Global Digital Women

What Global Digital Women does

Global Digital Women GmbH (GDW) is a Berlin-based diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consulting and events firm founded in 2018 by Marco Duller-Onaran and Tijen Onaran. The company delivers Female Empowerment events (Female Empowerment Days, conferences, panel discussions, keynotes, hackathons, and workshops), operates multi-year talent programs for women in digital professions (most prominently the BayFiD program with the Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs since 2019), and sells 12-month corporate cooperation packages that bundle event visibility, social-media reach, and access to the GDW-Insights partner platform. GDW states it has organized more than 400 events over approximately three years and positions itself as one of the leading companies in the German diversity and female-empowerment space rather than as a technology provider.

GDW operates as a professional-services business, not a proprietary-technology platform. Its infrastructure consists of standard marketing and event-procurement tooling (Salesforce CRM, MailChimp, Google Analytics, Strato hosting, YouTube, Vimeo). Revenue is generated through four streams: corporate consulting and DEI advisory retainers, event and panel production, public-sector talent programs, and sponsorship-driven award platforms (Digital Female Leader Award, FemBizSwiss Award). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; sales run via direct enterprise outreach and partnership inquiries submitted through the website. The legal entity (GDW Global Digital Women GmbH) is registered in Munich (Handelsregister B des Amtsgerichts München HRB 295343), with operational offices at Oranienstr. 183 in Berlin and Frauenplatz 11 in Munich, plus an additional registered address in Wallgau.

The customer base spans 15+ blue-chip enterprise partners across financial services (Deutsche Bank, PwC, EY, Hauck & Aufhäuser), transportation (Deutsche Bahn), telecommunications (Deutsche Telekom), technology (Adobe, NTT Data, Salesforce, Accenture), consumer goods (P&G, Philip Morris), insurance (AXA, Gothaer), media (Bertelsmann), and consulting (Porsche Consulting). The Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs represents the anchor public-sector relationship. The ecosystem is extended through sub-brands and IP including ACI Consulting (diversity advisory), the digital GDW Magazine, and the Yes She Can documentary distributed on Amazon Prime Video, with DACH-region operations and broader English-language reach via the website and international award formats.

Name

Global Digital Women

Legal name

GDW Global Digital Women GmbH

Website

https://global-digital-women.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global Digital Women (GDW) is a Berlin-based DEI consulting and events firm founded in 2018, serving enterprise and public-sector clients across the DACH region with female-empowerment events, multi-year talent programs, and 12-month corporate partnership packages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Diversity Consulting and Female Empowerment Events

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

Keywords

• Diversity consulting services
• Female empowerment events
• Corporate DEI advisory
• Women leadership programs
• Employer branding events

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Consulting & Diversity Advisory: GDW advises enterprises comprehensively on diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies. Consulting engagements are structured as 12-month partnerships with benefits including visibility, events, social media reach, and access to the GDW-Insights platform. This is the primary revenue driver via long-term corporate contracts.
2. Events & Panels: GDW organizes and delivers events (conferences, panel discussions, keynotes, hackathons, workshops) for corporate clients on a project/fee basis. They have realized over 400 events in approximately three years. Events include employer branding, talent acquisition, and Female Empowerment Day formats.
3. Talent Programs (BayFiD): Individual, long-term diversity projects for the public sector, including the BayFiD (Bayerische FiT Digital) talent program initiated with Judith Gerlach, Bavarian State Minister for Digital Affairs. GDW handles participant acquisition, communication, and event/workshop organization for these multi-year public-sector contracts.
4. Award Platforms (Digital Female Leader Award, FemBizSwiss Award): GDW organizes and stages the Digital Female Leader Award and the FemBizSwiss Award, which serve as brand-building and partnership-attraction platforms while generating sponsorship and event revenue.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Global Digital Women GmbH delivers diversity consulting, corporate partnerships, and event production for female empowerment and gender equality in business. Core offerings include the 12-month cooperation program for corporate clients (with visibility, events, social reach, and access to the GDW-Insights platform), Flagship event formats (Female Empowerment Day, panel discussions, hackathons, conferences, keynotes, workshops on- and offline), the BayFiD public-sector talent program for young women in digital careers, and the Digital Female Leader Award and FemBizSwiss Award ceremonies. The company supplements these services with the 'Yes She Can' documentary (Amazon Prime Video) and GDW Magazine content platform.

