Women's Leadership Institute

What Women's Leadership Institute does

Women's Leadership Institute (WLI) is a Utah-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in January 2015 and headquartered in Salt Lake City. Its mission is to elevate women's leadership in business and politics across the state. WLI operates a portfolio of cohort-based leadership development programs for women — the Career Development Series (8-month, $1,195 per participant), the Rising Leader Series, the Political Development Series, and the C-Suite Fluency program — delivered through in-person and Zoom-hybrid sessions supported by an online learning portal and Credly digital badges.

Its flagship corporate initiative is the ElevateHER™ Corporate Challenge, a non-prescriptive, six-pillar framework covering hiring, retention, promotion, pay equity, mentorship, and political participation. Over 170 Utah businesses have accepted the Challenge, gaining access to a Resource Center of best-practice toolkits, recognition at the annual ElevateHER™ Award Luncheon, and exposure to a community of nearly 1,000 alumnae. The organization distributes its content through the weekly Elevate podcast, a long-running blog, social channels, email newsletters, and earned media across Utah outlets.

WLI is funded through a combination of individual donations, corporate sponsorships (Founding sponsor Zions Bank; Leading sponsors Deseret Management Corporation and the Jeffery R and Katie C Nelson Family Foundation; plus Dominion Energy, Ken Garff Automotive, CHG Healthcare, and Rocky Mountain Power), program fees, and event revenue. It operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees under CEO Patricia Jones, with strategic chamber partnerships extending reach into Salt Lake County, Utah County, and rural Southern Utah. The organization celebrated its 10th anniversary in April 2024.

Name

Women's Leadership Institute

Legal name

Women's Leadership Institute

Website

https://wliut.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women's Leadership Institute is a Utah 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers cohort-based women's leadership development programs (Career Development, Rising Leader, Political Development, C-Suite Fluency) and the ElevateHER™ Corporate Challenge, serving women leaders and Utah employers through chambers, sponsors, and an alumnae network of nearly 1,000.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Development & Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Leadership, Character Education & Values Development (EDAMAIAG), Learning & Development (L&D) & Training Management (EDABAIAC), DEI, Culture & Employee Engagement Training (BPACANAE)

Keywords

• Women's leadership training
• Executive development programs
• Corporate diversity consulting
• Cohort-based learning
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Revenue from paid leadership development programs including the Career Development Series ($1,195 per participant), and sponsorship of employees into programs by participating companies.
2. Donations and Sponsorships: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, WLI receives individual and corporate donations and sponsorships. Sponsorships fund programs and operations at various tiers (Founding, Leading, Advocating, Elevating, Promoting, Supporting).
3. Event Revenue: Registration fees for luncheons, breakfast brainstorm sessions, and training events for ElevateHER Challenge companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Women's Leadership Institute (WLI) is a Utah-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers cohort-based leadership development programs for women, including the Career Development Series, Rising Leader Series, Political Development Series, and C-Suite Fluency. It also runs the ElevateHER™ Corporate Challenge, a free commitment framework helping Utah companies implement research-based practices to elevate women in hiring, retention, promotion, and pay equity.

Product overview

Women's Leadership Institute is a Utah-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization offering a portfolio of leadership development programs and resources for women. The core offerings include the ElevateHER™ Challenge (a corporate commitment program for gender diversity), the Career Development Series (an 8-month cohort program at $1195), Rising Leader Series, Political Development Series, and C-Suite Fluency program. Additional resources include the Elevate Podcast (released weekly), the ElevateHER™ Resource Center with toolkits and best practices guides, and community networking events. The organization also hosts the annual ElevateHER™ Award Luncheon. Programs are delivered through in-person sessions, virtual/hybrid formats, and an online learning portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ElevateHER Challenge: Corporate challenge program for businesses to commit to elevating women in their workplaces.
• Elevate Podcast
• Career Development Series
• Rising Leader Series
• Political Development Series

