The 3% Movement
The 3% Movement is a mission-driven organization that runs The 3% Conference and supporting community, content, and research programs to advance female creative leadership within the US advertising industry.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The 3% Movement does
The 3% Movement is a mission-driven, platform-plus-community organization focused on increasing the representation of women in creative leadership roles within the US advertising industry. Founded in 2010 and operated as The 3% Movement, LLC from Palo Alto, California, the company was established against a baseline of only 3% female Creative Directors in US advertising and claims to have helped raise that figure to 29% through content, community, and professional development programs. The company is led by founder and CEO Katherine McCaw Gordon and operates with a small team of 1-10 employees.
Its core products center on The 3% Conference (the flagship annual event with in-person and virtual streaming delivery via Eventcore), the "The 29%" annual research/tracking report, the "100 Things" curated content collection, and a membership-style online community platform hosted at 3percentmovement.com. Technology and platform architecture are light: there is no disclosed proprietary AI/ML stack, no public API, and no native mobile app; the tech layer is essentially a website plus an event-streaming integration. Distribution runs through the website, organic social (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube), and the annual conference as the bottom-of-funnel touchpoint.
The business model combines conference ticket/registration revenue (with virtual streaming as a recurring/recurring-flavored stream), brand sponsorships (AAA, Eleven Inc, Leo Burnett, Amazon Represents), and implicit membership/community monetization. The go-to-market is event-driven and community-led, targeting two primary segments: advertising and creative agencies seeking diversity roadmaps and talent development programs, and female creative professionals seeking career advancement, visibility, networking, and mentorship. The company has no disclosed external funding, is structured as an LLC, and operates without a parent company.
The 3% Movement firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The 3% Movement
- Legal name
- The 3% Movement, LLC
- Website
- https://3percentconf.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The 3% Movement is a mission-driven organization that runs The 3% Conference and supporting community, content, and research programs to advance female creative leadership within the US advertising industry.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where The 3% Movement is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The 3% Movement business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Conference & Event Revenue: The organization generates revenue through The 3% Conference, including virtual streaming of conferences (Stream The Conference). Events serve as the primary platform for delivering professional development content and community engagement.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
The 3% Movement product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The 3% Movement delivers annual conferences (The 3% Conference, available in-person and via virtual streaming), an industry research initiative (The 29% report), curated content resources, and a community platform to advance female creative leadership in the advertising industry. It provides agencies with roadmaps to champion female creative talent and offers female creative professionals professional development, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
Product overview
The 3% Movement operates as a platform-plus-community organization consisting of an annual conference (The 3% Conference), the annual The29% report tracking female creative director representation, community membership platform, and curated content resources like the '100 Things' collection. The organization uses a combination of content, community, and professional development programs to advance gender diversity in the creative industry, having helped raise female Creative Directors from 3% to 29%.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- The 3% Conference Annual flagship conference bringing together advertising industry leaders to discuss diversity, creativity, and leadership; features keynotes, workshops, networking, and professional development content for agencies and female creative professionals.
- Stream The Conference (Virtual Streaming) Virtual streaming access to The 3% Conference, enabling remote attendees to view conference sessions and content via the Eventcore platform.
- The 29% Annual report that measures and tracks the percentage of female creative directors in the U.S. advertising industry, benchmarking progress toward gender diversity goals.
- 100 Things Resource Collection Curated collection of advice, tips, and insights from experienced creative industry professionals, offered as a resource for future creative leaders.
- Community Platform Online community and membership network connecting female creatives and agency allies for networking, mentorship, and ongoing professional support throughout their careers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Raised female Creative Director representation from 3% to 29% in the US advertising industry
Companies that use The 3% Movement
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The 3% Movement technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The 3% Movement partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- New Honor SocietyminorNew Honor Society is credited as the creator of the 10th anniversary web experience for The 3% Movement, designing and developing the 'Our Decade of Difference' digital platform.
- AAA (American Automobile Association)minorSponsor of The 3% Conference, featured in the sponsors section of the decade of difference website.
- Eleven IncminorSponsor of The 3% Conference, positioned as a partner in the conference website.
- Leo BurnettminorSponsor of The 3% Conference, featured in the sponsors section with a 'Connect With Us' call-to-action.
- Amazon RepresentsminorSponsor of The 3% Conference, linked from the decade of difference website.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
The 3% Movement competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Female Quotient: FQ operates equality-focused events, research, and a community platform serving brands and agencies — closely comparable in event-driven, mission-led GTM targeting marketers and agency leaders with a focus on gender equity in advertising.
- She Runs It: Formerly AWNY (Advertising Women of New York), She Runs It is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing women in advertising, marketing, and media — directly comparable in mission, target audience (female creative/advertising leaders), and programming format including awards and events.
- Advertising Week: Major global conference and content series for the advertising and marketing industry. Directly comparable as an advertising-industry conference operator with marquee sponsors and an event-led GTM serving agencies and brands.
Broad incumbents
- Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity: The preeminent global advertising creativity festival operated by Ascential. Comparable as an advertising-industry flagship event with heavy agency and brand sponsorship, though broader in scope and significantly larger than The 3% Conference.
- 4A's (American Association of Advertising Agencies): The leading U.S. trade association representing advertising agencies. Comparable as an industry-body serving agencies with programming on talent and diversity, though broader in mandate and not specifically female-creative focused.
- Adweek: Major advertising industry media brand producing events, awards, and editorial content serving agencies and brands. Comparable as a multi-format advertising industry platform with overlapping agency audience and event monetization.
- MAKERS: A wide-reaching women's leadership media platform producing stories, events, and research. Comparable as a mission-driven women's-advocacy platform with events and content, though not advertising-specific.
- The Drum: Global media brand covering the marketing and advertising industry with editorial, events, and awards. Comparable as an advertising-industry media and events operator with overlapping agency audience.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The 3% Movement social profiles
Digital presenceThe 3% Movement financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The 3% Movement leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The 3% Movement funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The 3% Movement 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 The 3% Movement
What does The 3% Movement do?
The 3% Movement delivers annual conferences (The 3% Conference, available in-person and via virtual streaming), an industry research initiative (The 29% report), curated content resources, and a community platform to advance female creative leadership in the advertising industry. It provides agencies with roadmaps to champion female creative talent and offers female creative professionals professional development, mentorship, and networking opportunities.
Is The 3% Movement a public or private company?
The 3% Movement is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The 3% Movement founded?
The 3% Movement was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The 3% Movement based?
The 3% Movement is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does The 3% Movement make money?
One revenue line is on record: conference & Event Revenue.
Who are The 3% Movement's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Female Quotient, She Runs It and Advertising Week. Broad incumbents are Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, 4A's (American Association of Advertising Agencies), Adweek, MAKERS and The Drum.
Does The 3% Movement have an API?
No public API is recorded for The 3% Movement.