Shadow Her

What Shadow Her does

Shadow Her is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in March 2023 by Marcia Zaruba O'Connor, also founder and CEO of The O'Connor Group (an HR and Talent Acquisition firm with 75+ employees). Headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, the organization runs a six-month cohort-based mentorship and business education program targeting women entrepreneurs who are 2-10 years in business with $100K-$250K annual revenue. Each cohort comprises approximately 12 mentee-mentor pairs and includes a kick-off meeting, four full-day in-person Success Sessions (covering Sales, Marketing, Finance, HR, Operations, and Strategy), monthly educational workshops, and a Celebration of Success culminating event. The stated goal is to help 100 women reach the $1 million revenue milestone over seven years; the organization notes that fewer than 4% of entrepreneurs reach $1M and fewer than 1% of those are women founders.

The core product is the Shadow Her Program, supplemented by three sub-products: the Shadow Her Podcast (interviews with women entrepreneurs distributed via Apple Podcasts), the Shadow Her Continuum (an alumni post-program membership for ongoing learning, curated events, and continued mentorship), and Getting Started Resources (beginner-friendly content for women exploring entrepreneurship, including links to SBA and SCORE). The organization is not a technology company and does not maintain proprietary software, an app, or an API; program delivery is in-person in the Pennsylvania region with virtual kick-off components. Distribution is direct via website application forms (share.hsforms.com), with eligibility gating and rolling applications.

Shadow Her operates on a blended nonprofit revenue model: a one-time $250 mentee program fee; corporate sponsorships across nine tiers ranging from a $500 Impact Scholarship Sponsor to a $15,000 Exclusive Program Expansion Ally and $25,000 top tier; and foundation grants, including a $13,500 CLA Foundation grant in November 2025. Go-to-market is community-led, driven by word-of-mouth referrals, testimonials, the Shadow Her Podcast, a monthly 'In HER Company' email newsletter, and an advisory board drawn from companies including The O'Connor Group, CLA, M&T Bank, Mom Your Business, Electro Soft Incorporated, Elysium Marketing Group, and others. Executive Director Callie Kaminskas leads day-to-day operations.

Name

Shadow Her

Legal name

Shadow Her

Website

https://shadowher.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Shadow Her is a Pennsylvania-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit running a six-month cohort mentorship and business education program for women entrepreneurs (2-10 years in business, $100K-$250K revenue), supported by program fees, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Entrepreneur Mentorship & Business Education

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Career Exploration & Industry Exposure (Guest Speakers, Company Visits) (EDAMAHAJ), Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills (EDAMAHAG), Leadership, Service Learning & Volunteer-to-Career Pathways (EDAMAKAJ)

Keywords

• Women entrepreneur mentorship
• Business education program
• Nonprofit cohort program
• Women founder leadership
• Small business mentorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Mentees pay a one-time program fee of $250 upon acceptance into the cohort program. This fee supports program resources, materials, and furthers the mission of the organization.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsorships ranging from $500 to $25,000. Sponsorship tiers include Impact Scholarship Sponsor ($500), Success Session Event Sponsor ($1,000), Summer Series Sponsor ($2,500), Cohort Champion ($5,000), and Exclusive Program Expansion Ally ($15,000). Event sponsorship opportunities at Celebration of Success range from $1,000-$5,000.
3. Foundation Grants: Grant funding from foundations such as the CLA Foundation ($13,500 grant in November 2025) to support program expenses including materials, speaker expenses, facility rentals, and event expenses for cohort pairs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shadow Her operates a six-month mentorship and business education program for women entrepreneurs, providing expert-led workshops across Finance, Operations & HR, Business Development/Sales, Marketing, and Strategy, paired with 1:1 matched mentorship from experienced women founders. Each cohort serves approximately 12 mentee/mentor pairs and includes four full-day in-person Success Sessions, a virtual kick-off, monthly educational sessions, and a culminating Celebration of Success event. Supporting offerings include the Shadow Her Podcast, the Shadow Her Continuum alumni community, and Getting Started Resources for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Product overview

