Women's Network

What Women's Network does

Women's Network is a volunteer-run professional women's networking organization founded in 2020 and headquartered in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It operates a portfolio of four recurring event programs — the Masterclass Series, the flagship annual Women's Professional Summit, the Cocktail Series, and the Social Series — supplemented by editorial content through its blog, The Notebook. A volunteer planning committee of approximately seven members executes operations under founder and director Kristine Leadbetter-Gold; no paid headcount or proprietary technology platform is disclosed, and all event registration and ticketing is handled through the third-party platform Luma.

The organization generates revenue through individual event ticket sales, corporate table packages, and a multi-tier sponsorship program (presenting, gold, silver, event-partner, and à la carte slots). Named core sponsors include Scotia Wealth Management, Ross & McBride, and MNP, with academic support from McMaster University's DeGroote School of Business. Events are staged at regional venues including MontHill Golf & Country Club, Tamahaac Club, and Milli Hamilton. The flagship Women's Professional Summit has run annually since 2021 (EVOLVE 2021 through EMBRACE 2026), transitioning from virtual-only pandemic editions to a hybrid model and, with the ENRICH 2025 and EMBRACE 2026 editions, to a primarily in-person retreat-style format. A Holiday Party series has been added for the 2026 season.

Women's Network serves a regional audience concentrated in the Greater Hamilton Area and Burlington, with no claims of broader geographic reach. The organization is privately held, founder-owned, and operates without disclosed institutional investment, funding rounds, or financial figures.

Name

Women's Network

Legal name

Women's Network

Website

https://womensnetwork.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Women's Network is a Hamilton, Ontario-based volunteer organization founded in 2020 that runs event-based professional development and networking programs — including masterclasses, summits, cocktail events, and socials — for professional women across the Greater Hamilton Area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Networking Events

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Career Networks (BPAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional & Business Networking Communities (MPACAJAB), Social Q&A & Knowledge Communities (BPAMABAI)

Keywords

• Professional networking events
• Women's career development
• Event management services
• Community building
• Professional summits

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamilton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from individual ticket sales for various event formats including masterclasses, summits, cocktail events, and social gatherings. Ticket pricing varies by event type and includes corporate table options for team attendance.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship revenue from presenting sponsors, gold sponsors, silver sponsors, event partners, brand partners, and à la carte sponsorship opportunities. Sponsors receive event-day recognition, social media visibility, vendor marketplace booth access, and direct attendee exposure.
3. Corporate Table Packages: Corporate table reservations for team attendance at events, particularly at the flagship Women's Professional Summit. Includes VIP seating options and enhanced visibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Women's Network is a private professional women's networking organization based in Hamilton, Ontario that delivers in-person and hybrid event programming, including an annual full-day Women's Professional Summit, Masterclass Series workshops, Cocktail Series after-hours networking, and Social Series gatherings. It also publishes a blog called The Notebook with professional development articles and generates revenue through individual ticket sales, corporate table packages, and event sponsorships.

Product overview

Women's Network is a professional networking and event organization that offers a portfolio of event-based programs designed to empower professional women. The core offerings include the Masterclass Series (intimate professional development workshops), the flagship Women's Professional Summit (annual full-day conference), Cocktail Series (after-hours networking), and Social Series (relaxed themed events). The Notebook blog provides supplementary educational content. The company operates on a seasonal model, with each season culminating in an annual summit event. The platform does not offer technology products, APIs, or AI-powered features—its value proposition is entirely service and community-based.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EMBRACE: Annual Women's Professional Summit - flagship event of the Women's Network
• ENRICH
• The Notebook
• Masterclass Series
• Cocktail Series
• Social Series

Products and services

• Women's Professional Summit Annual full-day flagship conference bringing together women from all industries for learning, networking, and inspiration, featuring keynotes, panels, workshops, and a vendor marketplace.
• Masterclass Series Focused professional development events in intimate settings, featuring industry experts, networking lunch, and interactive workshops, delivered in hybrid format with in-person emphasis.
• Cocktail Series After-hours flexible networking events with cocktails, nibbles, and short presentations, combining socializing with professional development in a relaxed evening atmosphere.
• Social Series Relaxed themed networking events for building relationships and expanding professional networks in casual settings, delivered in in-person only format.