Product overview

Global Digital Women is a diversity consulting and events company offering a portfolio of products and services centered on female empowerment and gender equality in business. The core offering consists of Events & Panels (hackathons, conferences, panel discussions, keynotes, workshops on- and offline), the BayFiD talent program for young women in digital careers, and Kooperationen (corporate diversity partnerships). Supplementary offerings include the Yes She Can documentary and social media campaign, the Digital Female Leader Award and FemBizSwiss Award, GDW Magazine content platform, and GDW-Insights exclusive partner exchange. Services are delivered through consulting, events organization, networking facilitation, and visibility platforms for corporate partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Digital Female Leader Award: Award format recognizing digital innovation leaders among women, also referred to as DFLA
• BayFiD
• Yes She Can
• FemBizSwiss Award

Products and services

• Events & Panels Organized events including hackathons, conferences, panel discussions, keynotes, and workshops delivered on-site and online, focused on female empowerment with curated content from experts and role models. Delivered for corporate partners and the GDW community.
• Female Empowerment Day Flagship event format focused on female empowerment, delivering curated content, strong impulses, and experiential knowledge for women in German-speaking business. Used by inclusive employers for visibility to market and talent.
• BayFiD Talent Program (Bayerisches Talentprogramm für Frauen in Digitalberufe) Individual, long-term diversity talent program for the public sector in collaboration with the Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs, inspiring young women for digital career paths. Includes participant acquisition, communication, event and workshop organization.
• Kooperationen (Corporate 12-Month Cooperation Program) 12-month structured diversity partnerships with companies including benefits such as visibility, events, social reach, and access to the GDW-Insights exclusive partner sharing platform.
• Yes She Can Documentary & #TheTimeIsNow Campaign Initiative featuring a documentary about women changing the world and a social media campaign (#TheTimeIsNow) to bring gender diversity debate into society and initiate necessary changes. Distributed via Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.
• Digital Female Leader Award Annual award recognizing women leaders in digital innovation. The ceremony operates as a brand-building and partnership-attraction platform that also generates sponsorship and event revenue.
• FemBizSwiss Award Award recognizing female business leaders in Switzerland, part of GDW's award format portfolio. Operates as a brand-building, partnership-attraction, and sponsorship platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ events realized in approximately 3 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AdobeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a corporate partner on the GDW partner page. Adobe participates in GDW events and visibility campaigns as part of the partner network focused on diversity and female empowerment.
• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a corporate partner. Amazon (through its various business units including Amazon Business) has been involved in GDW activities including the Digital Female Leader Award and GDW events.
• AXAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a corporate partner on the GDW partner page. AXA participates in GDW events as part of the inclusive employer network.
• BertelsmannminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a corporate partner. Bertelsmann engages with GDW through events and visibility initiatives as part of its diversity and inclusion strategy.
• DATEVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a corporate partner. DATEV participates in GDW events and partnership programs.
• Deutsche BahncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey strategic partner of GDW. Deutsche Bahn collaborates on diversity programs including 'Chance Plus' (vocational preparation for disadvantaged youth) and 'Scoring Girls Ausbildung' (supporting young women from diverse backgrounds). Martin Seiler (DB) has authored guest articles on GDW platforms. DB is one of the most prominently featured partners.
• Deutsche BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey corporate partner. Deutsche Bank participates in GDW community Q&A sessions on diversity and female leadership. The bank is featured as a GDW partner for Employer Branding and DEI initiatives.
• EYminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a corporate partner on the GDW partner page.
• GothaerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a corporate partner on the GDW partner page.
• Hauck & AufhäuserminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a corporate partner on the GDW partner page.
• NTT DataminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a corporate partner on the GDW partner page.
• P&G (Procter & Gamble)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a corporate partner on the GDW partner page.
• Philip MorrisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a corporate partner on the GDW partner page.
• Porsche ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a corporate partner on the GDW partner page. Porsche Consulting is featured as a partner in GDW's network of inclusive employers.
• PwCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey strategic partner. PwC Deutschland participates in GDW events and contributed Pride content via their Inclusion & Diversity Leader Aynur Norman. PwC is listed among the core partners working with GDW on DEI initiatives.
• Deutsche TelekomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner featured in GDW activities. Deutsche Telekom is a sponsor of GDW events and provides protagonists for the 'Yes She Can' documentary (Kenza Ait Si Abbou, Senior Manager Robotics & AI). Barbara Costanzo from Deutsche Telekom participated in GDW Remote Talks on digital civility.
• AccenturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed partner that contributes content to GDW platforms. Sarah Steiger (Pride Lead Switzerland, Accenture) authored Pride statements via GDW's platform. Accenture's diversity and inclusion initiatives are showcased through the GDW partnership.
• SalesforcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured partner. Vanessa Gentile (Director Alliance & Channel Switzerland, Salesforce) was interviewed by GDW on IT careers for women. Salesforce's 'Bring Women Back to Work' program is discussed via GDW platforms. Salesforce is also associated with the FemBizSwiss Award as a jury member organization.
• AllBright FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit foundation and co-protagonist in the 'Yes She Can' documentary. Dr. Wiebke Ankersen (Managing Director) appears in the documentary advocating for more women in leadership. The AllBright Foundation is a leading German-Swedish non-profit focused on gender diversity in business leadership.
• Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs (BayFiD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment client and strategic partner. Judith Gerlach (Bavarian State Minister for Digital Affairs) is both initiator of the BayFiD talent program and a protagonist in the 'Yes She Can' documentary. GDW has been implementing the BayFiD program since 2019.
• Amazon Prime VideominorGTM or Marketing PartnerDistribution partner for the 'Yes She Can – Frauen verändern die Welt' documentary. The documentary was released exclusively on Amazon Prime Video from May 2021, extending GDW's reach to a broad consumer audience.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Catalyst: Established global non-profit focused on workplace inclusion and gender equity, providing research, advisory, and events for multinational employers. A scaled, broader incumbent in the same D&I advisory space, but with a global rather than DACH-centric footprint.
• HeForShe / UN Women: UN Women's global solidarity movement for gender equality, partnering with corporates and running campaigns, events, and content. Operates in the same gender-equality narrative space as GDW, with a global rather than DACH-specific remit and a non-profit funding base.

