The Story Exchange

What The Story Exchange does

The Story Exchange is an award-winning nonprofit media organization founded in 2011 by Victoria Wang, a former bank executive, and Sue Williams, a filmmaker. Headquartered in New York, it produces editorial content — articles, documentary-style videos, and original podcast series — centered on women entrepreneurs, as well as women in science, politics, business, and culture. Its flagship initiative, the 1,000+ Stories Project, is an open archive featuring more than 1,000 women entrepreneur profiles sourced globally, complemented by a biweekly email newsletter and active social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and BlueSky.

The organization's technology consists of a standard digital media publishing platform (thestoryexchange.org) and podcast production and distribution capabilities, with content distributed across Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud, Stitcher, Pocket Casts, PRX, and YouTube Music. Podcast franchises include 'Seasoned' (culinary pioneers), 'Terrifying Weather Events' (climate), 'The State of Abortion' (Webby-nominated), 'The Making of California Baby' (entrepreneur profile), and the annual 'Women to Watch in Science' list. No AI/ML capabilities, mobile apps, APIs, or proprietary technology products are disclosed.

The Story Exchange operates as a nonprofit funded by donations and philanthropic support rather than commercial revenue. All content is freely accessible to consumers, with no subscription, advertising, or licensing revenue model. The audience — entrepreneurial women, women founders, and women in science — is horizontal and consumer-facing, and the organization is independently controlled by its co-founders with no disclosed institutional investors, parent company, or acquisition activity.

Name

The Story Exchange

Legal name

The Story Exchange

Website

https://thestoryexchange.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Story Exchange is a nonprofit media organization founded in 2011 that produces articles, videos, and podcasts spotlighting women entrepreneurs and women in science, politics, and culture for a free global audience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Media Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Newsletter & Email Digest Aggregators (MPACAKAG)

Keywords

• Women entrepreneurship media
• Nonprofit digital publishing
• Podcast production
• Documentary storytelling
• Women in business content

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit media organization, The Story Exchange relies on donations and philanthropic support to fund its operations and content production.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Story Exchange is a nonprofit media organization that produces and freely distributes inspirational content about women entrepreneurs through original podcast series, video features, articles, and a biweekly newsletter. Its flagship asset is the 1,000+ Stories Project, an archive of more than 1,000 video and written profiles of women entrepreneurs from around the world, complemented by themed podcasts covering women in business, science, politics, and food culture.

Product overview

The Story Exchange is a nonprofit media organization that provides inspiration and information to entrepreneurial women through multiple channels. The core offerings include an award-winning podcast featuring stories of women entrepreneurs, the Seasoned podcast series on culinary pioneers, the 1,000+ Stories Project archive, a biweekly newsletter, and video content. These products work together to showcase diverse stories of women in business, science, politics, and food culture, serving as both inspiration and information resource for entrepreneurial women.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 1000+ Stories Project: An archive featuring more than 1,000 stories of women entrepreneurs from around the world
• Seasoned Podcast

Products and services

• The Story Exchange Podcast Original podcast series featuring interviews with women entrepreneurs about their personal and professional journeys, distributed across major podcast platforms. Aimed at entrepreneurial women and broader audiences interested in women-led businesses.
• 1,000+ Stories Project Archive of more than 1,000 stories featuring women entrepreneurs from around the world, with a submission form for entrepreneurs to share their stories. Aimed at entrepreneurial women seeking role models and inspiration.
• Video Content Documentary-style video features and interviews covering women entrepreneurs, scientists, and cultural figures across various topics. Aimed at audiences interested in women-led businesses, science, and culture.
• Biweekly Newsletter Biweekly email newsletter delivering inspiration and information about entrepreneurial women to subscribers. Aimed at entrepreneurial women and broader readers interested in women in business.
• Seasoned Podcast Original 6-episode podcast series exploring the chefs, writers, and restaurateurs who shaped American food culture, including coverage of Indigenous women chefs reviving Native American cuisine.
• The State of Abortion Podcast Webby-nominated podcast examining abortion access three years after the Dobbs decision, featuring interviews with healthcare providers.
• Terrifying Weather Events Podcast Climate-focused podcast series examining the impact of climate change through conversations with scientists, activists, and experts on extreme weather events.
• Women to Watch in Science List Annual editorial feature highlighting exceptional women scientists working on climate change and health, with public application and nomination process.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000+ women entrepreneurs featured in the archive
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Moth: Storytelling platform with live events and a flagship podcast featuring personal narratives; closely comparable in documentary-style first-person storytelling format and podcast distribution model.
• Girlboss: Digital media and community brand focused on women entrepreneurs and career content; directly comparable in audience (ambitious women, founders) and content format (editorial, multimedia storytelling).
• Create & Cultivate: Media and events company targeting women entrepreneurs and creatives; similar content-led approach with a community/submission element and comparable audience demographic.

Broad incumbents

• How I Built This (NPR/Gimlet): Flagship entrepreneur-storytelling podcast produced by NPR; same 'founder journey' editorial format and podcast-first audience, but anchored by a much larger incumbent newsroom.
• Refinery29: Large digital media brand with women-focused editorial and video; comparable in audience demographic and content formats, but broader scope and corporate scale.
• Hello Sunshine: Larger women-focused media company producing film, podcasts, books and editorial content; broader portfolio but overlaps heavily in audience and women-centric storytelling mission.
• SheKnows Media: Digital media publisher targeting women with editorial and video content; comparable in female-audience focus and multi-format publishing, but operates at much larger scale and is general-interest.

Emerging players

• Lean In Foundation: Nonprofit organization publishing resources, stories and circles for women in the workplace; comparable mission around women's empowerment and content-led community engagement.
• The Storyline (storytelling podcast): Storytelling-focused podcast and brand platform; overlaps in first-person narrative podcast format and women/founder audience segments.

Regional players

• Mamamia Women's Network: Australia-rooted women's digital media and podcast publisher with global reach; comparable multi-format women's content + podcast-led distribution model, though geographically anchored outside the U.S.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheStoryXchange
• Facebookfacebook.com/217187838327836
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thestoryexchange
• Instagraminstagram.com/thestoryexchange

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 The Story Exchange