Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs

What Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs does

Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is a non-profit membership organization founded in 1996 and headquartered in the Greater Philadelphia region (Voorhees, NJ mailing address). It supports women entrepreneurs scaling high-growth businesses through peer roundtables, pitch preparation programs, mentorship, investor introductions, and annual events. The organization serves the mid-Atlantic region with a membership base where nearly 50% are company presidents or CEOs and over 22% are venture capitalists, creating a two-sided community of capital-seekers and capital-providers. Its core programs include the Founders Roundtable, CEO Roundtables, The Pitch, the Building Bridges Fellowship Program, and the annual AWE Intersection gala, alongside the Iris Newman Award recognition program.

AWE generates revenue through four streams: annual membership dues at $225 per year, multi-tier corporate sponsorships (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Fellows), event sponsorships (including $2,000 individual event sponsorships), and donations/crowdfunding directed through AWE Ventures. The go-to-market model is community-led and event-driven, with member referrals and the annual AWE Intersection event as primary acquisition channels. AWE has no proprietary technology platform; its competitive value is delivered through programming, events, and a curated network of members and institutional partners.

AWE Ventures - Powered by Ben Franklin is the organization's investment initiative, combining crowdfunding and donations with up to $250,000 in matching funds from Ben Franklin Technology Partners to form a $500,000 capital pool for women-led startups. The organization has supported companies that collectively raised over $50M and reports multiple successful exits. AWE is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors drawn from women entrepreneurs and business leaders, and the organization is an independent 501(c)(6) entity with no parent company or external equity ownership.

Name

Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs

Legal name

Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs

Website

https://phillyawe.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs is a Philadelphia-based non-profit founded in 1996 that provides peer roundtables, mentorship, pitch programs, and investor introductions to women entrepreneurs scaling high-growth businesses in the mid-Atlantic region. Its funding comes from $225/year memberships, corporate sponsorships, and the AWE Ventures/Ben Franklin matched capital pool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women Entrepreneurship Support Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAHAI

Leadership, Management & Teamwork for Business

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

SECONDARYFSANAAAM

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated)

Financial & Insurance/Private Equity & Venture Capital/Venture Capital Firms

Keywords

• Women entrepreneur network
• Peer mentorship programs
• Entrepreneurship community building
• Startup pitch coaching
• Women-led business support

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide core operational revenue. The standard annual membership is $225 per year, giving members access to all AWE programming, peer networks, and events.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships at multiple tiers (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Fellows) provide significant revenue. Sponsors gain access to the network of women entrepreneurs, visibility at events, and engagement opportunities with potential investees and partners.
3. Event Revenue: Event sponsorships and ticket sales for programs including the annual AWE Intersection event, workshops, and specialized programming generate additional revenue.
4. Donations and Crowdfunding: AWE Ventures accepts donations and crowdfunding contributions to support women-led startups, with donations matched through the program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is a membership-based nonprofit organization that supports women founders and CEOs of growth-stage companies in the Greater Philadelphia region. It sells annual memberships ($225/year) and delivers peer-learning forums, pitch-coaching programs, mentorship matching, capital-access networks, and an annual flagship event, along with an investment initiative (AWE Ventures) backed by Ben Franklin Technology Partners.

Product overview

Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) is a membership-based entrepreneurship support organization offering a suite of programs including peer-to-peer roundtables, pitch preparation programs, mentorship initiatives, investment programs, and annual events. The core offerings include the Founders Roundtable, The Pitch program, CEO Roundtables, Building Bridges Fellowship Program, AWE Ventures investment initiative, and the Iris Newman Award recognition program. AWE does not offer a unified software product but rather provides networking, educational, and capital access services to women entrepreneurs in the Greater Philadelphia region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AWE Ventures: AWE Ventures — Powered by Ben Franklin is an initiative that matches AWE's network supporting women in entrepreneurship with Ben Franklin's investment leadership, featuring a crowd-funded capital pool for women-led startups, mentorship programs, and events/workshops.
• Building Bridges Fellowship Program
• Iris Newman Award
• The Pitch

Quantifiable outcome

• Companies in AWE's portfolio have raised over $50M in investment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Wells FargocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWells Fargo serves as a Gold Partner for AWE Ventures, providing sponsorship support and visibility. The partnership aligns Wells Fargo's commitment to women-owned businesses with AWE's mission to support women entrepreneurs. Wells Fargo's participation as a Gold sponsor provides significant funding for AWE's programs.
• SEI Private Wealth ManagementstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerSEI Private Wealth Management partners with AWE to host CEO Roundtables, providing a forum for women business leaders to discuss strategic challenges and opportunities. The partnership provides SEI visibility among AWE's network of CEOs while enhancing AWE programming.
• Wharton Small Business Development CenterstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Wharton SBDC partnered with AWE on survey research to better understand the needs and challenges of women entrepreneurs in the region. The partnership provides research-backed insights that inform AWE's programming decisions.
• University City Science CenterstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe University City Science Center partners with AWE on events and programming, connecting AWE's network of women entrepreneurs with the broader Philadelphia innovation ecosystem. The partnership provides venue access, cross-promotion, and collaborative programming.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC): Largest certifier of women-owned businesses in the U.S., providing certification, access to corporate buyers, and networking. Comparable mission of supporting women business owners but with a broader corporate-supplier-diversity focus versus AWE's investor-matching emphasis.
• Catalyst: Global non-profit promoting women in leadership through research, advisory, and inclusion initiatives. Compares as a large-scale membership and advisory organization advancing women in business, though more research-focused than AWE's community programming.

Direct peers

• Ellevate Network: Global professional network for women offering mentorship, events, and connections. Directly comparable as a community-driven, membership-based organization supporting women in business with similar peer-learning and capital-access programming.
• Golden Seeds: Angel investor network focused on women-led companies, combining investment capital with mentorship and networking. Comparable to AWE Ventures in funding women founders while building investor and mentor community similar to AWE's 22% VC membership.
• Project Entrepreneur: Non-profit program supporting underrepresented founders through accelerators, pitch competitions, and investor networks. Comparable structure to AWE's Pitch and AWE Ventures programming for women-led early-stage companies.
• Springboard Enterprises: Accelerator network for women entrepreneurs seeking venture capital, with cohort programs connecting founders to investors. Comparable to AWE's The Pitch program and AWE Ventures in building capital-access pathways for women-led companies.
• National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO): National membership organization for women business owners providing networking, education, and advocacy. Directly comparable as a peer-driven community supporting women founders, though at national scale versus AWE's regional Philadelphia focus.
• Women Presidents Organization (WPO): Membership organization for women presidents and CEOs of multimillion-dollar companies, offering peer advisory groups and forums. Closely aligned with AWE's CEO Roundtable model targeting established women-led high-growth companies.

Emerging players

• Female Founders Fund: Early-stage venture fund investing in women-led companies, providing capital alongside community. Comparable in addressing women-founder funding gaps, though operating as a fund rather than a membership organization like AWE.
• AnitaB.org: Non-profit advancing women in technology through programs, research, and community. Comparable as a mission-driven organization supporting women in technical and entrepreneurial careers, though more tech-focused than AWE's vertical-agnostic approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/356345064385943
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10244190
• Xx.com/phillyawe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs