Woman of Achievement

What Woman of Achievement does

Woman of Achievement is a privately held pageant and leadership development organization headquartered in Monterey Park, California, that recognizes and develops women leaders through competitive pageantry. It operates two signature events: the U.S. National Ms. & Mrs. Woman of Achievement Pageant, a three-day leadership competition with platform presentations, interviews, creative expression, formal wear, and fitness categories held in Brea, California; and the International Woman of Achievement Leadership Weekend in Irvine, California, which convenes cultural-heritage delegates from countries including the United States and Australia. Sub-brands include Teen Achieve (ages 13-19) and four title categories — Miss, Ms., Mrs., and the Pre-Teen/Jr. Teen/Miss youth division — supported by the Legacy Queens and Lifetime Queens alumni programs and a Platform Awards Program offering cash grants for community service, public speaking, and academic or artistic achievement.

The underlying technology is minimal: a WordPress-based website powers online applications and fee collection, with no public API, mobile app, or documented integrations. Operations are run by a small team of approximately 9 employees under founder-CEO Marlena Martin, with event production outsourced to venues such as Curtis Theatre and Brea Embassy Suites, and legal/IP work handled by external counsel including trademark attorney Scott W. Kelley of Kelly & Kelley, LLP. Sponsorship underwriting from entities such as NBC, Lifetime, 9News, Earth Friendly Products, Union Bank, 7-Eleven, Paul Mitchell, ZenBusiness, Adobe, and Susan Komen Los Angeles supports cash grants and in-kind contestant services.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through one-time delegate fees — $225 for state/regional registration, $1,095 for U.S. National participation, $250 plus $1,200 for international participation, and $795 for the Pre-Teen/Teen program — with installment payment plans (3-4 months, 10% late fees) and sponsor contributions as supplementary streams. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the website application funnel, with selection by committee invitation rather than open competition. Geographic reach spans U.S. states and select international cultural-heritage markets. The organization is founder-owned, with no disclosed external funding rounds, parent company, or acquisition activity.

Name

Woman of Achievement

Legal name

Woman of Achievement

Website

https://womanofachievement.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Woman of Achievement is a privately held California-based pageant organization that hosts the U.S. National and International Woman of Achievement pageants and leadership weekends, serving individual women contestants across U.S. states and cultural-heritage markets through delegate-fee-funded competition and awards programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pageant & Leadership Events

NAICS

Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations (81393)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)

Keywords

• Women's pageantry
• Leadership pageants
• Community platforms
• Title competitions
• Women's leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Brea

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Pageant Entry Fees: Fees for contestants to enter U.S. National and International pageants. U.S. National entry requires $225 state/regional title registration plus $1095 for additional state title holder fee. International registration is $250 country registration plus $1200 participation fee.
2. Pre-Teen/Teen Program Fees: $795 program fee to reserve state or regional title for Pre-Teen/Jr. Teen/Teen/Miss divisions with $150 deposit required.
3. Installment Payment Plans: Delegates can pay via installment plans over 3-4 months. Late payments incur 10% fees. Payment methods include Cashier's Check, Money Order, Zelle, and PayPal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Woman of Achievement is a women's pageant organization that hosts annual U.S. National and International leadership pageant weekends. Women apply to represent U.S. states, regions, or cultural heritages, are selected by committee, and compete across platform presentations, interviews, creative expression, formal wear, and fitness categories for Ms., Mrs., and Teen titles. Events culminate in cash grants for community service, public speaking, or academic and artistic achievement.

Product overview

Woman of Achievement is a pageant organization offering a single, unified portfolio centered on the U.S. National Woman of Achievement Pageant and the International Woman of Achievement Leadership Weekend. The core products include national and state-level delegate programs for Ms., Mrs., and Teen divisions, where contestants compete across platform presentations, interviews, creative expression, formal wear, and fitness categories. Supporting offerings include the Legacy Queen and Lifetime Queens honorary programs, a Platform Awards Program providing cash grants, leadership workshops, and a National Queen Prize Package. The organization also operates youth programs (Pre-Teen/Jr. Teen/Teen/Miss) and cultural heritage delegate programs. All events culminate in awards including cash grants to women demonstrating community service, public speaking excellence, or academic/artistic achievement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Teen Achieve: Teen pageant program for contestants aged 13-19, held alongside the main National Pageant event.
• Miss
• Mrs.
• Ms.

