The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 in Palo Alto that runs a membership community, annual Incubator Program, mentoring circles, and corporate events to accelerate leadership development for professional women across the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley does
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, operating as a leadership incubator for professional women in the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley. Its stated mission is to help diverse women across industries and career levels accelerate their leadership journeys through high-impact programs, networking, and mentorship. The organization's core offering is the CLUB Incubator Program, an annual structured advocacy initiative launched in October 2015 that walks selected senior women leaders ('Incubees') through a curriculum organized around six 'honeycombs' — career development, personal brand, public profile, network expansion, community giving, and board service preparation. Complementary programs include Mentoring Circles, Micro Mentoring events (small-group facilitated discussions held in-person or via video breakout rooms), and Speaker Events. Documented cohorts include 2015 (7 Incubees averaging 21 years of experience from Adobe, Apple, Facebook, Tesla, Synopsys, Genesys, and Procopio), 2016 (10 Incubees), and 2017 (which added a Community Giving initiative spotlightting five external organizations). The CLUB runs on Wild Apricot third-party membership management software; no proprietary technology stack is disclosed.
The business model is a hybrid nonprofit funding stack. Revenue streams include individual membership dues (annual, application-based, pricing not publicly disclosed), individual donations including a $500 'CLUB Supporters Circle' tier, multi-tier corporate sponsorships (Platinum $10,001+, Gold $3,001–$10,000, Silver $1,000–$3,000, all annual), and fees from custom-designed corporate events and Micro Mentoring sessions co-developed with Bay Area companies' DEI, ERG, and CSR leads. Charter Sponsors Kilpatrick and Miller Sabino sit at the flagship tier, and Procopio is recognized as the Incubator program's generous sponsor. In-kind support includes a Google Grants award (free Google AdWords advertising). Go-to-market is community-led: prospective members apply via the website, acquisition is driven primarily by member referrals and personal introductions, and corporate partnerships extend reach via event hosting (40-100 attendees per event), conference-room space for Mentoring Circles and Incubator monthly meetings, and cross-promotion with partner conferences and organizations. The CLUB has 1-10 employees and is governed by a Board of Directors that includes Mary Fuller (Dean of Lincoln Law School of San Jose) and Alice Katwan; program leadership is provided by Founder Laraine McKinnon, Co-Director Kristi Royse (CEO of KLR Consulting), and Co-Director Mindy Morton (former Incubee). The organization has earned a Fast Company feature and is recognized for Incubator outcomes, but total revenue, current member count, and post-2017 cohort sizes are not disclosed.
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley
- Legal name
- The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley
- Website
- https://theclubsv.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 in Palo Alto that runs a membership community, annual Incubator Program, mentoring circles, and corporate events to accelerate leadership development for professional women across the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Women's Leadership Development Services
- NAICS
- Civic and Social Organizations (8134)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Adult/Public Speaking Clubs & Community Organizations (EDAMAOAI)
Keywords
Where The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Annual membership fees paid by individual professional women who apply and are accepted to join the CLUB. Open to women of all industries and career levels.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Multi-tier corporate sponsorship program with three published levels: Platinum ($10,001+), Gold ($3,001–$10,000), and Silver ($1,000–$3,000). Each tier includes memberships, panel events, mentoring sessions, event sponsorships, and website recognition.
- Individual Donations: Tax-deductible contributions from individuals in any amount. Includes the 'CLUB Supporters Circle' at $500 which grants free access to the Anniversary Party and two designated CLUB events per year plus newsletter subscription.
- Custom Corporate Event Fees: Fees collected for custom-designed co-developed events with Bay Area companies (DEI practitioners, ERGs, CSR leads), Micro Mentoring events, and other bespoke programming. Speaker honorariums and donations also accepted.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Platinum Sponsorship ($10,001+) |
| Other | Annual | Gold Sponsorship ($3,001–$10,000) |
| Other | Annual | Silver Sponsorship ($1,000–$3,000) |
| Other | Annual | CLUB Supporter ($500, Individuals Only) |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Membership Dues |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley is a 501(c)(3) non-profit leadership community for women professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its core offerings include individual annual membership, the annual CLUB Incubator Program for senior women leaders, Mentoring Circles, speaker panel events, Micro Mentoring sessions, and co-designed custom corporate events. Revenue comes from membership dues, multi-tier corporate sponsorships, individual tax-deductible donations, and custom event fees.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The CLUB Incubator: Annual leadership advocacy program for senior women leaders, founded by Laraine McKinnon, run by The CLUB of Silicon Valley since 2015.
Products and services
- Individual Membership Annual membership in The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley for professional women across all industries and career levels in the San Francisco Bay Area, providing access to networking events, mentoring circles, leadership programs, and the broader CLUB community. Membership is application-based with dues not publicly disclosed.
- The CLUB Incubator Program Annual structured leadership advocacy program for selected senior women leaders ("Incubees"), running from January through the year and built around six honeycombs: career development, personal brand, public profile, network expansion, community giving, and board service preparation. Unlike coaching or mentoring, the Incubator designs specific actions on behalf of Incubees to drive public recognition for their expertise and leadership.
- Mentoring Circles Small-group Mentoring Circles where CLUB members meet monthly in conference rooms provided by sponsor companies to discuss career progression, management, work/life balance, career pivots, personal brand, networking, and mentoring topics in a facilitated peer setting.
