Lof

What Lof does

Stichting Lof, founded in 2007 by Jolanda Holwerda, is a Dutch non-profit foundation operating as a women's empowerment platform under the brand 'Lof voor jou'. Headquartered in Haarlem (with a secondary coaching facility in Zandvoort), the organization uses storytelling to spotlight ambitious women and address underrepresentation of female leadership in the Netherlands. Its core product portfolio comprises three pillars: Lof Magazine (a storytelling publication with 15,000 subscribers), Lof Academy (leadership training, coaching, and advisory services operating since 2009), and the Match & Mentor Program (a structured mentoring service connecting ambitious women with senior female leaders). Supporting offerings include a podcast series, the annual Top 50 Women in Sustainable Finance list (in partnership with WIFS), walking journeys to Santiago de Compostela and Portugal, a published book, and themed events.

The platform is built on a WordPress-based content management system with no proprietary technology disclosed. Its business model is a hybrid of service fees and program revenue. Match & Mentor charges €195 per match for private mentees and €495 per match for corporate clients; Walking Journeys are priced at €1,450-€1,650 per participant; Academy training is sold via open enrollment and in-company contracts (pricing undisclosed). Magazine subscriptions and select events generate additional revenue. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging partnerships with TOPFEM, WIFS, Het Concertgebouw, APG, Kadaster, Ipsos, and others to access targeted audiences. The customer base spans ambitious women across career stages, corporate HR/diversity programs, and organizations seeking leadership development.

Lof operates a network of approximately 500 women from the top of Dutch society, has featured 234 top women in yearbooks between 2012 and 2020, and is governed by a 6-member board. The organization employs 15 people and relies heavily on volunteers and contractors. There is no external funding, no parent company, and no public listing. Geographic scope is domestic (Netherlands), with distribution through self-serve website registration, direct sales for enterprise Academy contracts, and event-based engagement.

Name

Lof

Legal name

Stichting Lof

Website

https://lofvoorjou.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Stichting Lof is a Dutch non-profit foundation operating the 'Lof voor jou' platform, using storytelling, mentoring, and training to advance women's leadership in the Netherlands. It serves ambitious women, corporate diversity programs, and leadership-seeking organizations via Lof Magazine, Lof Academy, and the Match & Mentor program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Leadership Development Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPACANAI

Coaching, Mentoring & Facilitation Services

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/Training, Learning & Development Services

SECONDARYBPACAPAG

Learning Management (LMS) & Talent Development

Business & Public Services/HR, Staffing & Recruitment Services/Human Capital Management (HCM) & HR Tech

Keywords

• Women's leadership development
• Mentorship programs
• Leadership training
• Professional coaching services
• Women's empowerment platform

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Match & Mentor Program Fees: Match & Mentor service fees: €195 per match including BTW for private/individual mentees, and €495 per match excluding BTW for corporate clients. This is a key revenue stream supporting the organization's mission.
2. Academy Training & Coaching: Lof Academy offers training, coaching, and advisory services to organizations and individuals. Services include open enrollment courses, in-company training, leadership coaching, and storytelling workshops. Since 2009 with diverse clients.
3. Walking Journeys: Lof organizes walking journeys (Camino) and experiences. The Santiago pilgrimage costs €1,450 (double room) or €1,650 (single room) excluding BTW, including accommodation, coaching sessions, baggage transport, and pilgrim passport.
4. Lof Magazine: Lof Magazine is published annually as a themed issue. While primarily a mission-driven publication, it generates revenue through subscriptions and sales of special editions (e.g., the Top 50 Women in Sustainable Finance edition).
5. Events: Lof organizes twice-yearly events, webinars, and live talks. Events include collaboration with partners like Het Concertgebouw, TOPFEM, and Ipsos. Some events are free while others may have associated costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Lof is a Dutch women's leadership platform that sells mentoring (Match & Mentor program), training and coaching (Lof Academy), an annual magazine, and themed events to ambitious women and corporate clients. It uses storytelling and a curated network of senior female leaders to make women's leadership visible and to support talent development in work, family, and society.

Product overview

Lof is a Dutch women's empowerment platform consisting of a portfolio of interconnected products and services. The core offerings include Lof Magazine (a storytelling publication spotlighting women with ambitions), Lof Academy (leadership training and coaching services since 2009), and the Match & Mentor Program (connecting ambitious women with female role models). Supporting products include the Next Generation Role Models interview series, a podcast series, the annual Top 50 Women in Sustainable Finance, walking journeys, events, and published books. The platform uses storytelling and role modeling to make female strength visible and help women achieve ambitions in work, family, and society.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lof Match & Mentor: A mentoring program that connects ambitious women with top female leaders as role models, including a partnership with TOPFEM for student and young professional mentees.
• Lof Academy

Products and services

• Lof Magazine
• Lof Academy
• Match & Mentor Program
• Walking Journeys (Camino)

