Accelerate Women Leaders In Travel

What Accelerate Women Leaders In Travel does

Accelerate Women Leaders In Travel is a privately held, Vermont-based organization that runs an annual leadership retreat and associated community programs for women professionals in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries. Founded in 2018 and led by Rachel Vandenberg, the organization convenes its signature three-day retreat at the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort in Stowe, Vermont, with the next edition scheduled for April 8-10, 2026; participants register directly through the company website at $499 plus taxes, and the program includes professional development workshops, leadership coaching, peer networking, and access to pre-retreat meet-ups. The core product is supported by a structured, multi-tier corporate sponsorship program (Platinum $5,000 through Bronze $500, plus in-kind hotel sponsorships), an executive coaching service, a newsletter, and a curated articles library.

The business model is a hybrid of individual paid registrations and corporate sponsorship revenue, with distribution conducted entirely through direct-to-consumer channels — a Weebly-hosted website, Google Forms for registration, email newsletter, and LinkedIn. There is no proprietary technology platform; the offering is event- and community-led, and the organization relies on its founding partnership with the New England Inns & Resorts Association (NEIRA, 300+ member properties) for audience reach and operational support. The company is bootstrapped and founder-owned, with 1-10 employees, no external funding disclosed, and no evidence of acquisition or parent-company activity.

Commercially, the organization targets two customer segments: female travel and hospitality leaders (primary), and corporate sponsors seeking brand visibility and DEI positioning within that audience. Reported scale signals include a 96-room hotel block at the host venue, a roster of more than ten named corporate sponsors and a long list of in-kind hospitality sponsors. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; based on the single annual event format, modest pricing, and capped sponsorship slots, annual revenue is best classified in the sub-$1M band, though exact figures are not available.

Name

Accelerate Women Leaders In Travel

Legal name

Accelerate Women Leaders In Travel

Website

https://womenleadersintravel.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Accelerate Women Leaders In Travel is a Vermont-based organization that runs an annual leadership retreat, executive coaching, and community programs for women professionals in the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries, funded primarily through individual registrations and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Leadership Development Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAKADAI

Wellness, Spa & Retreat Tour Operators

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Tour Operators (Multi-Day Package Tours)

SECONDARYTHAKADAC

Private/Customized Multi-Day Tour Operators

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Tour Operators (Multi-Day Package Tours)

SECONDARYTHAKAFAI

Wellness, Spa & Retreat Travel Agencies

Travel & Hospitality/Travel Agencies, Tour Operators & OTAs/Specialty/Niche Travel Agencies (Luxury, Adventure, Honeymoon, etc.)

Keywords

• Women leadership retreats
• Hospitality professional development
• Travel industry networking
• Executive coaching services
• Women in hospitality

Headquarters

HQ city

Stowe

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retreat Registration Fees: Individual women leaders in travel pay to attend the annual Accelerate retreat. The registration fee is $499 plus taxes, which covers the program registration and meals (lunch, snacks, dinner and breakfast). The fee is transferable but non-refundable.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors support the retreat at various tier levels (Platinum $5,000, Gold $2,000, Silver $1,000, Bronze $500, Hotel tier) in exchange for brand visibility, LinkedIn posts, newsletter exposure, hotel package benefits, and participant registrations. Sponsorship revenue supports the organization's mission of activating personal agency among women leaders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Accelerate Women Leaders In Travel runs an annual 3-day in-person leadership retreat for women in the travel, hospitality, and tourism industries, hosted at von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort in Stowe, Vermont. The retreat combines professional development workshops, executive coaching, peer networking, and community building, with individual participants paying a $499 registration fee and corporate sponsors purchasing tiered visibility packages.

Product overview

Accelerate Women Leaders In Travel operates as a retreat-based professional development organization offering a single core product—the Accelerate Retreat—supplemented by registration services, sponsorship programs, coaching services, and a content network. The main Accelerate Retreat is a 3-day annual leadership development event for women in the travel and hospitality industry, augmented by pre-retreat meet-ups, coaching sessions, and corporate/hospitality sponsorship opportunities. The organization does not operate a software platform but rather coordinates in-person events, educational programming, and a community network for women leaders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accelerate Retreat A 3-day in-person leadership retreat for women in travel, hospitality, and tourism, held annually at von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort in Stowe, Vermont. Includes professional development workshops, networking opportunities, coaching sessions, and community building focused on leadership skills, career transitions, decision-making, and authentic personal style.
• Corporate Sponsorship Program Tiered corporate sponsorship program (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Hotel) providing brand visibility, LinkedIn exposure, hotel package benefits, newsletter advertising, and exhibitor opportunities for hospitality, travel, and technology companies targeting women leaders in the industry.
• Executive Coaching Services One-on-one and group coaching services provided by industry professionals, including leadership coaching, career transition coaching, confidence and personal styling coaching, and executive coaching for C-suite and senior leaders in travel and hospitality.

Quantifiable outcome

• Women leaders report high impact from the annual retreat and seek continued engagement through pre-retreat meet-ups and ongoing community.
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered founding/flagship, core and minor.

