Professional Women’s Network
Professional Women's Network is a Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based nonprofit founded in 1979 that serves professional women across Eastern Iowa through tiered annual memberships, monthly networking meetings, a scholarship foundation, and a community-led referral model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersCedar Rapids, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Professional Women’s Network does
Professional Women's Network (PWN) is a private nonprofit membership organization headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, founded in November 1979 by Jean Kruse, Liz Sparks, and Carolyn Stephens. It serves professional women across the Eastern Iowa region with a horizontally segmented membership spanning healthcare, legal, project management, entrepreneurship, real estate, government, and adjacent industries, plus students and retirees. PWN's stated mission is to improve the upward mobility of women in the professional and business world through the tagline "Women Helping Women." The organization is governed by a volunteer board of 10–14 directors serving three-year terms, supported by a part-time administrative coordinator, and runs on a community-led, volunteer-driven operating model.
PWN's product surface consists of three membership tiers — Regular ($89/calendar year), Student ($44.50 with full-time enrollment verification), and Retiree ($44.50 for members 65+) — plus monthly general membership meetings on the fourth Thursday of each month, irregular Networking Night Out social events, a member-only Facebook group, a monthly email newsletter, the Partnering/Pairing onboarding program, and the PWN Scholarship Foundation, which awards up to five approximately $1,000 scholarships annually to non-traditional female students at Iowa institutions within 60 miles of Linn County. Underlying technology is a standard website with cookie-based analytics and social media integration; there is no proprietary software platform, mobile app, or AI capability.
The business model is a subscription recurring dues structure billed annually on a calendar-year basis, processed via website self-service through PayPal, supplemented by tax-deductible donations and corporate sponsorship. Distribution is overwhelmingly community-led: prospective members may attend two events before joining, new members are onboarded through the Partnering/Pairing Program, and existing-member referrals are the primary acquisition channel. No revenue figure, member count, or external funding is disclosed, and the organization does not operate outside the Eastern Iowa region.
Professional Women’s Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Professional Women’s Network
- Legal name
- Professional Women's Network
- Website
- https://pwnia.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Professional Women's Network is a Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based nonprofit founded in 1979 that serves professional women across Eastern Iowa through tiered annual memberships, monthly networking meetings, a scholarship foundation, and a community-led referral model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Professional Women’s Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Networking Membership Association
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Professional & Career Networks (BPAMABAB)
Keywords
Where Professional Women’s Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cedar Rapids
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Professional Women’s Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees provide the primary revenue stream. Standard membership is $89 per year, with discounted rates of $44.50 for students and retirees. All memberships operate on a calendar year basis (January 1 through December 31), valid for one year from application date.
- Donations and Corporate Sponsorship: The organization accepts tax-deductible donations to support operations and the scholarship foundation. Corporate sponsorship opportunities are also available as an alternative giving pathway.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard membership for professional women |
| Subscription | Annual | Discounted membership for full-time students |
| Subscription | Annual | Discounted membership for retirees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Professional Women’s Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Professional Women's Network is a nonprofit membership association that sells annual individual memberships ($89 Regular; $44.50 Student and Retiree) to professional women in Eastern Iowa. Members gain access to monthly networking meetings, an exclusive Facebook group, a monthly newsletter, social/networking events, and the PWN Scholarship Foundation. The organization also facilitates a Partnering/Pairing Program that pairs new members with veteran members.
Product overview
Professional Women's Network is a membership-based professional networking organization offering a unified membership program with tiered pricing (Regular, Student, and Retiree memberships) at $89.00, $44.50, and reduced rates respectively. The core offerings include monthly general membership meetings held on the fourth Thursday of each month, Networking Night Out events throughout the year, an exclusive member-only Facebook group, and the PWN Scholarship Foundation which awards up to five scholarships of approximately $1,000 annually to non-traditional female students. Members also receive a monthly newsletter with updates on meetings, events, and announcements. New members are welcomed through the Partnering/Pairing Program which pairs them with veteran members. All memberships run on a calendar year basis from January 1st.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PWN Scholarship Foundation: Scholarship program established to financially assist non-traditional female students with their educational endeavors.
Products and services
- Regular Membership Annual full-privilege membership for professional women at $89.00 USD, providing access to monthly networking meetings, the member-only Facebook group, social events, scholarship eligibility, and a monthly newsletter for one calendar year.
- Student Membership Discounted annual membership at $44.50 USD for women enrolled full-time in a degree or certificate program, providing the same benefits as Regular Membership for one calendar year.
- Retiree Membership Discounted annual membership at $44.50 USD for women at least 65 years of age, providing the same benefits as Regular Membership for one calendar year.
