SheSays

What SheSays does

SheSays is an independent, non-hierarchical global network founded in London in 2007 by Alessandra Lariu and Laura Jordan Bambach to support women and non-binary people working in creative industries (advertising, marketing, design, film, media). It operates through 55+ volunteer-run city chapters delivering free monthly events, free one-on-one mentorship via the 'Who's Your Momma?' programme, and free advocacy campaigns including Pay Gap Pound, Believe Their Pain, and She Says We Act. The organization describes itself as the first and largest global network for creative women and non-binary people, claiming ~90,000 members, 1,593 speakers, 531+ events since 2007, and 37,170 people upskilled.

The core product portfolio is free to access and content/community-led. BOOM (launched 2019) is a free career advice tool; The WEI (Women with Epic Ideas, launched 2022) is a subscription career progression app with personalized monthly reads, courses, events, and coaching; Night School (launched September 2025) is a free short-form LinkedIn learning series covering Communication, Productivity, Problem Solving, and Collaboration. Underlying technology is intentionally lightweight — a WordPress-based website, Mailchimp for newsletters, WhatsApp community network, LinkedIn for content distribution, and Eventbrite for event registration. A flagship 2024 partnership with Hyper Island added fully UK Apprenticeship Levy-funded leadership courses (Team Leader L3, Coaching Professional L5, Senior Leader L7).

SheSays Ltd is registered in England (Company no. 7847111) with a UK headquarters at 15 Kenmure Rd, London, E8 1JY. The organization is structured as an independent not-for-profit that explicitly does not accept sponsors with personal agendas. Revenue mechanics consist of donations, member contributions, small-scale crowdfunding campaigns (notably $27,000 raised via iFundWomen for The WEI against a $38,000 target), and an unspecified 'small fee' for The WEI app. No institutional venture or private equity backing is evident, and the small paid staff (1–10) is supplemented by a large volunteer base of chapter leads and mentors.

Name

SheSays

Legal name

SheSays Ltd

Website

https://weareshesays.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SheSays is an independent global non-profit network, founded 2007 in London, running free mentorship, events, and advocacy for ~90,000 women and non-binary people in creative industries across 55+ cities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Networking Community

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Mentoring, Coaching, Alumni Networking & Peer Support Platforms (EDAFAMAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO)

Keywords

• Women mentorship programs
• Creative industry networking
• Career progression tools
• Free community events
• Gender equality advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Hefei

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Member Contributions: SheSays operates as an independent, not-for-profit organization. The organization states '99% of what we do is free to access' and relies on donations and members paying it forward to sustain operations. No sponsors with personal agendas.
2. Crowdfunding: SheSays has run multiple crowdfunding campaigns (via iFundWomen) to fund specific projects, notably The WEI career progression tool. The second campaign raised $27,000 toward a $38,000 target. Additional backers came in after the campaign closed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

SheSays is an independent, not-for-profit global network founded in 2007 that runs free mentorship programmes, monthly in-person events, advocacy campaigns, and digital career-development tools (BOOM career advice tool, The WEI career progression app, Night School online learning series) for women and non-binary people working in creative industries. The organization operates across 55+ cities via volunteer-led local chapters and is sustained by donations, crowdfunding, and partnerships rather than commercial fees.

Product overview

SheSays is an award-winning global organization offering a portfolio of free programs and services for women and non-binary people in the creative industries. The core offerings include: BOOM (free career advice tool), Who's your momma? (one-on-one mentorship scheme), The WEI (career progression app), and Night School (online learning content series). These products are complemented by monthly events, advocacy campaigns like Pay Gap Pound, and a global network of chapters in 55+ cities. All services are free to access as SheSays is independent from sponsors and not-for-profit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Who's your momma?: Free one-on-one mentorship scheme for women and non-binary people working in the creative industries.
• Boom
• The WEI
• Night School
• She Says, We Act
• Pay Gap Pound

