Iranian American Women Foundation

What Iranian American Women Foundation does

The Iranian American Women Foundation (IAWF), doing business as IAW Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2012 by Mariam Khosravani and headquartered in Irvine, California. The foundation provides professional empowerment, networking, and mentorship programming for Iranian-American women through a portfolio that includes annual Women's Leadership Conferences (12+ editions across US and international cities), a Mentorship Program, the Rising Leaders Program, Life Academy (student exposure to major technology companies including Google and Facebook), scholarship funding, and an internship program. The organization also operates a searchable Member Directory, two mobile applications for conference access (IAWF Women Conferences and IAWF Leadership Conferences), and an IAWF Connect community programming series covering wellness retreats, meditation sessions, and themed workshops. Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees, Board of Directors, and Board of Advisors, with operations executed primarily through a volunteer network.

IAWF operates four domestic chapters in Los Angeles, New York, Northern California, and Orange County, and has extended internationally with conferences in Toronto (in partnership with Tirgan, since 2017) and London. Revenue is generated through four streams: charitable donations and contributions, annual membership dues, conference and event registration fees, and corporate sponsorships. Exhibitor tables are priced at $800-$1,000, and tiered sponsorship packages range from $1,500 (Friends & Supporters) to $25,000 (Presenting Partner). Its go-to-market is event-driven, anchored by flagship annual conferences that have drawn between 300 and 600 attendees per event, supplemented by chapter-level networking mixers, virtual webinars, and wellness programming. The foundation reaches its audience through its website, email newsletters, social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), press coverage in outlets including The Huffington Post and Santa Monica Daily Press, and member referrals within the Iranian-American professional community.

The primary customer segment is Iranian-American women seeking professional development, leadership skill-building, and community connection, with a secondary segment of emerging and younger women (Rising Leaders) and a tertiary B2B segment of corporate sponsors and exhibitors seeking access to this professional demographic. The foundation positions itself as the first and only nationally recognized organization focused specifically on Iranian-American women's leadership empowerment, with a mentorship-to-internship pipeline and a multi-chapter community network as its core differentiators.

Name

Iranian American Women Foundation

Legal name

Iranian American Women Foundation

Website

https://iawfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Iranian American Women Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2012 that empowers Iranian-American women through annual leadership conferences, mentorship programs, scholarships, internships, and chapter-based networking across four US chapters and international locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Women's Leadership and Community Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Women's leadership
• Professional networking
• Mentorship programs
• Nonprofit foundation
• Community empowerment

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The foundation operates as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization receiving charitable donations from individuals and organizations.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue generated from conference attendance, exhibitor fees, and sponsorship packages for annual Women's Leadership Conferences.
3. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for community members joining the IAWF network.
4. Sponsorship Packages: Tiered sponsorship opportunities ranging from $1,500 to $25,000 for organizations seeking visibility at conferences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Iranian American Women Foundation (IAW Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers professional development and community-building services to Iranian-American women through annual Women's Leadership Conferences, mentorship programs, scholarships, internships, the Life Academy student program, and chapter-based events across U.S. cities and select international locations.

Product overview

The Iranian American Women Foundation (IAW Foundation) is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of empowerment and networking services for Iranian-American women. The organization operates primarily through in-person programming including annual Women's Leadership Conferences (its flagship offering with 12+ annual events across US cities and international locations), a Mentorship Program connecting professionals with emerging leaders, the Rising Leaders Program for young women, Life Academy for student exposure to tech careers, scholarship funding, and internship opportunities. The foundation also maintains a Member Directory platform and publishes regular newsletters. Two mobile applications (IAWF Women Conferences and IAWF Leadership Conferences) are available on Apple Store and Google Play for conference access. IAWF Connect offers additional community programming including wellness retreats and networking events. The organization is governed by Board of Trustees, Board of Directors, and Board of Advisors with operations spanning chapters in Los Angeles, New York, Northern California, and Orange County.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IAWF Women Conferences: Mobile app for IAWF Women Conferences
• IAWF Leadership Conferences

Products and services

• Women's Leadership Conferences
• Mentorship Program

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Network of Iranian-American Professionals of Orange County (NIPOC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2018Joint holiday reception hosted at Hotel Irvine bringing together Iranian-American professionals for networking and community building.
• Samuel Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture at UCIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2018Partnership with University of California Irvine for International Women's Day Celebration on March 3, 2018 featuring panels on Iranian women in the arts with approximately 120 attendees.
• TirganflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2017First International Iranian Women's Leadership Conference held July 29, 2017 at Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, Canada. Partnership to empower Iranian women in Canada and the United States through joint conference hosting.
• Farhang FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 July 2017IAWF supported Farhang Foundation's Freedom Sculpture Project honoring American values of freedom, cultural diversity and unity. The project raised over $2.2 million and became the most crowd-supported public monument gifted in U.S. history.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Association of University Women: Established US nonprofit advancing gender equity through scholarships, leadership training, and advocacy. Comparable as a women's empowerment 501(c)(3) with scholarships and programs spanning mentorship and education, though much larger in scale.
• National Council of Jewish Women: Ethnic-community-rooted women's organization offering leadership development, advocacy, and community programs. Operates with a similar constituency-driven model to IAWF, delivering services through local sections/chapters.
• National Association of Women Business Owners: National US organization supporting women business owners through chapters, conferences, and mentorship. Overlaps with IAWF on membership model, regional chapter structure, and conference-driven engagement, though broader in scope.
• National Organization for Women: Largest US feminist advocacy organization with chapters, events, and leadership programming. Loosely comparable to IAWF in women's empowerment mission and event-driven engagement, though operating nationally across all demographic groups.

Direct peers

• Farhang Foundation: Iranian-American cultural foundation that promotes Persian heritage through events, grants, and educational programs. Already a strategic partner of IAWF and operates an analogous nonprofit/community-event model with sponsorship-driven funding.
• Asian Women's Leadership Association: Empowers Asian professional women through leadership development, networking events, and mentorship programs. Highly comparable to IAWF in mission, programming structure, and constituency-based women's empowerment focus.

Regional players

• Women's Foundation of California: California-based grantmaking foundation advancing gender equity through philanthropy and programs. Operates similar nonprofit 501(c)(3) model with chapter-based engagement and women's leadership focus, though regionally concentrated in California.

Emerging players

• National Iranian American Council: Leading Iranian-American advocacy organization with educational programming and community events. Shares IAWF's Iranian-American target demographic and nonprofit 501(c)(3) structure, though focused on policy and public affairs.
• Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans: Iranian-American advocacy and civic engagement organization. Targets the same Iranian-American community as IAWF with overlapping membership pipelines, though focused on civic and policy engagement rather than women's leadership.

Others

• Center for American Women and Politics: Academic center at Rutgers focused on women's political leadership and research. Tangentially related to IAWF's leadership development focus, but operates as a research institution rather than a member-driven community nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZX8Z6C_9X6X3Z6X3Z6X3Z6
• Facebookfacebook.com/iawfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iranian-american-women-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/iawfoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Iranian American Women Foundation