Empowering Women as Leaders

What Empowering Women as Leaders does

Empowering Women as Leaders (EWL) is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in October 2004 by Carolyn Bondy that supports non-traditional age women (23+) pursuing their first bachelor's degree. The organization delivers three interlocking services — STAR Scholarships of $1,500 per semester, one-on-one professional mentoring, and ongoing networking — through a chapter-based operating model with five active locations in Dallas (founding chapter), Fort Worth, Austin, Houston, and Denver (launched 2025). Recipients, internally branded as STARs, must be enrolled at partner universities as second-semester freshmen through juniors, hold a 3.2+ GPA, qualify for FAFSA, and commit to 2–3 hours of mentoring per month.

The core program stack consists of the STAR Scholarship, a Mentoring Program that pairs each STAR with an established professional woman, and a Networking Program connecting current and alumni STARs. These are delivered in tandem through local chapters and rely on university-channel partnerships with Texas Woman's University (founding partner since 2004) and Texas State University (Austin chapter). EWL is not a technology company; its underlying stack is the Webflow marketing site (ewlusa.org), a contact form, and GiveButter donation pages configured at both national and chapter levels. There are no software products, APIs, AI/ML systems, or proprietary platforms disclosed.

EWL generates revenue entirely through donations and corporate sponsorships, organized into tiered packages (Executive, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Champion) at both the national and chapter level. National Executive/Platinum sponsors include Apex Catalyst Group and Primed Business Consulting; chapter sponsors include Charles Schwab and Texas Capital Bank (Dallas), ADP and Prosperity Bank (Fort Worth), the Kao Family Foundation (Austin), and Xcel Energy (Denver). Fundraising events — annual golf tournaments (e.g., Austin's third annual tournament raised over $15,000 with 100 players), Launch a Leader Luncheons, and STAR Signing and Graduation celebrations — serve as the primary GTM channels for donor acquisition, sponsor engagement, and community building. Headcount is reported in the 11–50 range; the organization has sponsored approximately 190 women over 20 years and disbursed roughly $500,000 in scholarships, with an 83% STAR graduation rate and a 3.65 alumni GPA.

Name

Empowering Women as Leaders

Legal name

Empowering Women as Leaders

Website

https://ewlusa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Empowering Women as Leaders (EWL) is a 501c3 non-profit, founded in 2004, that supports non-traditional age women (23+) pursuing their first bachelor's degree through scholarships ($1,500/semester), mentoring, and networking delivered via five U.S. chapters in Texas and Colorado.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Women's Education Support

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarships, Grants & Donor-Funded Awards Management (EDALAJAB), Alumni, Peer & Community Networking Programs (EDAMAKAM)

Keywords

• Women scholarship programs
• Nonprofit mentoring services
• Adult learner support
• Women leadership networking
• Community chapter programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: EWL is a 501c3 non-profit organization that generates revenue through individual donations (one-time and recurring), corporate sponsorships at various levels (Executive, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Champion), and chapter-specific fundraising campaigns. All donations support STAR scholarships, mentoring programs, and operational costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Empowering Women as Leaders (EWL) provides a STAR Scholarship Program delivering $1,500 per semester to non-traditional age women (23+) enrolled at partner universities, combined with one-on-one mentoring from professional women and networking opportunities throughout college and into careers. The program is delivered through five local chapters (Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Denver) in partnership with Texas Woman's University and Texas State University.

Product overview

Empowering Women as Leaders (EWL) is a non-profit organization offering a unified scholarship and support program for non-traditional age women. The core offering consists of the STAR Scholarship Program (providing $1,500 per semester plus mentoring) combined with mentoring and networking services. The organization operates through five local chapters (Austin, Dallas, Denver, Fort Worth, Houston) that deliver services at partnered universities including Texas Woman's University and Texas State University. This is not a technology platform but a direct-service non-profit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• STAR Scholarship Program
• Mentoring Program
• Networking Program
• Local Chapters Program (Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Denver)

Quantifiable outcome

• 83% graduation rate for STAR recipients compared to national average
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Texas Woman's UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding university partner since 2004. EWL's first scholarship program established with TWU's Dean. STARs at TWU receive $1,500/semester plus mentoring. Multiple chapters partner with TWU for student support.
• Texas State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner for Austin chapter. Austin STARs attend Texas State University San Marcos or Round Rock campuses.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• iMentor: iMentor pairs low-income students with professional mentors to support college graduation, directly comparable to EWL's one-on-one mentoring and graduation-rate-focused approach.
• American Association of University Women (AAUW): AAUW is a long-standing non-profit providing scholarships, fellowships, and leadership programs specifically for women in higher education, directly comparable to EWL's scholarship-plus-leadership model.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Big Brothers Big Sisters operates a chapter-based, mentor-pairing model for youth nationwide, comparable to EWL's chapter structure and long-term mentor matching approach.
• Scholarship America: Scholarship America is a 501c3 that administers large-scale scholarship programs funded by corporations, foundations, and individuals, closely comparable to EWL's scholarship administration and corporate sponsor structure.
• Step Up Women's Network: Step Up Women's Network mentors underserved high school girls through college and careers via mentoring and networking programs, comparable to EWL's mentoring-plus-networking model targeted at women.
• Girls Inc. Girls Inc. is a national non-profit with a chapter-based affiliate network empowering girls through education, mentoring, and leadership programs, comparable in mission and chapter distribution to EWL.
• Dress for Success: Dress for Success is a chapter-based 501c3 non-profit empowering women through workforce development support, mirroring EWL's chapter model, women's-focused mission, and multi-city U.S. footprint.

Regional players

• Hispanic Scholarship Fund: The Hispanic Scholarship Fund is a national non-profit providing scholarships and mentoring to Hispanic students, comparable in scholarship-plus-mentoring model but focused on a different demographic than EWL.
• United Negro College Fund (UNCF): UNCF is a major scholarship and education non-profit supporting African American students through scholarships and capacity building, comparable in mission to EWL but at significantly larger scale and a different demographic focus.

Broad incumbents

• YWCA USA: YWCA USA is a large, established chapter-based non-profit advancing women's empowerment, safety, and economic opportunity, comparable in mission and chapter-based service delivery but with a much broader programmatic scope than EWL.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EWLUSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ewlusa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ewl-empowering-women-as-leaders
• Instagraminstagram.com/empoweringwomenasleaders

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Empowering Women as Leaders