Products and services

• Who's Your Momma? Mentorship Scheme Free one-on-one mentorship programme that pairs women and non-binary creatives with experienced senior leaders ('Mommas') for career guidance, skill development, and support.
• BOOM Career Advice Tool A free career advice tool that tailors responses to individual user needs using the collective knowledge of SheSays' 1,593+ speakers.
• The WEI (Women with Epic Ideas) Career Progression App A career progression app offering personalized monthly reads, courses, events, and coaching support in a single subscription for creatives seeking structured advancement.
• Night School by SheSays A free short-form online learning series distributed on LinkedIn, teaching bite-sized creative-industry skills over a four-week curriculum taught by experts from unexpected fields.
• Monthly SheSays City Events Free monthly in-person community events held in 55+ cities worldwide, providing networking, thought leadership, and career content for women and non-binary creatives.
• Leadership Programme with Hyper Island A fully-funded leadership development programme delivered with Hyper Island for eligible UK-based employees, offering three apprenticeship-levy-funded courses across team leadership, coaching, and senior leadership.
• Pay Gap Pound Campaign Public advocacy campaign supporting Equal Pay Day that raises awareness of the gender pay gap and promotes pay equity initiatives across the creative industries.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37,170 people upskilled through SheSays programmes
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Major PlayersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025SheSays partnered with Major Players (recruitment agency) for Night School by SheSays. Major Players shared key skills hiring managers look for and common gaps in applicants, which guided Night School's four-module curriculum.
• VaynerMediaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 September 2025VaynerMedia's London office hosted the Night School graduation event (28 October) — the final IRL ritual to celebrate graduates of the Night School programme.
• JCDecaux Community ChannelcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 November 2024JCDecaux Community Channel supported the 'Rework the Future' campaign and Cards on Table podcast series, providing outdoor advertising reach across the UK.
• Equals AmsterdamminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 November 2024Equals Amsterdam provided the venue for multiple SheSays AMS events including UNSTUCK: Beyond Labels and FEARLESS & FOCUSED: Own Your Career Growth.
• Hyper IslandflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 January 2024SheSays partnered with Hyper Island to offer fully-funded leadership courses leveraging the £3.3 billion unspent UK Apprenticeship Levy. Three courses are available: Team Leader L3 (£4,500 value, 14 months), Coaching Professional L5 (£5,000 value, 14 months), Senior Leader L7 (£14,500 value, 20 months). Applications closed March 8, 2024.
• JCDecaux Community ChannelcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 September 2023SheSays 'Believe Their Pain' campaign on hidden illness and disability was partnered with JCDecaux Community Channel to bring the campaign to streets and social feeds across the UK via outdoor advertising.
• Faithful To NatureminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 September 2022SheSays Cape Town partnered with natural and organic brand Faithful To Nature (proudly female-founded, founded 2006) to host an entrepreneurship event featuring 5 female founders. Faithful To Nature is an online retailer of natural and sustainable products.
• KantarcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2019SheSays Cape Town partnered with Kantar (world's leading data, insights and consulting company) to conduct the first-ever gender diversity survey in South Africa's advertising and marketing sector. Survey ran November 2019 with results announced March 2020.
• Red & Yellow Creative School of BusinessminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2019Red & Yellow Creative School of Business sponsored and hosted the 'What if #MeToo is you?' event in Cape Town.
• Media24 and M&C Saatchi AbelminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 October 2019Media24 and M&C Saatchi Abel partnered with SheSays Cape Town for the 'Get Unstuck' event on career reinvention.
• Workshop 17minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2019Workshop 17 (Cape Town co-working space) sponsored a SheSays Cape Town event focused on mental health. Provided venue for the event.
• VMLY&RminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2019VMLY&R sponsored a SheSays Cape Town mental health event (August 2019).
• Ogilvy Cape TownminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2019Ogilvy Cape Town sponsored the 'What if #MeToo is you?' event and provided support for the mental health event in Cape Town.
• MediaMonks (LA)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 March 2019MediaMonks LA hosted the 'Mix, Mingle & Mentorship' rooftop event on Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice. MediaMonks also sponsored the event.
• The DrumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019SheSays launched a podcast in partnership with The Drum (industry media publication) in 2018/2019.
• Creative EqualsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership with Creative Equals for courses and the 'Create Your Future' conference. Also partnered for the first Women Directors Festival in Cannes (VOWSS).
• GoogleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership with Google mentioned as one of 'giant likes' in 2019. Nature of partnership not specified.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Creative Mornings: Free, volunteer-run monthly talk series in 200+ cities for the creative community. Closely mirrors SheSays' event-driven, member-led global community model for creatives.
• The Dots: Professional network for creatives, offering profiles, jobs, and community. Comparable creative-industry-focused professional network with overlap in target members and career-progression use cases.
• Ladies, Wine & Design: Global, volunteer-led community of chapters hosting free events for women and non-binary people in design and creative industries. Direct analogue of SheSays' mission, format, and chapter-network structure.
• Creative Equals: Organization focused on gender diversity and equal opportunity across the creative industries, running courses and conferences. Direct overlap with SheSays (already a partner), targeting the same women-in-creatives mission.
• Free The Work: Nonprofit spotlighting underrepresented directors and creators across film, advertising, and design. Operates in the same gender/diversity-in-creative-industries space as SheSays.
• 3% Movement: Movement and consultancy focused on increasing female representation in creative industries through research, events, and industry tools. Same addressable audience, advocacy-led model.

Emerging players

• Girlboss: Media and community brand focused on women in work and entrepreneurship, with content and community offerings. Comparable as a women-focused career/community brand with content-led engagement.

Broad incumbents

• Ellevate Network: Long-standing global professional network for women across industries with mentorship, events, and learning content. Comparable community-plus-career-development model but at broader industry scope than SheSays.
• Women Who Code: Global non-profit community supporting women in technical careers with mentorship, events, and learning programmes. Direct analogue in mission (women in a specific industry), scale, and chapter-led model.
• AIGA (the professional association for design): Established professional association serving the design community with events, awards, and learning. Comparable positioning as a community-driven creative-industry organization though broader in scope and mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whos-your-momma
• Instagraminstagram.com/shesaysglobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 SheSays