- PWN Scholarship Foundation Financial assistance program awarding up to five scholarships of approximately $1,000 per academic year to non-traditional female students attending qualifying Iowa educational institutions within 60 miles of Linn County (including Coe College, Cornell College, Kirkwood Community College, Mount Mercy University, University of Iowa, and University of Northern Iowa), plus encouragement and emotional support from PWN members.
- Monthly General Membership Meetings Monthly in-person membership meetings held on the fourth Thursday of each month (typically luncheons from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM) featuring keynote speakers and structured assigned-table networking, available to members and to guests attending up to two meetings free of charge before joining.
- Networking Night Out Events Irregularly scheduled social events held throughout the year that double as professional networking opportunities for PWN members.
- Member-Only Facebook Group Exclusive online Facebook community available to PWN members for sharing wins, events, and news, facilitating ongoing peer connection between meetings.
- PWN Newsletter Monthly newsletter delivered to members and sign-ups with updates on PWN meetings, special events, and announcements.
- Partnering/Pairing Program Onboarding program that pairs each new PWN member with a veteran member to help with welcome, networking facilitation, and answering questions during meetings.
Companies that use Professional Women’s Network
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Professional Women’s Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Professional Women’s Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Professional Women’s Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- eWomenNetwork: Membership-based business networking and education organization for women entrepreneurs, with local chapters hosting monthly meetings and conferences. Directly comparable in format and target member profile.
- Zonta International: Global service organization of professionals that empowers women through service, advocacy, scholarships, and local clubs. Closely aligned with PWN's mix of professional networking, scholarship foundation, and chapter-based governance.
- The Links, Incorporated: National service and professional organization of accomplished African American women with local chapters running programming, networking, and service initiatives. Comparable in chapter-based, volunteer-run, mission-driven women's professional community model.
- American Business Women's Association (ABWA): National membership-based organization for working women that combines networking, professional development, and education across local chapters. Directly comparable to PWN in mission (women in the workforce), local chapter model, and programming format.
- Ellevate Network: Global professional women's network offering in-person and virtual networking circles, mentorship, and events. Closest digital-first analog to PWN's monthly meeting and pairing-based community model, though operating at significantly greater scale.
- Athena International: Professional women's leadership organization offering local affiliated groups, networking, and mentorship programs. Directly comparable to PWN's local-chapter professional development and networking focus.
- Women Presidents' Organization (WPO): Membership-based peer advisory organization for women business owners with monthly chapter meetings. Highly comparable structure to PWN (assigned tables, monthly cadence, peer learning) but focused on $2M+ revenue business owners.
- National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO): Membership organization for women business owners that provides networking, education, and advocacy. Comparable to PWN's professional networking and development model, but skewed toward entrepreneurs rather than cross-industry professional women.
Broad incumbents
- National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) / Forbes Woman: Acquired by Forbes, NAPW was a large-scale women's professional networking membership organization. Comparable as a broader incumbent women's networking brand, though lacking PWN's local chapter intimacy.
Emerging players
- Lean In Circles: Sheryl Sandberg's small-group peer mentoring model for women that operates as informal local circles. Comparable to PWN's small-group mentorship and peer support dynamics, but free and digitally native.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Professional Women’s Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Professional Women’s Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Professional Women’s Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Professional Women’s Network 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 Professional Women’s Network
What does Professional Women’s Network do?
Professional Women's Network is a nonprofit membership association that sells annual individual memberships ($89 Regular; $44.50 Student and Retiree) to professional women in Eastern Iowa. Members gain access to monthly networking meetings, an exclusive Facebook group, a monthly newsletter, social/networking events, and the PWN Scholarship Foundation. The organization also facilitates a Partnering/Pairing Program that pairs new members with veteran members.
Is Professional Women’s Network a public or private company?
Professional Women’s Network is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Professional Women’s Network founded?
Professional Women’s Network was founded in 1979. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Professional Women’s Network based?
Professional Women’s Network is headquartered in Cedar Rapids, United States, in the North America region.
How does Professional Women’s Network make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Corporate Sponsorship.
Who are Professional Women’s Network's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are eWomenNetwork, Zonta International, The Links, Incorporated, American Business Women's Association (ABWA), Ellevate Network, Athena International, Women Presidents' Organization (WPO) and National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) / Forbes Woman is listed as a broad incumbent. Lean In Circles is listed as an emerging player.
Does Professional Women’s Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Professional Women’s Network.
What industry is Professional Women’s Network in?
Professional Women’s Network's product category is Professional Networking Membership Association. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFAMAN, Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAMABAB, Professional & Career Networks. Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 8600.