WE NYC

What WE NYC does

WE NYC is a public-sector initiative operated by the New York City Department of Small Business Services, founded in 2014 to support women entrepreneurs across all five NYC boroughs. It was the first city-led program of its kind in a major American city and serves individual women business owners — particularly women of color (about 60% of participants) and Latinx women (at least 30%) — by providing free programming on business startup, growth, and operations. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery runs on a standard WordPress-based website, Eventbrite for event registration, Constant Contact for newsletters, and an interactive LiveXYZ-powered map of women-owned businesses.

The program's service portfolio is organized around three core offerings: WE Master, which delivers workshops and one-on-one financial counseling on funding, credit, and leadership; WE Connect, a networking and mentorship program pairing participants with successful women entrepreneurs in one-on-one and group formats; and WE Legal, which provides free consultations with NYC law firms on topics including business structure, commercial leases, contracts, and intellectual property, including COVID-19 pro bono assistance through Start Small Think Big. Foundational research published in 2015 engaged more than 1,500 women entrepreneurs, and a 5-year impact report released in 2020 documented outcomes such as 56% growth attribution among respondents and a 2x business-stage advancement rate for repeat participants.

Commercially, WE NYC has no revenue model in the conventional sense: all services are delivered free of charge, the program is fully funded by the NYC Department of Small Business Services, and the NYC Economic Development Corporation holds the website copyright. The primary funding partner for foundational research was Citi Community Development, and operational referrals flow through NYC Business Solutions Centers, Workforce1 Career Centers, and other SBS channels. As a government program rather than an investable enterprise, value creation is measured in participant outcomes and downstream NYC small-business economic activity rather than financial return.

Name

WE NYC

Legal name

NYC Economic Development Corporation

Website

https://we.nyc

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WE NYC is a free, government-funded initiative of the NYC Department of Small Business Services that provides education, mentorship, networking, and legal services to women entrepreneurs across New York City's five boroughs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Small Business Support Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN)

Keywords

• Women entrepreneur support
• Small business services
• Business mentorship programs
• Free legal consultations
• Entrepreneurship workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded public service: WE NYC is a free initiative funded by the NYC Department of Small Business Services. The organization provides free services to women entrepreneurs at no cost to participants.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

WE NYC is a free city government initiative of the NYC Department of Small Business Services that provides women entrepreneurs in New York City with workshops (WE Master covering funding, credit, and leadership), networking and mentorship events (WE Connect, including one-on-one and group formats), and pro bono legal consultations (WE Legal) with NYC's top law firms. Services are offered in multiple languages across all five boroughs at no cost to participants.

Product overview

WE NYC is an initiative by the NYC Department of Small Business Services offering free programs and services for women entrepreneurs across the five boroughs. The core service portfolio consists of three main programs: WE Master provides workshops and financial/leadership training (Funding, Credit, and Leadership tracks); WE Connect offers networking events and mentorship (one-on-one and group formats); and WE Legal provides free legal consultations with NYC law firms. The initiative also connects participants to other SBS services and offers resources including startup guides and the Shop Your City Map for discovering women-owned businesses. Services are available in multiple languages and across all five NYC boroughs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WE Master: Tools and tips that empower women to flourish while refining their unique and varied skill sets. Includes funding workshops, credit improvement sessions with certified financial counselors, and leadership training.
• WE Connect
• WE Legal

Products and services

• WE Master

Quantifiable outcome

• 56% of respondents said WE NYC helped them grow their business in the past 12 months
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• NYC Department of Small Business ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWE NYC is an initiative based out of the NYC Department of Small Business Services. The parent organization provides funding, infrastructure, and operational support for the program.
• NYC Economic Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYC EDC holds copyright for WE NYC materials and appears to be the parent organization managing the initiative.
• Start Small Think BigsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOVID-19 related legal assistance is provided through the Start Small Think Big COVID-19 Pro Bono Collaborative.
• New York Women in Business (NYWIB)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed on the WE NYC Resources page.
• Women.NYCsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed on the WE NYC Resources page.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: Major foundation focused on entrepreneurship research and education; comparable as a funder/research producer that has historically funded women-entrepreneurship research analogous to WE NYC's foundational report.
• Start Small Think Big: Nonprofit providing pro bono legal and business services to small businesses and entrepreneurs; comparable in delivering free, high-quality professional services (including COVID-era pro bono) to NYC small businesses.

Direct peers

• SCORE: National nonprofit providing free mentorship and business education to entrepreneurs; directly comparable in offering free workshops, one-on-one mentoring, and networking — the same core mix as WE Connect and WE Master.
• Women's Business Centers (WBC): SBA-affiliated centers specifically serving women entrepreneurs with training, mentoring, and access to capital — the closest federal analogue to WE NYC's focused women-entrepreneur mission.
• National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO): National membership organization advancing women business owners through networking, education, and advocacy — comparable in serving as a community and resource platform for women entrepreneurs.
• Small Business Development Centers (SBDC): SBA-funded network offering no-cost business consulting, training, and access to capital; operates a parallel free-services model serving women and minority entrepreneurs across the US.

Broad incumbents

• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses: Large, well-capitalized program offering business education, mentorship, and capital access to small businesses — comparable service mix but at a broader demographic scope and with substantially deeper funding.
• NYC Department of Small Business Services: Parent organization of WE NYC and the broader municipal small-business support apparatus; comparable as the entity that funds and houses WE NYC and provides the distribution backbone.

Emerging players

• Black Girl Ventures: Nonprofit supporting Black and Brown women entrepreneurs through funding, community, and education — comparable in mission focus on underrepresented women entrepreneurs and grassroots programming model.

Regional players

• Women's Enterprise Development Center (WEDC): New York-based nonprofit supporting women entrepreneurs with training and capital access — directly comparable in mission and geography, but operates as an independent nonprofit rather than a city-government initiative.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nycsbs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NYCgov
• Facebookfacebook.com/NYC SBS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/we-nyc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 WE NYC