Free Resources Library Collection of free business resources including marketing plans, templates, pitch decks, life hacks, and educational content for entrepreneurs at any stage.
• Events & Summits Signature educational events including virtual and in-person summits such as the Resilient Leadership Summit, Pathways to Capital Summit, and Jumpstart Summit for women entrepreneurs.
• Capital Resources Comprehensive capital and funding resources including a curated list of women founders-focused investors, VC funds, angel networks, and financing guides.
• EmpowHer Grants Direct grant program with increased EmpowHer grant limits of up to $50,000 per award for female founders as part of the organization's direct funding initiatives.
• Launch Program Direct grant program providing $10,000 grants and capacity-building resources to US-based women entrepreneurs, funded through foundation partnerships.

Quantifiable outcome

• 120,000+ entrepreneurs provided with online business resources and assistance
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pegasus ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2024Pegasus Park partnered with Ladies Who Launch to host the October 2024 Dallas event, providing the venue and support for helping women entrepreneurs grow and thrive.
• Flatirons FundminorOthersFlatirons Fund is listed as a capital resource for women founders, with a mission to advance and support women and people of color who have been traditionally underrepresented in venture capital.
• 500 WomenminorOthers500 Women is listed as a funding resource focused on flawless female founders.
• AstiaminorOthersAstia is a network that offers access to capital and training/support for women entrepreneurs.
• Black Girl VenturesminorOthersBlack Girl Ventures provides Black/Brown woman-identifying founders with access to community, education, and leadership development to meet business milestones through entrepreneurship.
• Cartier Women's InitiativeminorOthersInternational business plan competition for women entrepreneurs, listed as a capital resource.
• Digital UndividedminorOthersDigital Undivided provides programming focused on Black and Latino women founding tech companies.
• Halo IncubatorminorOthersHalo Incubator is an incubator for female founders, listed as a capital resource.
• Her CornerminorOthersHer Corner is an accelerator for women entrepreneurs, listed as a capital resource.
• MergelaneminorOthersMergelane is an accelerator and investor of women-led startups based in Boulder, CO.
• Springboard EnterprisesminorOthersSpringboard Enterprises is an accelerator for women-led growth companies.
• So GalminorOthersSo Gal is a global platform for young female entrepreneurs and diverse investors.
• Women's Venture FundminorOthersWomen's Venture Fund helps entrepreneurs through courses, counseling, credit, and more.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Digital Undivided: Programming focused on Black and Latina women founding tech companies. Comparable as both focus on under-resourced women founders through education and community.
• Cartier Women's Initiative: International business plan competition for women entrepreneurs offering grants, mentoring, and training. Directly comparable as both award grants to women founders and run educational programming.
• Halo Incubator: Incubator for female founders providing mentorship and resources. Comparable as both support early-stage women entrepreneurs through education and community programming.
• So Gal: Global platform for young female entrepreneurs and diverse investors. Comparable as both operate as community-led, global platforms supporting women founders through education and capital access.
• Black Girl Ventures: Provides Black and Brown woman-identifying founders with community, education, and leadership development, including pitch competitions and capital access. Comparable in mission focus on under-resourced women founders.
• Tory Burch Foundation: Provides loans, fellowships, and educational resources for women entrepreneurs. Comparable as both serve women business owners through capital access and capacity-building programming.
• Astia: Global network offering access to capital, training, and support for women entrepreneurs. Comparable as both operate as community-and-capital-access platforms specifically serving women founders.
• Springboard Enterprises: Accelerator for women-led growth companies providing networks, resources, and capital access. Closest direct comparable as both organizations target women entrepreneurs seeking capital and business-building support.
• Her Corner: Accelerator for women entrepreneurs offering mentoring and business education. Comparable as both run structured programming and events to help women-led businesses grow.
• Mergelane: Accelerator and investor in women-led startups based in Boulder, CO. Comparable as both provide accelerator-style support and capital connections for women founders.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LWLGlobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lwlglobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments19 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Ladies Who Launch