DONNA Unternehmerinnen-Netzwerk Westfälisches Ruhrgebiet e.V.

What DONNA Unternehmerinnen-Netzwerk Westfälisches Ruhrgebiet e.V. does

DONNA Unternehmerinnen-Netzwerk Westfälisches Ruhrgebiet e.V. is a registered German non-profit association (eingetragener Verein, e.V.) founded on May 13, 2013, and headquartered in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. The organization operates as a regional business network serving female entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals in Dortmund and the Kreis Unna area. Its core offering is community-driven peer networking, delivered through an online member directory (DONNA Branchenbuch) segmented by industry, internal networking events restricted to members, public workshops covering topics such as AI, digital sovereignty, financial coaching, social media, and personal development, and a member benefits program (DONNA Card). The association has approximately 7 staff and is led by a volunteer board.

DONNA generates revenue primarily through annual membership subscriptions split into two tiers (regular entrepreneur membership and supporting/Fördermitglied membership) and per-event guest fees of €20 for non-members attending public events; specific membership fee amounts are not publicly disclosed. The underlying technology is conventional and non-proprietary: a WordPress website, Google Analytics, Zoom for online events, and Threema for event registration. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on personal referrals, word-of-mouth, public events, and partnerships with regional institutions including the Competentia competence center (which initiated the network's founding), the Gleichstellungsbüro der Stadt Dortmund, TechnoPark Schwerte (TWS), and WFG Kreis Unna.

The organization is actively operating as of 2026, with a continuous event cadence (e.g., a personality-models workshop in May 2026 and a planned digital sovereignty workshop in October 2026) and ongoing social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. The network is currently navigating a planned leadership transition: 1st Chair Beate Fleck has announced her current term is her last through 2026, with Deputy Chair Barbara Frien expected to continue one more board period to facilitate succession.

Name

DONNA Unternehmerinnen-Netzwerk Westfälisches Ruhrgebiet e.V.

Legal name

DONNA Unternehmerinnen-Netzwerk Westfälisches Ruhrgebiet e.V.

Website

https://donna-netz.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DONNA is a registered non-profit women's entrepreneur network association founded in 2013 in Dortmund, Germany, serving female business owners and self-employed professionals in the Westphalian Ruhr region through membership subscriptions, peer networking events, workshops, and an online industry directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dortmund

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: DONNA generates revenue through annual membership fees charged to entrepreneur and supporting members. Both regular membership and supporting/fördermitgliedschaft are available, with membership applications downloadable from the website.
2. Event participation fees: Public events (DONNA open events, workshops, seminars) are open to non-members for a fee. Guest attendance at public events is priced at €20 per person for non-members, while members attend free of charge.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DONNA is a registered non-profit association that operates a regional business network for female entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals in the Westphalian Ruhr region (Dortmund and Kreis Unna). The network facilitates peer exchange, mutual support, and business development through regular internal member events, public workshops and seminars (on topics such as AI, sustainability, digital sovereignty, personality models, communication skills, and financial planning), an online member directory (Branchenbuch), and member benefits such as the Donna Card.

Product overview

DONNA is a regional women's entrepreneur network organization based in the Westfälisches Ruhrgebiet (Dortmund area). The organization provides a unified networking platform connecting female entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals through member directories (Branchenbuch), organized events and workshops, internal networking meetings, and member benefits. The core offering is the community network itself, supplemented by regular in-person and online events covering business topics such as AI, digital marketing, personal development, and professional skills. Members also have access to a protected member area with exclusive resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DONNA Unternehmerinnen Network Membership Annual membership in the DONNA regional business network for female entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals in the Westphalian Ruhr area (Dortmund and Kreis Unna), providing peer exchange, mutual referrals, personal relationships, and access to internal networking events and member benefits.
• DONNA Supporting Membership (Fördermitgliedschaft) Annual supporting membership for individuals or organizations that wish to promote the DONNA network's mission and back the association without active participation as entrepreneurs.
• DONNA Branchenbuch (Member Directory)

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 250 registrations for founding events in January 2013
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and moderate.

• WIR-UnternehmerinnenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDONNA is linked with WIR-Unternehmerinnen as a regional network partner in the area, reflecting mutual recognition and potential collaboration between women's entrepreneur networks.
• Gleichstellungsbüro der Stadt DortmundminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDONNA co-hosted an open event on personality models with the Equal Opportunities Office of the City of Dortmund, demonstrating collaboration on joint programming for women in business.
• Competentia (Kompetenzzentrum Frau und Beruf Westfälisches Ruhrgebiet)moderateGTM or Marketing PartnerCompetentia is a regular co-organization partner for DONNA events, including the GreenDays sustainability event and the XING/LinkedIn workshop. Competentia brings additional reach and credibility to joint events targeting female entrepreneurs in the region.
• TechnoPark und Wirtschaftsförderung Schwerte GmbH (TWS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTWS co-organized the vision workshop 'Auf zu ganz großen Zielen' in June 2023 with DONNA, providing facilities and promotional support.
• Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft für den Kreis Unna mbH (WFG)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWFG co-organized the vision workshop 'Auf zu ganz großen Zielen' in June 2023 with DONNA, providing regional business development support.
• Kompetenzzentrum Frau und Beruf Westfälisches RuhrgebietmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerThis competency center initiated the founding of DONNA in 2013 and has continued to co-organize events with the network, providing institutional support and funding for women's professional development programs in the region.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Ladies Drive: German community and media platform focused on women in business, leadership, and mobility. Comparable as a women's-business community with an event and content mix, though operating digitally rather than as a local association.
• Weconomy: German network and platform for female founders and innovators. Comparable focus on supporting women entrepreneurs through community, events, and content, with a broader geographic and digital footprint than DONNA.
• Femtec: Network program supporting women in STEM and technical business careers through mentoring and training. Comparable as a women's professional network with structured programming, though more focused on technical/engineering demographics.
• Edition F: Digital media platform and community for women in business, leadership, and entrepreneurship. Comparable target audience (female entrepreneurs) but delivers value primarily through digital content and a national community rather than local in-person events.
• Entrepreneurin.Net: Online platform and community for female entrepreneurs in German-speaking markets. Comparable target audience and focus on networking and resource sharing, with a digital rather than local-association delivery model.

Regional players

• WIR-Unternehmerinnen: Regional women's entrepreneur network in the wider Westphalia/NRW area. Directly comparable as a peer membership organization for female business owners, and already a documented regional-network partner of DONNA.

Broad incumbents

• Verband deutscher Unternehmerinnen (VdU): National German association of women entrepreneurs (Unternehmerinnen) representing the same target demographic at federal level. Comparable mission (advocacy, networking, professional development) with a much broader geographic mandate.
• Business and Professional Women (BPW) Germany: Established German chapter of the international BPW network for women in business and the professions. Comparable focus on networking, professional development, and advocacy for working women, with a national footprint and longer operating history.

Others

• Frau und Beruf regional network nodes (NRW): State-funded regional Frau und Beruf contact points across NRW supporting women in employment and self-employment. They overlap in audience and regional scope but are publicly funded rather than member-driven like DONNA.
• Kompetenzzentrum Frau und Beruf Westfälisches Ruhrgebiet / Competentia: Public-sector competency center for women and careers in the Westphalian Ruhr region. Functions as a partner/echo-system participant rather than a direct network competitor, but is closely related in mission and audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DONNAUnternehmerinnen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/donna-unternehmerinnen-netzwerk
• Instagraminstagram.com/donna.unternehmerinnen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 DONNA Unternehmerinnen-Netzwerk Westfälisches Ruhrgebiet e.V.