- Speaker Events and Micro Mentoring Recurring speaker panel events (40–100 attendees) hosted at Bay Area corporate partners, plus Micro Mentoring sessions in which a CLUB member facilitates small-group discussions (at tables or video breakout rooms) on topics such as career progression, management tips, work/life balance, career pivots, personal brand, networking, and mentoring, often kicked off with an optional panel featuring career stories.
- Custom Corporate Events Custom-designed, co-developed events for Bay Area companies, brainstormed with Diversity & Inclusion practitioners, Employee Resource Groups, Community Coordinators, and/or Corporate Social Responsibility leads; The CLUB develops the topic, sources speakers, moderators and/or facilitators, manages event registration and promotion, and brings its community to the event.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2015 Incubator pilot cohort of 7 senior women leaders with average 21 years of experience from companies including Tesla, Facebook, Synopsys, Genesys, Adobe, Apple, and Procopio
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- GooglecoreGoogle supports the CLUB through the Google Grants program, providing in-kind free online advertising via Google AdWords to registered nonprofit organizations that share Google's philosophy of community service in areas including science and technology, education, global public health, environment, youth advocacy and the arts.
- KilpatrickflagshipListed as a Charter Sponsor of the CLUB on the Why Sponsor page, indicating top-tier ongoing financial and reputational backing of the organization.
- Miller SabinoflagshipListed as a Charter Sponsor of the CLUB on the Why Sponsor page alongside Kilpatrick, indicating top-tier ongoing financial and reputational backing of the organization.
- Canopy coworking spacecoreListed as an official 'In Partnership with' collaborator on the CLUB homepage. Canopy coworking space supports CLUB operations including Mentoring Circles and Incubator Program monthly meetings.
- AdobecoreRecognized by the Incubator for contributions and support; Adobe employees have participated in the Incubator (e.g., 2015 Incubee Donna Kolnes from Adobe; 2015 cohort represented Adobe among 'a wide array of amazing companies including Adobe').
- GlassbreakersminorRecognized by the Incubator for contributions and support. Also referenced as a networking platform that connected a 2015 Incubee (Enterprise Sales Executive from Apple) with future 2016 Incubee Elizabeth DiGaetano.
- KLR ConsultingcoreRecognized by the Incubator for contributions and support. KLR Consulting CEO Kristi Royse serves as Co-Director and career development lead for the CLUB Incubator, and was a facilitator of board retreats for industry executives.
- Laurie Kretchmar AssociatesminorRecognized by the Incubator for contributions and support.
- LinkedInminorRecognized by the Incubator for contributions and support. LinkedIn is also heavily used by Incubees as a primary professional networking and resume platform.
- Olive Grove ConsultingminorRecognized by the Incubator for contributions and support.
- Bay Area Corporate Partners (event hosts)coreMultiple Bay Area companies host CLUB events (40-100 attendees), provide refreshments or video-conferencing tools, may fund speaker honorariums, and donate to the CLUB. Companies also provide conference rooms seating 10-20 for Mentoring Circles and Incubator monthly meetings. Custom events are co-designed with DEI practitioners, Employee Resource Groups, Community Coordinators, and CSR leads.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Watermark: Bay Area-based women's leadership and executive organization hosting events, mentoring, and board-readiness programs for senior women — a close regional analog to the CLUB's Incubator and events model.
- Springboard Enterprises: A nonprofit accelerator and community for women entrepreneurs and leaders, running cohort-based programs and a curated network — comparable to the CLUB's cohort-driven Incubator approach.
- Chief: A private membership community for senior women executives, focused on peer networking, mentoring, and leadership development — directly comparable to the CLUB's senior-women audience and programming.
- Ellevate Network: A long-running professional women's network offering membership, mentoring circles, and events for women across industries — directly comparable to the CLUB's community-led, mentoring-driven model.
- Athena Alliance: A membership organization dedicated to preparing senior women leaders for corporate board service — directly comparable to the CLUB's Incubator focus on board-readiness and public-profile building.
Broad incumbents
- Women in Technology International (WITI): A long-established global network for women in technology, offering mentoring, events, and leadership development — a broader incumbent serving a similar professional-women audience.
- AnitaB.org: A larger nonprofit focused on women in technology, running leadership programs, events, and a global community — broader in scope than the CLUB but operating in an adjacent women's leadership space.
Regional players
- Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FWE): Bay Area-based nonprofit supporting women entrepreneurs and executives through events, mentoring, and education — directly comparable programming and geography to the CLUB.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley social profiles
Digital presenceThe Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley
What does The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley do?
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley is a 501(c)(3) non-profit leadership community for women professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its core offerings include individual annual membership, the annual CLUB Incubator Program for senior women leaders, Mentoring Circles, speaker panel events, Micro Mentoring sessions, and co-designed custom corporate events. Revenue comes from membership dues, multi-tier corporate sponsorships, individual tax-deductible donations, and custom event fees.
Is The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley a public or private company?
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley founded?
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley was founded in 2012. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley based?
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships, individual Donations and custom Corporate Event Fees.
Who are The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Watermark, Springboard Enterprises, Chief, Ellevate Network and Athena Alliance. Broad incumbents are Women in Technology International (WITI) and AnitaB.org. Forum for Women Entrepreneurs (FWE) is listed as a regional player.
Does The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley.
What industry is The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley in?
The Women's CLUB of Silicon Valley's product category is Women's Leadership Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAOAI, Adult/Public Speaking Clubs & Community Organizations. Its NAICS code is 8134 and its SIC code is 8600.