Quantifiable outcome

• 234 top women featured in yearbooks (2012-2020)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• IpsosminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 December 2022Collaborative partner for the 'Being Woman' lunch webinar on December 15. Ipsos presented international research on what it means to be a woman in the Netherlands. Webinar included guest speakers Barbara van Koppen (KLM) and Jolanda Holwerda discussing women's career dilemmas and mutual support.
• UniqueminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 December 2022HR staffing partner for the 'Being Woman' webinar collaboration alongside Lof, Ipsos, and TOPFEM.
• APGminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 23 November 2022Host venue for the Top 50 Women in Sustainable Finance live event at Edge West, APG's sustainable office location. Annette Mosman (CEO APG, Top 50 Woman, Topvrouw van het Jaar 2022) participated in the event.
• WIFS (Women in Financial Services Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2022Partnership with WIFS for the Top 50 Women in Sustainable Finance initiative and special magazine edition. Nicolette Loonen (founder of WIFS and TOSCA) and Sylvia van Waveren (Robeco) initiated the Top 50 list. Lof collaborated on the themed magazine 'Van Winst naar Waarde' launched on International Women's Day 2022. The partnership highlights the relationship between female leadership and sustainability in the financial sector.
• KadasterminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 February 2022Co-organizer of the online good governance dialogue on 'Financiële duurzaamheid in de boardroom' on February 3, 2022. Theme: 'Van winst naar waarde'. Event featured Renate Tromp in conversation with Marjolein Jansen (Raad van Bestuur Kadaster) about sustainability on board agendas.
• Noblesse Oblige (Genootschap)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 October 2021Lof organizes the annual commissioners' evening (commissarissenavond) of Noblesse Oblige under the name 'Soirée Pensant'. The event focuses on good governance topics, with past themes including 'Good Governance in tijden van crisis' featuring Femke de Vries.
• Het ConcertgebouwminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 March 2021Partner for the first joint live talk on female leadership in the cultural sector on International Women's Day 2021. The event featured speakers including Jet Bussemaker, Gea Zantinge, Karsu, and Lonneke van Straalen, moderated by Raja Felgata and Jade van Battum. Streamed via YouTube and Facebook.
• TOPFEMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTOPFEM is a core strategic partner for the Match & Mentor program. Originally focused on matching students and young professionals with top women, the partnership has expanded to connect emerging female talent with female role models. TOPFEM supplies student and young professional mentees to the Lof mentoring program. The partnership is cross-sectoral and highly valuable for connecting different networks and target groups.
• Uitgeverij De KringminorOthersPublisher of the book 'Niet miepen' written by Leoni Jansen and Jolanda Holwerda. The 256-page paperback is priced at €18.50 and published with ISBN 9789462971967.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Lean In Foundation: Global women's empowerment foundation built around circles, storytelling, and community; comparable to Lof in mission (women's leadership visibility) and content/community-led GTM, but operates at much larger scale globally.
• Catalyst: Nonprofit focused on research and workplace inclusion for women, including MARC leadership programs; comparable to Lof in mission and corporate-buyer engagement model, with a stronger research and advisory orientation.

Direct peers

• CHIEF: Membership network for senior women executives offering peer groups and leadership programming; directly comparable to Lof's Match & Mentor and Academy as a curated senior-women leadership community, but serving a C-suite US/global audience.
• Women in Financial Services Netherlands (WIFS): Dutch network for women in financial services that co-produces Lof's Top 50 Women in Sustainable Finance; comparable because it operates an overlapping mission-driven Dutch community for ambitious female professionals and corporate partners.
• TOPFEM: Dutch platform supporting female talent development through events, mentoring, and student/young professional programs; directly comparable to Lof's Match & Mentor offering and primary partner within the same Dutch women's leadership ecosystem.
• Sela (Sela Business Solutions): Dutch training and coaching provider with women's leadership programs; directly comparable to Lof Academy in offering in-company training, leadership coaching, and storytelling workshops to corporate clients.

Regional players

• Noblesse Oblige Genootschap: Dutch governance network of senior executives and commissioners that co-produces Lof's Soirée Pensant events; comparable in audience (senior Dutch women leaders) and event-driven engagement, but focused on governance themes.
• Topvrouwen.nl: Dutch database and community profiling top female leaders in the Netherlands; comparable to Lof Magazine's role-model content but as a focused directory/database product rather than full community platform.
• The Athena Network: UK-based women's networking organization running local chapters for senior professional women; comparable to Lof in community-led GTM and senior-women audience, but UK-focused with in-person chapter model.

Others

• Vlerick Women in Leadership programs: European business school running women's leadership executive education; comparable to Lof Academy in offering leadership training to corporate and individual buyers, but as an academic institution with broader curriculum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lofvoorjou
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lofvoorjou
• Instagraminstagram.com/lofvoorjou

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Lof