Direct peers

• Business and Professional Women (BPW) Germany: Established German chapter of the international BPW federation, a membership-based professional women's network running events, mentoring, and advocacy. Comparable network-and-events model targeting female professionals and corporate D&I partners in Germany.
• Charta der Vielfalt e.V. Germany's leading corporate D&I association, with a large member network of companies that sign a diversity charter and access D&I programming. Highly comparable to GDW's enterprise cooperation model and target buyer (corporate D&I and HR decision-makers in DACH).
• FEMALEFOUNDERS: DACH-based network and community for female founders, running events, mentorship, and corporate programs. Comparable to GDW in operating a community-driven, event-heavy model serving female professional and corporate partners.
• FemaleOneZero (F01Z): DACH-focused digital magazine and business community for women in leadership, with events, content, and a partner network. Directly comparable content + events + community model and DACH enterprise audience.
• AllBright Foundation: German-Swedish non-profit focused on women in business leadership, producing research, advocacy, and events — and an existing GDW partner on the 'Yes She Can' documentary. Operates in the same D&I/empowerment category with overlapping corporate and policy audiences in DACH.
• The Female Company: Germany-based female empowerment media and community company, producing content, events, and a podcast around women in business. Closely matches GDW's mix of community-building, content, and corporate visibility offerings in DACH.
• BücherFrauen e.V. German-speaking professional women's network in the publishing and media sector, running events, mentoring, and visibility programs. Comparable community/events model with a narrower industry focus, but overlapping DACH female-professional target audience.

Emerging players

• PowerToFly: US-based diversity-focused talent and events platform connecting women with employers, with corporate diversity partnerships and virtual events. Comparable events + corporate D&I demand-generation model, but US-centric and with a stronger technology platform than GDW.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gd_women
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnZlyjslJRNieFNcLIA26FQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-digital-women
• Instagraminstagram.com/global_digital_women
• Facebookfacebook.com/GlobalDigitalWomen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Global Digital Women