Alliance of Channel Women

What Alliance of Channel Women does

Alliance of Channel Women, Inc. (ACW) is a U.S. not-for-profit organization founded in 2010 and headquartered in Orange, California, dedicated to accelerating the careers and leadership of women in the telecom and IT indirect sales channel. ACW serves two distinct constituencies: individual women in channel leadership, ownership, and revenue-generating roles seeking mentorship, networking, education, and advocacy; and corporate technology companies in the telecom, IT, cloud, and cybersecurity sectors that sponsor ACW to support diversity and inclusion goals and access the channel community. Membership is sold on an annual, automatically renewing subscription basis, and the organization is sustained by a second revenue stream of tiered corporate sponsorships (Diamond, Platinum, Silver, Strategic Partner).

ACW's core product is the ACWConnect Member Portal, launched in April 2026 and built on the Hivebrite community engagement platform in partnership with BuzzTheory. The portal centralizes year-round member engagement through interest-based groups tied to local chapters, virtual chapters, committees, and mentoring programs; forum discussions on career growth, leadership, and industry trends; a people directory; direct messaging; an event registration hub; and a media center for thought leadership and member resources. Surrounding the portal, ACW delivers a structured mentoring program, an annual awards program with five categories (LEAD, EMPOWER, INSPIRE, IMPACT, and Sponsor Awards), 30 local chapters across the United States, a Virtual Chapter for remote members, monthly webinars on professional development topics, and a job board. The signature annual event, ACWConnect Live!, is co-located with the Channel Partners Conference & Expo in Las Vegas.

ACW generates revenue through annual individual membership dues (auto-renewed, non-refundable, non-transferable) and multi-tier corporate sponsorships from technology channel companies including RingCentral (10-year sponsor), Telesystem, RapidScale/Cox Business, Ooma, Ostra Cybersecurity, AppDirect, Vonage, GTS, and BuzzTheory. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and led by an all-volunteer committee structure across Technology, Membership, Mentoring, Communications, DEI&B, Awards, and Local Chapters functions. ACW does not disclose financial results, has no parent company, and operates under California nonprofit law.

Name

Alliance of Channel Women

Legal name

Alliance of Channel Women, Inc.

Website

https://allianceofchannelwomen.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Alliance of Channel Women is a U.S. not-for-profit founded in 2010 that advances women's careers in the telecom and IT technology channel through annual memberships, corporate sponsorships, 30 local chapters, mentoring, awards, and the ACWConnect member portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association — Women in Technology Channel

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Unified Communications & Contact Center for Workplace (UCaaS/VoIP, Meeting Rooms) (BPAEAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Messaging & Team Collaboration (HDAIAHAE), Partner, Channel & Alliance Summits (THAHAMAC)

Keywords

• Women leadership programs
• Professional networking events
• Mentorship programs
• Community membership association
• Diversity inclusion advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Ana

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. Annual Membership Dues: Membership is sold as annual subscriptions valid for one year from purchase date, with automatic renewal. Members gain access to the member portal, local chapters, mentoring programs, webinars, events, and other member-only resources and benefits.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors at various tiers (Diamond, Platinum, Silver, Strategic Partner) provide financial and in-kind support in exchange for brand visibility, access to the ACW community, and alignment with ACW's diversity and inclusion mission. Sponsors include RingCentral, Telesystem, BuzzTheory, Ooma, GTS, AppDirect, Vonage, Ostra, RapidScale, and others.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Alliance of Channel Women (ACW) is a not-for-profit membership organization that provides community, education, mentorship, and advocacy programs for women in leadership roles in the telecom and IT sales channel. Its core offering is an annual individual membership that grants access to the ACWConnect Member Portal, 30 local chapters, a virtual chapter, mentoring circles, webinars, and signature events such as ACWConnect Live!. Corporate sponsorship packages (Diamond, Platinum, Silver, Strategic Partner) provide the second core revenue stream.

