Women in Defense (WID) San Diego

What Women in Defense (WID) San Diego does

Women in Defense (WID) San Diego is a volunteer-run nonprofit professional membership organization serving women working in the San Diego defense and national security community. Founded in 2005 as a local chapter of the national Women in Defense organization (itself founded in 1979 and affiliated with the National Defense Industrial Association since 2004), the chapter has grown to over 150 members representing roughly 40 defense contractors, government commands, and adjacent organizations. Its stated mission is to provide networking, mentorship, professional development, and scholarship support to women in a male-dominated industry. The headcount is six (effectively the elected board), and the organization operates without a permanent physical office, hosting events at San Diego venues such as Bali Hai Restaurant, Tom Ham's Lighthouse, and Snapdragon Stadium.

The chapter's core offerings are a tiered membership program (individual $98/year or $235/3-year, $25 student, $0 government), a corpus-funded SDSU Endowed Scholarship ($58,000 endowment, $39,075 awarded to 13 recipients since 2010), the HORIZONS national scholarship it contributes to, and a recurring event calendar including an annual scholarship fundraiser and silent auction, a career development workshop, a personal finance workshop, and a member appreciation event. It also sells corporate sponsorship packages. The technology footprint is purely operational — WordPress website, MailChimp for email, Eventbrite for ticketing, LinkedIn and Facebook for outreach — with no proprietary platform or software product.

WID San Diego's revenue model is a hybrid of recurring membership dues, corporate sponsorship, event ticket sales, and donations to its scholarship endowment. Sponsors and event partners include Booz Allen Hamilton, INDUS Technology, Noblis MSD, Trellix, Rockwest, Navy Federal Credit Union, and event co-hosts AFCEA San Diego, NDIA San Diego, and the Cyber Center of Excellence. Memberships are processed through the NDIA national portal (eweb.ndia.org), creating a shared funnel with the parent organization. No revenue figure is publicly disclosed.

Name

Women in Defense (WID) San Diego

Legal name

Women In Defense (WID) San Diego Chapter

Website

https://widsandiego.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women in Defense (WID) San Diego is a volunteer-run nonprofit professional membership organization serving women in the San Diego defense and national security community through networking events, professional development workshops, and an SDSU endowed scholarship program funded by memberships and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Defense Industry Membership

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDALAOAL

Alumni Career Networking & Mentorship Programs

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Alumni Relations, Development & Campus Community Engagement

SECONDARYEDAIAOAI

Corporate & Employer-Sponsored Scholarships

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Scholarships, Funding & Financial Aid for International Study

Keywords

• Professional membership organization
• Defense industry networking
• Women leadership development
• Scholarship programs
• Community networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual and multi-year membership fees provide recurring revenue. Individual memberships are $98/year or $235 for 3 years (20% discount). Student memberships are $25/year. Government members receive complimentary memberships.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors pay for visibility and association with the WID San Diego brand. Sponsors gain access to over 150 professionals from 40 organizations in the San Diego defense community. Event sponsorships and symposium sponsorships are available.
3. Event Tickets and Registrations: Revenue generated from paid events including the annual scholarship fundraiser & silent auction, career development workshops, and networking events. Ticket prices include drinks, appetizers, and event access.
4. Donations to Scholarship Endowment: The organization accepts donations to its San Diego Chapter of Women in Defense Endowed Scholarship with San Diego State University. The endowment fund is valued at $58,000. Donations support scholarships for women in STEM defense-related fields.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WID San Diego is a non-profit professional membership organization that connects, develops, and supports women working in the San Diego defense and national security industry. Its core offering is a tiered membership program ($98 individual 1-year, $235 individual 3-year, $25 student, complimentary for government) that grants access to in-person networking events, professional development workshops, mentorship connections, and scholarship opportunities. The organization also administers an endowed STEM scholarship with SDSU and runs recurring events including finance workshops, career development sessions, and an annual scholarship fundraiser.

Product overview

Women in Defense San Diego operates as a non-profit professional membership organization rather than a product company. The core offering is a membership program that provides access to networking events, professional development workshops, and scholarship programs. The primary products include: (1) the WID San Diego Membership Program offering tiered access to all member benefits; (2) HORIZONS Scholarship, a national scholarship program WID San Diego contributes to annually; (3) the San Diego Chapter of Women in Defense Endowed Scholarship, a local endowment in partnership with SDSU offering awards up to $5,000. These scholarship products are complemented by events including Personal Finance Workshops, Career Development Workshops, an Annual Scholarship Fundraiser & Silent Auction, and Member Appreciation Events. The organization also offers sponsorship packages enabling corporate partners to engage with the defense professional community. All programs collectively serve the mission of empowering women in San Diego's defense industry through networking, mentorship, and community support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WID San Diego Membership Program Tiered annual and multi-year membership program ($98 Individual 1-Year, $235 Individual 3-Year, $25 Student, complimentary Government) that provides women in the San Diego defense and national security industry with access to in-person networking events, professional development workshops, mentorship connections, and scholarship opportunities. Membership is processed through the NDIA national eWeb portal.
• San Diego Chapter of Women In Defense Endowed Scholarship Endowed scholarship administered in partnership with San Diego State University's College of Engineering and the Campanile Foundation (a 503(c)(3) nonprofit). The endowment is valued at $58,000 and has awarded $39,075 to 13 recipients since 2010. Eligible recipients are female SDSU engineering students who are U.S. citizens with a minimum 3.0 GPA pursuing careers in defense and national security; awards up to $5,000 are renewable.
• HORIZONS National Scholarship Program WID National's flagship scholarship program that provides financial assistance to women pursuing careers in national security and defense. WID San Diego contributes annually to this national scholarship pool as part of its community-mission programming.
• Corporate & Event Sponsorship Packages Sponsorship packages for defense contractors, government agencies, and defense-industry employers. Sponsors gain visibility and brand association among 150+ professionals representing 40 organizations in the San Diego defense community, including event-level and symposium-level sponsorship tiers. 2026 confirmed sponsors include Trellix, Booz Allen Hamilton, INDUS Technology, Noblis MSD, and Rockwest.
• Personal Finance Workshop Series Ticketed professional development workshop providing financial literacy education for WID San Diego members. Sessions cover IRA types, rollover options, RMD strategies, and beneficiary/legacy planning, presented by Navy Federal Investment Services representatives. Ticketed via Eventbrite.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13 scholarship recipients awarded $39,075 since 2010
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 core and minor.

