Women in Data Science Worldwide

What Women in Data Science Worldwide does

Women in Data Science Worldwide (WiDS) is a global nonprofit founded in 2015 at Stanford University and currently headquartered in Oakland, California, with operational status as a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives. Its mission is to increase participation of women in data science, AI, and adjacent fields through free educational programming, mentoring, and community building. WiDS serves a global audience of approximately 60,000 community members and 3,500 ambassadors, and reports more than 1,700 events and 1 million upskilling engagements to date.

WiDS operates a portfolio of programs including an annual Datathon (with a separate University Edition that scaled to 150 universities across 37 countries), an Apprenticeship program connecting learners with industry projects, NextGen and Upskill Workshops, an Ambassador Program supporting local chapters, and Career Catalyst programming. The platform surfaces applied AI and machine-learning problem statements — including verticalized topics such as wildfire and climate prediction — sourced from academic and industry partners. Programming is delivered through partner-hosted events, virtual workshops, and ambassador-led chapters rather than through a proprietary SaaS platform.

WiDS is funded by sponsorships and donations from a mix of enterprise technology, financial-services, automotive, retail, energy, and pharmaceutical corporates (including Walmart, GM, Intuit, Microsoft, SAP, Wells Fargo, Gilead, and TotalEnergies), alongside a broader network of more than 130 partner organizations. Membership and event access are free to participants, meaning there is no direct revenue from end users. The organization runs with a small staff (estimated 1–10 employees) under fiscal sponsorship, and does not disclose annual revenue or accept venture funding. Leadership includes Executive Director Chisoo Lyons, Director of AI Learning Bryan Muñoz, and Program Director Valerie Elliott.

Name

Women in Data Science Worldwide

Legal name

Women in Data Science Worldwide

Website

https://widsworldwide.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WiDS is a nonprofit, founded in 2015 at Stanford and based in Oakland, that runs free data-science and AI education programs — including an annual datathon, apprenticeship, and ambassador network — for 60,000+ women learners worldwide, funded by corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Data Science Education Community

NAICS

Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (5192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Data & Information Literacy (Search, Evaluation, Misinformation) (EDAAAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Institutes of Technology (IoT / Technical Universities) (EDAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Data science education
• Women in tech community
• Datathon competitions
• Professional upskilling programs
• STEM outreach initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors provide financial and in-kind support. Sponsors include major technology companies and corporations such as Walmart Global Tech, General Motors, Intuit, Microsoft, SAP, Wells Fargo, Gilead, TotalEnergies, and others. Programs and membership are free to the community.
2. Donations: Individual and corporate donations support WiDS programs. The organization is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives (EIN# 94-3255070). Donations fund NextGen workshops, curriculum development, and global access to programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Women in Data Science Worldwide (WiDS) is a nonprofit community organization that cultivates the next generation of data science and AI leaders through educational programs, competitions, conferences, and career resources. It operates a global ambassador network hosting regional events, an annual Datathon competition, upskilling workshops, university-integrated challenges, NextGen outreach for secondary students, and career/mentorship platforms connecting members with industry professionals.