Shadow Her is a nonprofit organization operating as a single, unified program focused on helping women entrepreneurs strengthen business operations and achieve scalability. The core offering is a six-month mentorship and business education program featuring expert-led workshops, 1:1 mentorship matching, and community support. The program covers Finance, Operations & Human Resources, Business Development, Marketing, Strategy, and personal development. Supporting offerings include the Shadow Her Podcast for storytelling and inspiration, the Shadow Her Continuum for alumni engagement, and Getting Started Resources for aspiring entrepreneurs. The organization was founded by Marcia Zaruba O'Connor and established in 2023.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shadow Her Program A six-month mentorship and business education program for women entrepreneurs providing expert-led workshops, 1:1 matched mentorship, and a supportive community to help strengthen business foundations and achieve scalability. Each cohort serves approximately 12 mentee/mentor pairs.
• Shadow Her Continuum

Quantifiable outcome

• 100 women to reach $1 million revenue milestone over 7 years
• +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

Partnerships

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

• The O'Connor GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe O'Connor Group, led by CEO and Founder Marcia Zaruba O'Connor, is the parent organization that founded Shadow Her. The O'Connor Group is a leading provider of Outsourced Human Resources and Talent Acquisition solutions with offices in King of Prussia, PA, Raleigh NC, and soon Tampa, FL. It has 75+ employees and serves Professional Services, Life Sciences/Healthcare, IT, and Manufacturing sectors.
• Mom Your BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member Tanya T. Morris, known as 'The Mentor Mogul,' serves as President of Mom Your Business. She provides mentorship expertise to the Shadow Her program.
• Electro Soft Incorporated (ESI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member Karla Trotman, President and CEO of Electro Soft Incorporated, contributes her expertise as a woman business leader to Shadow Her's advisory team.
• Elysium Marketing GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member Elyse Lupin, Founder and President of Elysium Marketing Group (full-service marketing agency), provides marketing expertise and has appeared as a guest on the Shadow Her Podcast.
• Minimal MeansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member Amy Cobb represents Minimal Means on the Shadow Her advisory team, providing expertise to the program.
• Significant Business ResultsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member Franne McNeal represents Significant Business Results on the Shadow Her advisory team.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Female Founders Fund: Venture fund and community supporting women-led startups. Overlapping with Shadow Her's mission to back women entrepreneurs, though the primary vehicle is capital rather than mentorship cohorts.
• Dreamers // Doers: Private membership community for high-growth women entrepreneurs and investors. Comparable in providing curated, community-led support and peer mentorship, with a more virtual/digital delivery model.
• Pipeline Angels: Network changing the face of angel investing through education and mentorship for women and non-binary investors/entrepreneurs. Comparable mission focus on closing gender gaps through cohort-based education and community.

Direct peers

• Springboard Enterprises: Nonprofit accelerator supporting women entrepreneurs through expert advisory networks, curated cohorts, and investor introductions. Directly comparable cohort-based mentorship model for high-growth women-led companies.
• Astia: Global nonprofit providing mentorship and curated expert networks to women-led ventures. Comparable curated-mentorship approach for growth-stage women entrepreneurs seeking scalable community support.
• SCORE: U.S.-wide nonprofit network providing free 1:1 mentorship and educational workshops to small business owners. Directly comparable as a mentorship-driven, cohort-style support program for entrepreneurs seeking growth-stage guidance.
• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women: Global program providing business education, mentorship, and community to women entrepreneurs. Comparable as a cohort-based, sponsor-funded educational and mentorship initiative targeting the same women founder demographic.
• Tory Burch Foundation: Foundation supporting women entrepreneurs through education, mentorship, and access to capital. Comparable in mission, target audience, sponsor-driven model, and emphasis on community and curated cohort programming.

Broad incumbents

• SBA Women's Business Centers: Government-funded centers providing training, counseling, and mentorship to women entrepreneurs across the U.S. Comparable as a publicly funded ecosystem offering education and mentorship, but broader in scope and free of charge.
• Babson College Center for Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership (CWEL): Academic center offering education, research, and community for women entrepreneurs. Comparable through education and networking offerings for women founders, anchored to a larger institution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shadowher

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 Shadow Her