Women in Games International

What Women in Games International does

Women in Games International (WIGI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, that delivers free programs to women, femme-identifying, and nonbinary professionals working in the video game, tabletop, and esports industries. The organization's programmatic ecosystem is anchored by its Mentorship Program — pairing participants one-on-one with industry veterans and supplemented by panels, workshops, AMAs, custom workbooks, and a private Discord community — alongside the Get in the Game conference attendance sponsorship, which funds flights, lodging, and per diem for marginalized professionals to attend GDC, Paris Games Week, D.I.C.E., and gamescom Asia. Supporting offerings include the Stat Boost skill-building workshop series (delivered in partnership with Unity, Xsolla, and Google Ads), Power Leveling moderated discussions, the Cheat Codes podcast, the Open World Dialogue LinkedIn Live series, Networking Events at industry conferences, Speaker Sessions, the Dear Ally advice column, a Job Board, an Affiliates + Allies peer fundraising program, and Port Quest, a 2025 initiative with IGDA and IGDA Foundation that helps developers bring games to mobile platforms.

Underlying technology is intentionally minimal and community-mediated rather than platform-native: WIGI operates a Wix-hosted website, Discord community servers, LinkedIn Live streaming, Zoom-based programming, Spotify/YouTube/Twitch podcast distribution, and a job board — with no disclosed proprietary software, AI tooling, or data products. Programmatic delivery leans heavily on partner-provided technology (Unity for game development workshops, Tiltify for peer fundraising, LinkedIn Live for broadcast) and human facilitation rather than automation.

WIGI's business model is donation- and sponsorship-funded, with all programming delivered free of charge to participants. Revenue streams comprise individual donations (tax-deductible under 501(c)(3) status), corporate sponsorships from a roster including Netflix Games, Xbox, Google, Amazon Games, Unity, Activision Blizzard, Sony, Epic Games, and Meta, and landmark grants such as the $1 million Activision Blizzard award in November 2021. There are no paid tiers, no fees for participation, and no earned-revenue line; a $5 million 20th anniversary endowment campaign launched in March 2025 represents an explicit effort to diversify long-term funding away from year-to-year corporate sponsor renewals.

Name

Women in Games International

Legal name

Women in Games International

Website

https://getwigi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women in Games International (WIGI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2005 that delivers free mentorship, networking, career development, and conference-access programs to women, femme-identifying, and nonbinary professionals in the global video game, tabletop, and esports industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Diversity & Inclusion Programs

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (7114), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (71141), Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (711410)

akta.pro primary industry

NIL Representation & Compliance Services (Student-Athletes) (MPAKAMAE)

Keywords

• Diversity mentorship programs
• Career advancement services
• Professional development programs
• Gaming industry networking
• DEI education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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. Individual Donations: Relies on donations from individuals to provide transformative networking experiences, educational programs, and access to career growth opportunities. Donations are tax-deductible as WIGI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships from major gaming companies to fund free-to-access resources that advance economic equality and diversity. Major sponsors include Netflix Games, Xbox, Google, Amazon Games, Unity, Activision Blizzard, Sony, Epic Games, Meta, and many others.
3. Landmark Grants: Received major grants from corporate partners including a $1 million grant from Activision Blizzard to fund professional development and mentorship programs.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Women in Games International (WIGI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers free-to-access programs supporting the career advancement, professional development, and economic opportunity of women, femme-identifying, and nonbinary professionals in the global video game, tabletop, and esports industries. Its offerings span mentorship, conference attendance sponsorship, skill-building workshops, podcasts, livestream dialogues, networking events, speaker sessions, an advice column, and a job board. All programs are offered at no cost to participants and are funded through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants.

Product overview

Women in Games International (WIGI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of free-to-access programs designed to support the advancement and inclusion of women, femme-identifying, and nonbinary professionals in the global games industry. The organization's programmatic ecosystem centers on the Mentorship Program—which pairs mentees with industry veterans for one-on-one guidance, supplemented by panels, workshops, and AMAs—alongside the Get in the Game conference sponsorship initiative that funds marginalized professionals to attend industry events. Supporting offerings include Stat Boost skill-building workshops, Power Leveling sensitive-topic discussions, the Cheat Codes podcast, Open World Dialogue livestream series, Networking Events at conferences, Speaker Sessions for industry events, the Dear Ally advice column, and the Job Board. The Affiliates + Allies fundraising program enables community members to support operations, while the Port Quest initiative (in partnership with IGDA and IGDA Foundation) assists developers in mobile porting. All programs share a unified mission: eliminating financial and structural barriers to increase representation and economic opportunity across video game, tabletop, and esports industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mentorship Program

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and supporting.

• IGDA FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2025Port Quest initiative with IGDA and IGDA Foundation helping developers successfully bring games to mobile platforms. WIGI CEO Joanie Kraut noted partnership helps teams elevate projects and reach new audiences. Selected participants receive mentorship, office hours, workshops, and inclusion in global marketing campaign reaching 100,000+ players.
• IGDAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2025Port Quest initiative helping game developers navigate mobile porting process. IGDA Executive Director Alyssa Walles emphasized supporting developers in tapping into ever-growing mobile market.
• XboxflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2024Xbox sponsoring six episodes of Open World Dialogue monthly livestream sessions highlighting diverse women leaders across Xbox Game Studios Publishing, Xbox Social Impact, Turn 10 Studios, and Zenimax Online teams. Partnership includes participation in Run for Equality donation match campaign addressing the $0.18 gender pay gap.
• IGDA (International Game Developers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2023Stronger Together In Games campaign uniting six organizations to raise $100,000 for game industry worker and player support during widespread layoffs and mental health crisis. WIGI part of collaborative initiative with IGDA, IGDA Foundation, Global Game Jam, Take This, and Game to Grow.
• IGDA FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2023Stronger Together In Games campaign partner. IGDA Foundation dedicated to advancing inclusivity and diversity in gaming through opportunities, education, and support for underrepresented communities.
• Global Game JamsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2023Stronger Together In Games campaign partner committed to fostering supportive environments for professional growth and skill development.
• Take ThissupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2023Stronger Together In Games campaign partner focused on mental health support for game lovers and creators.
• Game to GrowsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2023Stronger Together In Games campaign partner dedicated to fostering supportive environments through games.
• Humble BundlecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 June 2022Q2 Mentorship Program powered by Humble Bundle, a two-week program pairing mentees with industry professionals focused on guiding women, nonbinary, and femme-identifying professionals into C-suite or VP roles. Humble Bundle provided swag kits and program support aligned with their mission to be a force for good.
• UnitycoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with Unity for Stat Boost program 'How to Build a Game on Android' providing participants comprehensive guidance on developing games on the Unity platform with group discussions and one-on-one industry expert guidance.
• XsollasupportingTechnology or IntegrationPartnered with Xsolla and Google Ads for Stat Boost program to provide comprehensive game development training addressing barriers to industry entry.
• Google AdssupportingTechnology or IntegrationPartnered with Unity and Xsolla for Stat Boost program providing participants with tools and knowledge for game development and discoverability.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/getwigi
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBb-If-baBbtXY-KvmJX2nA
• Facebookfacebook.com/getwigi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-in-games-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/getwigi
• TikToktiktok.com/@getwigi_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 in Games International