• AFCEA San DiegocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 September 2025Co-hosting the SDSU Mission Valley Innovation District Industry Tour & Social event together. AFCEA San Diego and WID San Diego collaborate on events to serve the defense technology community in San Diego.
• NDIA San DiegocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 September 2025WID is an affiliate of NDIA (National Defense Industrial Association). NDIA San Diego served as event partner sponsor for the SDSU Mission Valley Innovation District event. The organizations share members and collaborate on programming.
• Cyber Center of ExcellenceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 15 September 2025Co-hosting the SDSU Mission Valley Innovation District Industry Tour & Social event together with WID San Diego, AFCEA San Diego, and NDIA San Diego.
• San Diego State University (SDSU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009WID San Diego partners with SDSU's College of Engineering and the Campanile Foundation (SDSU's non-profit 503(c)(3) organization) to administer the San Diego Chapter of Women in Defense Endowed Scholarship. The endowment fund is valued at $58,000. Scholarships are awarded to SDSU engineering students pursuing careers in defense and national security.
• Navy Federal Credit Union / Navy Federal Investment ServicesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPresented the Personal Finance Workshop on Saving for Retirement: IRA Need-to-Knows. Representatives from Navy Federal Investment Services provided an informative session to help WID members navigate Individual Retirement Accounts.
• Let's RoamminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLet's Roam made a generous in-kind donation of scavenger hunt tickets to support the WID San Diego annual scholarship fundraiser.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC): SDMAC is a San Diego regional defense industry council connecting military, government, and private sector leaders. Adjacent to WID San Diego through shared defense industry focus and overlapping members, but it operates more as a policy and ecosystem convener than a women's professional network.

Emerging players

• Athena San Diego: Athena San Diego is a professional women's organization focused on leadership development and networking in the San Diego region. Comparable as a female professional networking body with membership fees, events, and corporate sponsorship, though it operates across industries rather than defense specifically.
• Society of Women Engineers (SWE) San Diego: SWE supports women in engineering through local chapters, scholarships, and networking. Comparable in serving women-in-STEM career advancement and scholarship administration, though SWE focuses broadly on engineering rather than the defense industry specifically.
• Women in Technology San Diego: Women in Technology is a San Diego professional organization supporting women in tech careers through networking, mentoring, and events. Comparable professional women-in-tech membership model targeting overlapping San Diego defense-tech employer base, though broader than defense.
• Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) San Diego: WiCyS is a nonprofit advancing women in cybersecurity careers via local chapters, mentoring, and conferences. Comparable as a women-in-security professional membership organization competing for similar San Diego tech-defense talent and corporate sponsorship.

Broad incumbents

• AFCEA International: AFCEA International is the global parent organization of AFCEA San Diego and a major defense industry association offering similar networking, events, scholarship, and signal/cyber programs. Broad incumbent because it serves the full defense IT community rather than specializing in women.
• National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA): NDIA is the parent nonprofit of WID and the broader trade association for the U.S. defense industrial base. Comparable as the incumbent industry association whose infrastructure WID San Diego leverages (membership portal, events), though NDIA serves all defense professionals rather than specializing in women.

Others

• Cyber Center of Excellence (CCOE): CCOE is a San Diego cybersecurity industry association that co-hosts programs with WID San Diego. They are an adjacent ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor, sharing the same San Diego defense/cyber tech community and overlapping corporate sponsors.

Direct peers

• AFCEA San Diego: AFCEA San Diego is a local chapter of AFCEA International serving defense, intelligence, and homeland security professionals in the San Diego region. Direct peer because both organizations host overlapping networking events, partner on joint programming (e.g., the SDSU Mission Valley Innovation District Tour), and compete for the same corporate sponsorship dollars from local defense contractors.
• Women in Defense (WID) National: WID National is the parent organization of WID San Diego, with ~4,000 members across 20 chapters. Direct peer because it operates the same membership, scholarship (HORIZONS), and event programming model, and competes for member attention and national-level sponsorship dollars.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/widsandiego
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/women-in-defense-san-diego-chapter

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Women in Defense (WID) San Diego