Products and services

• U.S. National Woman of Achievement Pageant Annual three-day leadership pageant weekend where women compete for Mrs. U.S. WOA and Ms. U.S. WOA titles; includes platform presentations, interviews, creative expression in speech or arts, formal wear, and fitness competitions, with cash grants awarded for community service and platform work.
• International Woman of Achievement Leadership Weekend Signature event inviting women from cultures worldwide to present women's issues, perform, speak, and network with outstanding women leaders; held at Hyatt-Regency Irvine.
• Teen Achieve & Miss Pageant Pageant program for teen and young-women contestants, held alongside the main National Pageant event for ages 13-19.
• State/Regional Delegate Program Program allowing women to represent U.S. states or regions as delegates; $225 state/regional title registration plus $1,095 additional state title-holder fee (includes half-page color program ad, Coronation Lunch, and all competition functions).
• International Delegate Program Program for women to represent countries internationally; $250 country registration plus $1,200 participation fee, including full rhinestone national country sash and crown, full-page color ad, complimentary queen's photo shoot, and all competition events.
• Pre-Teen/Jr. Teen/Teen/Miss Program Youth pageant program with $795 fee to reserve state or regional title ($150 deposit required) for Pre-Teen, Jr. Teen, Teen, and Miss divisions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% of judging based on interviews and platform work rather than appearance alone

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• NBCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia sponsor providing coverage and exposure for the organization and its delegates.
• LifetimeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia sponsor providing coverage and exposure for the organization.
• 9NewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia sponsor providing news coverage for the organization.
• Earth Friendly ProductsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatform cash grant sponsor providing grants to women with community service platforms.
• Professional Women UnitedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional women's organization that develops women's professional growth and provides networking opportunities. Platform cash grant sponsor.
• Union BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatform cash grant sponsor supporting women in the program.
• 7-ElevenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatform cash grant sponsor supporting women in the program.
• Paul MitchellminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIn-kind donor providing hair and beauty products/services for contestants. Paul Mitchell The School Pasadena encourages careers in hair design.
• Strike A Pose PhotographyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIn-kind donor owned by Jayme and Steve, providing photography services. Woman-owned small business in Glendora/Covina, CA.
• Jaquesa Swimsuit CoutureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIn-kind donor providing swimsuit couture for pageant contestants.
• ZenBusinessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor providing business formation services, advertising on the website.
• AdobeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor providing PDF and document services, advertising on the website.
• Asian World MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia sponsor covering Asian community events and delegates.
• Autism Hope AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit sponsor supporting autism awareness platforms of contestants.
• WOW Hair ProductsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor providing hair care products for contestants.
• Susan Komen Los AngelesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBreast cancer awareness organization sponsor supporting contestants with related platforms.
• Allure Medical SpaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedical spa in Yorba Linda, CA providing in-kind services to contestants.
• 55,000 DressesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIn-kind donor founded by Paul, a general contractor who collected 55,000 dresses over 50 years. Provides dress collection for events.
• Female Entrepreneur AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia sponsor supporting female entrepreneurs.
• KDOC What's Up O.C.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal media sponsor covering Orange County events and delegates.
• PVSA Official Certifying OrganizationminorOthersOfficial certifying organization for the pageant program.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Pageantry Magazine: A print and digital publication covering the pageant industry, directly comparable to WOA's WOA Magazine publication product for delivering editorial coverage of queens, platforms, and event stories to a delegate and sponsor audience.
• Pageant Planet: An industry directory and resource platform for pageant contestants and systems that serves as both a peer recognition channel (it issued WOA its 2023 awards) and the de facto marketing channel for the pageant category.

Direct peers

• Miss America Organization: The largest U.S. national women's leadership/scholarship pageant system, directly comparable to Woman of Achievement because both use pageant competition as a vehicle for women's leadership development and award scholarships/grants to contestants.
• National American Miss (NAM): A major U.S. youth pageant system directly comparable to WOA's Pre-Teen/Jr. Teen/Teen/Miss divisions, with overlapping age segments, similar state-delegate structures, and parallel platform/presentation judging models.
• Mrs. America Pageant: A national pageant system for married women (Mrs. division) that closely mirrors the structure and target demographic of Woman of Achievement's Mrs. U.S. WOA national title and Mrs.-focused delegate programs.
• International Pageants: An international pageant system that closely overlaps with WOA's International Woman of Achievement Leadership Weekend and cultural-heritage delegate model, both operating multi-country title competitions.
• Galaxy Pageants: An international pageant system with similar multi-country cultural-heritage representation and Ms./Mrs. divisions, making it a direct structural competitor to WOA's international delegate model.
• Mrs. United States National Pageant: A Mrs.-focused national pageant with similar married-women delegate structure, state-title representation, and platform-based judging that overlap directly with WOA's Mrs. U.S. WOA offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WomanofAchievement
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/woman-of-achievement

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Woman of Achievement