Products and services

• ElevateHER™ Challenge A corporate commitment program where Utah companies pledge to elevate women in leadership across six pillars: hiring, retention, promotion, pay equity, mentorship, and political participation. Companies receive a resource center, best practices toolkits, and recognition at the annual ElevateHER Award Luncheon. Over 170 Utah businesses have joined since inception.
• Career Development Series An 8-month cohort-based leadership development program for mid to senior-level female leaders in Utah. Features monthly in-person sessions led by industry experts, customized curriculum, site visits to top Utah companies, online learning portal access, Credly digital badge, and certificate of completion. Priced at $1,195 per participant. Available in Salt Lake County, Utah County, and rural tracks (Kanab, St. George).
• Rising Leader Series An intimate monthly cohort program for women looking to advance in their leadership journey. Designed to be hands-on with focus on building and practicing leadership skills in a smaller group setting.
• Political Development Series A nonpartisan, interactive monthly cohort program that empowers women to have a political voice and create meaningful change within their homes, communities, and state. Provides training in campaign skills, networking, and running for public office at local, state, or federal levels.
• C-Suite Fluency

Quantifiable outcome

• Organizations implementing WLI research-based practices have saved millions through more effective hiring, retention, and promotion strategies
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Salt Lake ChambercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner co-hosting events including the Education & Workforce Forum with Utah's five female university presidents. WLI and Chamber work together on gender diversity initiatives and policy advocacy.
• St. George Area Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for WLI's rural expansion of the Career Development Series in Southern Utah. Chamber helps coordinate local venues and participant recruitment in the St. George and Kanab areas.
• LPGA's Epson Tour Copper Rock ChampionshipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner for Southern Utah Business Luncheon held in conjunction with the LPGA Symetra Tour event. Partnership supports gender diversity messaging in sports and business contexts.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Lean In Foundation:

Broad incumbents

• Catalyst: Global nonprofit advancing women in workplace leadership through research, consulting, and employer partnerships. Directly comparable to WLI in mission (women's leadership) but operates at international scale with employer-supporter member model analogous to WLI's ElevateHER Challenge.
• American Association of University Women (AAUW): 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on advancing equity for women through education, research, and advocacy, with state-level chapters. Mirrors WLI's nonprofit, mission-driven, multi-state organizing approach to women's leadership development.
• Center for Creative Leadership (CCL): Global leadership development provider offering cohort-based executive programs and research. Comparable in offering premium cohort-based leadership development for senior leaders, but operates globally with broader corporate L&D client base.
• Vistage: Executive peer-advisory and leadership coaching organization serving CEOs and senior leaders through paid group-cohort membership model. Comparable cohort-based peer learning format for executives but operates as a commercial enterprise rather than nonprofit.

Direct peers

• Forte Foundation: Nonprofit focused on launching women into business leadership through education, community, and research. Comparable cohort-based programming model targeting women at early- and mid-career stages with corporate sponsor funding similar to WLI.
• National Association of Female Executives (NAFE): One of the largest U.S. associations for women in business, offering leadership education, networking, and recognition programs. Comparable in providing structured women's leadership development, networking events, and corporate-style recognition awards to WLI's ElevateHER Luncheon.
• Polk Foundation (Women in Leadership programs): National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) provides education, networking, and advocacy for women business owners, including state chapters. Comparable structure of state-level chapters, cohort-style programs, corporate partnerships, and policy advocacy for women in leadership.

Regional players

• Women's Foundation of Colorado: State-focused women's foundation driving economic self-sufficiency and leadership pathways for Colorado women and girls. Highly comparable regional/state-scoped women's foundation model with similar mix of research, programs, and corporate partnerships.

Emerging players

• Women's Leadership Project: Nonprofit advancing women and girls through leadership training and advocacy. Comparable mission and program structure (cohort training, advocacy, capacity-building), though focused on different regional context.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/utwomenlead
• Facebookfacebook.com/utwomenlead
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/6379943
• Instagraminstagram.com/utwomenlead

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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's Leadership Institute