Product overview

Women in Data Science Worldwide is an educational community platform that cultivates the next generation of data science and AI leaders through a comprehensive suite of programs. The platform operates as a unified ecosystem combining core educational programs (WiDS Global Datathon, WiDS Datathon++ University Edition, WiDS Apprenticeship Program, WiDS NextGen, WiDS Ambassador Program, and WiDS Upskill Workshops) with content resources (Podcasts, Videos, Blog) and career services (Career Catalyst, WiDS Uplink). The WiDS Human Edge Learning Framework underpins the apprenticeship and educational programs, focusing on developing human capabilities critical in AI-enabled environments. Regional conferences and the ambassador network provide geographic reach and community building across 60,000+ members worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WiDS Global Datathon An annual global data science competition where participants solve real-world social impact challenges using data science and machine learning techniques.
• WiDS Datathon++ University Edition A university-integrated datathon program enabling instructors across all levels and fields of study to engage students in real-world data science challenges.
• WiDS Apprenticeship Program A workforce development program connecting university students with experienced industry professionals to co-develop real-world AI solutions while building technical depth and practical judgment.
• WiDS Career Catalyst A career development platform (Turazo-powered) connecting community members to industry professionals for career advice, networking, job postings, internships, and practical training.
• WiDS NextGen An education outreach program promoting careers in data science, AI, and related fields for secondary school students through coursework and workshops.
• WiDS Ambassador Program A global network of 3,500+ ambassadors who plan and host events in their regions to support women in the data science field and inspire others to become data scientists.
• WiDS Upskill Workshops Workshops providing a supportive environment to foster inclusivity and focus on skill development for women in data science.
• WiDS Regional Conferences Regional conferences planned and organized by WiDS Ambassadors, featuring outstanding women discussing their work in data science across various research domains.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000,000+ upskilling instances through WiDS programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• Community InitiativescoreOthersWiDS Worldwide is a fiscally sponsored project of Community Initiatives, a 501(c)(3) organization. Community Initiatives provides administrative, legal, and financial infrastructure, allowing WiDS to operate as a nonprofit. EIN# 94-3255070.
• Watch DutycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWatch Duty provides real-time wildfire data for WiDS Datathon challenges. During the 2025 LA wildfires, Watch Duty became the #1 most downloaded app, providing hyperlocal emergency intelligence across 22 states with 6 million users.
• Accenture SongcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccenture Song collaborated on the inaugural WiDS Apprenticeship Program pilot, implementing a collaborative co-development model with university students and industry professionals working together on real-world AI challenges.
• KagglecoreTechnology or IntegrationKaggle hosts the WiDS Datathon competitions, providing the platform for global participation and supporting the prize pool for winners.
• Stanford UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerStanford University is the founding institution of WiDS. The WiDS initiative originated at Stanford, with ongoing collaboration on datathon organization and conference programming.
• Harvard University IACSmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvard University Institute for Applied Computational Science co-organizes the WiDS Datathon, contributing expertise in data science education and research.
• Climate Change AImajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate Change AI provides expertise and content for WiDS Datathon challenges focused on climate-related topics, including building energy efficiency analysis.
• Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratorymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBerkeley Lab collaborates on datathon datasets related to climate and energy, providing research-grade data for participant analysis.
• Georgia Institute of TechnologymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating university in WiDS Apprenticeship Program, creating applied learning environments connecting university talent with industry practice.
• University of San FranciscomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating university providing student mentors for NextGen workshops and participating in Apprenticeship Program.
• Santa Clara UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating university in WiDS Apprenticeship Program, contributing to university-industry collaboration initiatives.
• Northeastern University Silicon ValleymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating university in WiDS Apprenticeship Program with Silicon Valley campus involvement.
• University of North Carolina at CharlottemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating university in WiDS Apprenticeship Program.
• Tecnológico de MonterreymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMexican university participating in WiDS Apprenticeship Program, expanding geographic reach to Latin America.
• Walmart Global TechmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting WiDS mission and programs.
• General MotorsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting WiDS mission and programs.
• MicrosoftmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting WiDS mission and programs.
• SAPmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting WiDS mission and programs.
• Wells FargomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting WiDS mission and programs.
• IntuitmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting WiDS mission and programs.
• GileadmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting WiDS mission and programs.
• TotalEnergiesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting WiDS mission and programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Black Girls CODE: Black Girls CODE delivers technology education and exposure programs to girls of color. Shares WiDS's NextGen-style outreach positioning, community-led events model, and corporate sponsor ecosystem.
• AnitaB.org: AnitaB.org is the most direct peer: a nonprofit focused on advancing women in technology through communities, events, and talent programs. Overlaps with WiDS on mission, sponsor base, and audience of women technologists in computing and data.
• AI4ALL: AI4ALL is a nonprofit focused on increasing diversity and inclusion in AI through education programs targeting high school and college students. Directly comparable to WiDS on AI education access, university partnership model, and corporate sponsorship base.
• Girls Who Code: Girls Who Code is a nonprofit running K-12 and college programs to close the gender gap in tech. WiDS NextGen maps directly to Girls Who Code's education-outreach mission, and they overlap on university partnerships and corporate sponsors for gender equity in computing.
• Women Who Code: Women Who Code runs a global nonprofit network with local chapters, technical events, and career programs for women engineers and data practitioners. Comparable global ambassador-style model and similar corporate sponsorship structure targeting the same women-in-tech talent pool.

Emerging players

• Lesbians Who Tech & Allies: Lesbians Who Tech & Allies is a community of LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people in technology, running summits and fellowships. Comparable community-led, sponsor-funded model focused on under-represented women in tech.
• Rewriting the Code: Rewriting the Code supports college and early-career women in tech through mentorship, internships, and community programs. Direct overlap with WiDS Apprenticeship and university programs in audience and mentor-driven engagement model.
• Data Science for Social Good (University of Chicago DSSG): DSSG runs fellowship programs that train data scientists to work on social impact projects. Comparable as a non-academic training and project-based program in data science, with similar university-sponsored cohort model.

Others

• Kaggle Community Competitions: Kaggle (now Google) hosts data science competitions that include diversity-themed challenges (e.g., WiDS Datathon hosted on Kaggle). Comparable as an ecosystem platform driving global data science training and competition at scale.

Broad incumbents

• National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT): NCWIT is a long-standing nonprofit coalition working to increase women's participation in computing. Overlaps with WiDS on university and K-12 outreach, but operates more as a research/advocacy body than a programmatic community platform.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbyzlQEnV1_MYM4Cbp_7eWg?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/WiDSWorldwide
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-in-data-science-worldwide
• Instagraminstagram.com/widsworldwide

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women in Data Science Worldwide