Product overview

Alliance of Channel Women operates as a single-product nonprofit organization with ACWConnect as its core web-based member portal, complemented by a suite of community programs. The ACWConnect Member Portal, built on the Hivebrite community engagement platform, serves as the primary digital hub through which all member engagement flows, including interest-based groups, forum discussions, a people directory, event registration, and resource access. Surrounding the portal, ACW offers a Mentoring Program with structured mentor-mentee matching, an annual Awards Program spanning five award categories (LEAD, EMPOWER, INSPIRE, IMPACT, and Sponsor Awards), 30 Local Chapters hosting in-person regional meetups, a Virtual Chapter for remote members, and Virtual Events featuring live and recorded webinars on professional development topics relevant to the technology channel. The Job Board provides additional career resources. All programs are accessible through the ACWConnect portal and the public website at allianceofchannelwomen.org.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACWConnect Member Portal Web-based member portal (members.allianceofchannelwomen.org) that serves as the centralized hub for ACW members to connect, collaborate, and engage with the ACW community year-round through interest-based groups, forum discussions, a people directory, event registration, direct messaging, and a media center for ACW news and thought leadership.
• ACW Mentoring Program Structured mentorship initiative that pairs experienced channel professionals with ACW members seeking career guidance, professional development, and leadership growth in the technology channel.
• ACW Awards Program Annual awards program recognizing female leaders and allies in the technology channel through multiple award categories: LEAD Award, EMPOWER Award, INSPIRE Award, IMPACT Award, and Sponsor Awards (Legacy, Vanguard, Community Champion, Rising Star, Diamond Legacy).
• ACW Local Chapters Regional member groups hosting in-person meetups and events across 30 Local Chapters throughout the United States. Events are free and open to members and their guests.
• ACW Virtual Chapter Virtual community within ACWConnect that enables members who do not have access to a local chapter to participate in the ACW community, engage in groups, and attend events remotely.
• ACW Virtual Events (Webinars) Live and recorded webinars and videocasts delivered by the all-volunteer Education Committee, covering topics such as sales leadership, authentic leadership, emotional intelligence, career advancement, wealth, IoT, cybersecurity, SD-WAN, and the C-Suite. Replays available to members.
• ACW Job Board Online job board listing career opportunities relevant to ACW members in the technology channel, accessible through the ACW website.
• Corporate Sponsorships Tiered corporate sponsorship packages (Diamond, Platinum, Silver, Strategic Partner) providing technology channel companies with brand visibility, access to the ACW community, and alignment with the organization's diversity and inclusion mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• ACW has grown to 30 Local Chapters across the United States
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• BuzzTheorycoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic partner that led the development of the ACWConnect member portal. BuzzTheory worked with ACW's Technology and Membership Committees over nearly a year to build the platform enabling members to join interest groups, participate in forums, access a people directory, and register for events.
• RingCentralflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner10-year Platinum sponsor and Community Champion Sponsor Award winner 2025. RingCentral supports ACW through sponsorship, employee participation in programs, and channel marketing. Multiple RingCentral employees serve as ACW board members, committee chairs, and event speakers.
• TelesystemflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor and Vanguard Sponsor Award winner 2025. Telesystem's commitment to ACW starts at the top with CRO Bruce Wirt advocating for women in the industry. The company provides networking, volunteering and mentoring programs that benefit ACW members.
• OomamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLegacy Sponsor Award winner 2025. Long-term supporter of ACW's mission to advance women in the technology channel.
• Ostra CybersecuritymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor and Rising Star Sponsor Award winner 2024. Ostra recognizes the importance of diversity and inclusion as a driver for innovation and collaborates with ACW to build a more inclusive workplace and build Ostra's future in the channel.
• RapidScalemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond sponsor and Diamond Legacy Sponsor Award winner 2024. RapidScale sponsors ACW because advancing women in leadership is 'top of mind' for the company, aligned with ACW's mission.
• AppDirectmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor of ACWConnect Live! 2026. AppDirect supports ACW events and programs, with executives serving as event moderators and panel participants.
• VonagemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of ACWConnect Live! 2026. Vonage supports ACW's mission and programs through sponsorship and executive participation.
• GTS (Global Telecom Solutions)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerRising Star Sponsor Award winner 2025. New sponsor that has enthusiastically embraced ACW's mission and made an immediate impact on the ACW community.
• Dress for SuccesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACW's Philanthropy Committee partners with Dress for Success to support women through fundraising and community initiatives. ACW co-founder Nancy Ridge highlighted this partnership as an impactful collaboration.
• Women in TechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACW has an impactful partnership with Women in Tech organization for DEI&B initiatives and member programming.
• Channel Partners Conference & ExpoflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerACWConnect Live! is the signature event that kicks off the Channel Partners Conference & Expo annually. The partnership provides a platform for ACW programming, networking, and awards presentations.
• HivebritecoreTechnology or IntegrationACW uses Hivebrite's community engagement platform for its ACWConnect member portal (members.allianceofchannelwomen.org).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Girls in Tech: Girls in Tech is a nonprofit focused on women in technology with mentorship, education, and career programs — comparable mission but oriented earlier in the career funnel and less channel-specific than ACW.
• Women Who Code: Women Who Code is a global nonprofit community supporting women in technical careers through events, mentoring, and local chapters — comparable community-driven model but focused on software engineering rather than the telecom/IT channel.

Broad incumbents

• National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT): NCWIT is a nonprofit coalition working to increase women's participation in computing and technology — comparable in DEI-focused mission but operates at an academic/industry-policy level rather than as an individual-membership professional association.
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE): SWE is a large, established professional society advancing women in engineering and technology through mentoring, awards, and conferences — broader in technical scope than ACW but operates a comparable membership, sponsorship, and chapter-based model.
• The National Association of Female Executives (NAFE): NAFE is one of the largest U.S. membership associations for women professionals, offering networking, education, and recognition programs — comparable in professional women's membership model but operating across all industries rather than the tech channel specifically.

Direct peers

• Women in Technology International (WITI): WITI is a global professional organization for women in technology offering networking, mentoring, and leadership programs — comparable to ACW in mission, member services, and corporate-sponsor revenue model.
• AnitaB.org: AnitaB.org (formerly the Anita Borg Institute) advances women in computing and technology through programs, events, and corporate partnerships — a directly comparable professional women's tech organization with a similar sponsor-driven funding model.
• Women in Tech (WiT): Women in Tech is a global nonprofit with a DEI and career-advancement mission for women in technology, and is explicitly listed as an ACW strategic partner — comparable in mission, programming, and corporate-sponsor model.
• Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT): WICT is a professional association for women in the cable and telecommunications industry, providing mentorship, leadership development, and networking — directly comparable to ACW's women-in-telecom-channel mission and member-facing programming model.

Regional players

• Women in Communications and Technology (WCT): WCT is a Canadian-based association for women in communications and technology with a parallel professional-development, networking, and awards model to ACW — directly comparable as a women's tech association but operating in Canada rather than the U.S.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AllianceofCW
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCW6D68kFJoeUt9b63VcrU2g
• Facebookfacebook.com/AllianceofChannelWomen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/allianceofchannelwomen
• Instagraminstagram.com/goacw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Channel Women