Quantifiable outcome

• Six seasons of annual programming completed successfully
• +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

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Scotia Wealth ManagementcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting sponsor for multiple seasons of Women's Network programming. Financial services firm providing expert speakers for finance panels and workshops at events. Representatives including Kerri Latchman (Associate Portfolio Manager), Michelle Heaphy (Private Banker), and Laura Loughlin (Senior Private Banker) serve as speakers and experts for financial literacy content.
• Ross & McBridecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLaw firm partner providing legal expert speakers including Joanne Guarasci (Family Law Partner) and support through Business Development & Marketing Director Kristine Leadbetter-Gold's role at the firm. Francesca Rollo (Personal Injury Lawyer) also featured as speaker.
• MNPsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional services firm providing speakers including Mickey Dinis (Partner, Cloud Accounting Services) and Angela Lyrintzis (Partner, Accounting and Assurance).
• McMaster University (DeGroote School of Business)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing expert speakers including Dr. Candice Chow (Assistant Professor, Director of Foresight Lab), Dr. Teal McAteer (Associate Professor), and Viviane Bomfim (Recruitment & Admissions Manager, MBA Programs). Founder holds Master of Communications Management from McMaster-Syracuse program.
• Tamahaac ClubsecondaryOthersVenue partner for Summer Social 2026 event. Private club venue in Ancaster providing scenic backdrop for networking event. Partnership for event hosting and venue access.
• MontHill Golf & Country ClubsecondaryOthersVenue partner for Women's Professional Summit EMBRACE 2026 and ENRICH 2025 events. Retreat-style venue in Caledonia hosting full-day summit programming and cocktail reception.
• Milli HamiltonsecondaryOthersFashion retail partner for events including Holiday Social 2024. Provides venue for 'Holidays in Paris' themed event and fashion presentations. Pam Cook serves as Fashion Director.
• Special Event RentalssecondaryOthersEvent design and rental partner for cocktail reception spaces. Transforms venues with tabletop, furniture, linens, and drapery for signature events. Carly Hanna serves as Sales & Client Relations Executive.
• Hamilton Chamber of CommercesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerChamber partner with Katie Stiel (Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships) participating as speaker and panelist. Represents local business community collaboration.
• LumacoreTechnology or IntegrationTicketing and event management platform provider for online registration, ticket sales, and event promotion. All event registration links point to Luma platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Athena Network: Organization supporting women's leadership advancement through events, awards, and executive development programs. Comparable mission and event-based service model.
• Lean In: Global women's empowerment organization running Lean In Circles peer groups and educational content. Comparable mission of building women's professional community and connection.
• Women's Executive Network (WXN): Canadian-based organization supporting women in executive leadership through events, awards (Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100), and networking — directly comparable Canadian women's professional community.
• Ellevate Network: Global professional women's networking community offering events, circles, and mentorship. Closely comparable mission of connecting professional women for career advancement, though at much larger scale.
• Women Presidents' Organization (WPO): Membership peer group organization for women presidents and CEOs with Canadian chapters (including Ontario). Comparable in running curated peer-advisory events and corporate sponsorships for senior women leaders.
• National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO): US-based membership organization for women business owners offering networking events, education, and advocacy. Directly comparable event-driven women's business community model.

Emerging players

• Female Founders Fund: Community and capital organization supporting women entrepreneurs, with events and content programming. Comparable in building women's business community, though more focused on founders specifically.

Others

• Luma: Event management and ticketing platform used by Women's Network for registration. Not a peer, but a critical infrastructure/enabler for the organization's event-based operations.
• Eventbrite: Large-scale event ticketing and discovery platform. Not a peer but a relevant alternative/complementary infrastructure provider in the events space Women's Network operates in.

Broad incumbents

• Hamilton Chamber of Commerce: Local business membership organization in Hamilton serving the broader (not women-only) professional community with events and networking — overlapping audience and partnership relationship with Women's Network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/womensnetworkca

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 Women's Network