Women's Bond Club

What Women's Bond Club does

Women's Bond Club (legal entity Woman's Bond Club, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1921 by Betty Cook, one of the earliest female bond traders on Wall Street. Headquartered in New York, it serves women executives and rising talent in the U.S. financial services industry through two membership tiers: individual membership ($1,200 in annual dues, gated by 5 years of financial services experience, 2 reference letters from current members, attendance at 2 events, and board approval) and corporate membership (45+ tier-one firms and specialty boutiques, including Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, BlackRock, Citi, BNY Mellon, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Apollo, PIMCO, State Street, Barclays, UBS, and the Big 4). Membership now exceeds 2,000 individuals.

The organization operates a portfolio of programs rather than a technology product: the annual Merit Award Gala at the Museum of Natural History, the Rising Star Leadership Development Program, a formal Mentoring Program operationalizing a "personal board of directors" concept, a Scholarship Program ($3.4M awarded since inception to 141 scholars since 2000), and monthly thought-leadership and networking events. Technology is limited to standard website and membership-management platforms, with Protiviti serving as a technology support partner. The 2023 additions of a Virtual Membership tier and the inaugural Boston Chapter (launched at State Street offices) represent the first material expansions beyond the New York Metro footprint and beyond in-person-only engagement, while the corporate roster has been broadened to include men alongside women.

Revenue is generated through recurring individual membership dues, recurring corporate membership fees (pricing not publicly disclosed), and event sponsorships, particularly from the annual Gala. The organization is governed by a board of directors comprising executives from member firms, currently co-led by Co-Presidents Alarice Lonergan (IBM) and Kim Bozzella (Protiviti), with Perrin Abbondanza serving as Executive Director. WBC functions less as a venture-backable business and more as a durable, self-sustaining industry institution whose strategic value derives from its 100+ year brand, cross-firm executive network, and institutionalized convening role.

Name

Women's Bond Club

Legal name

Woman's Bond Club, Inc.

Website

https://womensbondclub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women's Bond Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1921 that serves 2,000+ women executives and rising talent across 45+ U.S. financial services firms through individual and corporate memberships, programs, events, and scholarships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Dues: Individual members pay annual dues of $1,200 per year. Members must complete a multi-step application process including resume verification (5 years of financial services experience required), 2 reference letters from current members, and attendance at 2 events before board review and approval.
2. Corporate Membership: Corporate member firms pay membership fees to be part of WBC's network. Firms designate a liaison and have their roster of employees as members. New corporate members require confirmation from the firm WBC liaison for approval.
3. Event Sponsorships: Events are typically sponsored and hosted by member firms, generating sponsorship revenue. The annual Gala is a marquee event that raises funds for charitable programs and scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Women's Bond Club is an invitation-only professional membership organization for women in financial services, founded in 1921. It sells Individual Membership ($1,200/year with eligibility requirements) and Corporate Membership to 45+ leading financial services firms, delivering networking events, the signature annual Gala at the Museum of Natural History, the Rising Star Leadership Development Program, formal mentoring, and a scholarship program.

Product overview

Women's Bond Club (WBC) is a professional membership organization, not a software product. It offers a portfolio of programs and services for women in financial services: the core annual Merit Award Gala, Rising Star Leadership Development Program, formal Mentoring Program, and Scholarship Program (awarding $3.4M since inception). The organization provides ongoing events and workshops for thought leadership and networking. Membership tiers include Individual ($1200/year with eligibility requirements) and Corporate membership (45+ firms). Recent expansions include Virtual Membership (2023) for remote employees and the inaugural Boston Chapter (2023) extending beyond New York.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rising Star Leadership Development Program: Program providing role models and support to the next generation of leaders in financial services
• Boston Chapter
• Virtual Membership

Products and services

• Individual Membership
• Corporate Membership
• Virtual Membership
• WBC Annual Gala (Merit Award Dinner)
• Rising Star Leadership Development Program
• Mentoring Program
• Scholarship Program
• Events and Workshops
• Boston Chapter

Named customers18 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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and flagship.

• ProtivitiminorOthersProtiviti is listed as the company powering the WBC website and provides technology support. Protiviti's Kim Bozzella serves as Co-President of WBC's Board.
• Museum of Natural HistoryflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual WBC Gala (Merit Award Dinner) is hosted at the Museum of Natural History, one of the premiere events for the financial services industry.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Forte Foundation: Nonprofit partnership of leading companies and business schools focused on launching women into business and finance careers; overlaps with WBC's Rising Star and scholarship mission but targets earlier-career candidates.
• National Association of Female Executives (NAFE): One of the largest U.S. membership associations for women professionals; overlaps in audience and member-benefit structure but is industry-agnostic rather than finance-focused.

Others

• Tiger 21: Peer-learning membership organization for high-net-worth individuals, many in finance; comparable paid-membership, group-meeting model with high annual dues, focused on asset-allocator demographics.
• The Executive Leadership Council (ELC): Membership organization of Black executives, including many in financial services; comparable professional association model with corporate memberships, mentorship, and recognition events but different demographic focus.

Direct peers

• Women in ETFs (WE): Global membership organization for women in the ETF/investment management industry; comparable profile as a women-in-finance networking, education, and corporate membership body.
• 100 Women in Finance: Global peer network for women in finance spanning hedge funds, private equity, and alternatives; comparable member structure, scholarship programs, and industry event cadence to WBC.
• Financial Women's Association: NYC-based professional membership organization for women in financial services, offering networking events, mentoring, scholarships, and an annual dinner — directly overlapping WBC's mission, NYC base, and member value proposition.
• International Women's Forum (IWF): Invitation-only global membership organization of accomplished women leaders across industries, including finance; comparable in audience, member-driven leadership forums, and recognition events.
• 85 Broads: Members-only global women’s network originally formed by Goldman Sachs female alumni; similar invitation model, financial services audience, and event-driven engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Catalyst: Global nonprofit focused on workplace inclusion for women across all industries, including financial services; serves corporate members with research, advisory, and events — adjacent to WBC's DEI value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wbcny
• Facebookfacebook.com/Womens-Bond-Club-10150109394880603
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/womens-bond-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Women's Bond Club