• New England Inns & Resorts Association (NEIRA)founding/flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEIRA serves as the founding partner of Accelerate Women Leaders In Travel. Founded in 1907, NEIRA represents over 300 New England resorts, inns, bed and breakfasts, hotels, and motor inns. The association provides quality opportunities for education and networking and is a leading network for New England hospitality. NEIRA staff (Amy Gallagher and Deborah Burns) provide operational and administrative support to Accelerate.
• von Trapp Family Lodge & ResortcoreGTM or Marketing Partnervon Trapp Family Lodge & Resort serves as the host sponsor and venue for the annual Accelerate retreat. Located in Stowe, Vermont, the resort offers European-style accommodations, mountain activities, and dining. Accelerate has reserved all 96 rooms at the resort for the retreat dates. The resort provides hotel room packages as part of sponsor benefits.
• Stayntouch PMSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum-level corporate sponsor of the Accelerate retreat. Stayntouch is a cloud-based property management system provider for hotels.
• Olympia HospitalityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold-level corporate sponsor. Olympia Hospitality is a fully integrated hotel and restaurant management group with over 50 years of experience.
• Choice Hotels InternationalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver-level corporate sponsor. Choice Hotels is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world with over 7,500 hotels in 46 countries and territories.
• Ascent360minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver-level corporate sponsor. Ascent360 is a customer data platform built exclusively for the hospitality industry.
• MewsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze-level corporate sponsor. Mews is a hospitality operations platform powering over 5,500 customers across 85+ countries. Mews has raised $335 million from investors including Goldman Sachs Alternatives.
• Union BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver-level corporate sponsor. Union Bank is a full-service community bank headquartered in Morrisville, VT, with 18 branches in northern Vermont and New Hampshire.
• Hospitality Sponsors (Various Hotels and Travel Companies)minorOthersVarious hospitality sponsors listed on the hospitality sponsors page include: Sun & Ski Inn and Suites, Sun Lodge VT, Nonantum Resort, von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort, Migis Hotel Group, Lake Bomoseen Lodge, Brenton Hotel, Mountain Top Inn, Yankee Magazine, Cabot Creamery, Maine Love, Rienne, M.M. LaFleur, Jacki Brown Marketing, Vermont Vacation, Bar Harbor Villager, Green Goddess VT, Commodities Natural Market, Cork Market, Hotel Downstreet, Archery Close, Stowe Living, Go Stowe, Delamar Hotels, Manor House Norfolk, Stowe Bee Bakery, Erica Allen Studio, Black Cap Vermont, and Witham Family Hotels.
• Boston Textile CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze-level corporate sponsor. Boston Textile Company has provided quality textile products to hospitality and other industries since 1933.
• Meads Bay Hotel GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze-level corporate sponsor. Meads Bay Hotel Group, founded in 2022, manages boutique and franchise hotels across Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Provincetown, and Hyannis.
• RoomRite Group SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze-level corporate sponsor. RoomRite Group Solutions helps hotels and venues monetize distressed and need-date group inventory.
• TraknProtectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze-level corporate sponsor. TraknProtect is an award-winning safety solution for hotels, providing employee safety buttons and automation.
• JerneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze-level corporate sponsor. Jerne is a bespoke clothing brand centered on individuality and thoughtful design for women, ethically produced in partnership with skilled tailors in Vietnam.
• Clark InsuranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze-level corporate sponsor. Clark Insurance, founded in 1931, provides property & casualty and life & health insurance with 120 employees serving offices in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• The Female Quotient: Media and experiences platform advancing women in business and consumer industries, with summit formats and corporate partnerships. Comparable in mission, sponsorship-driven model, and women-leadership retreat format, though broader than hospitality.
• Women Who Travel (Condé Nast Traveler): Condé Nast Traveler–hosted community and content platform for women travelers. Comparable on women-in-travel audience, content/newsletter engagement, and partner brand integrations, though not event-led.

Direct peers

• Ellevate Network: Large global professional networking community for women, with membership, events, and corporate sponsorship programs. Comparable on women-leadership programming, community-driven engagement, and tiered sponsor monetization — but operates across all industries.
• Women Leading Travel & Hospitality: Community and content platform for women in travel and hospitality leadership; cited directly in Accelerate's own research (Cornell/WLTH webinar). It is the closest mission-aligned peer and the natural substitute for sponsors evaluating Accelerate.
• WiT (Web in Travel / Women in Travel): Asia-rooted but global community and conference series for women across the travel and tourism industry. Compares on target audience (women travel leaders), community-led GTM, and conference/event monetization, with a much larger international scale.

Broad incumbents

• AAHOA: Major Asian American hotel-owners association with conferences, education, and leadership programs drawing the same hospitality sponsor base (e.g., Choice Hotels, Mews) Accelerate targets. Comparable on audience overlap and corporate sponsorship mechanics.
• Summit Series: High-end curated retreat and conference series for leaders across industries. Comparable on intimate in-person retreat format, premium pricing, and sponsor-driven economics, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader audience than hospitality-specific.
• AHLA Foundation: Lodging industry association that runs workforce and leadership programs for hoteliers, including women-in-hospitality initiatives. Provides industry-wide infrastructure and corporate relationships that Accelerate's sponsors also engage with.

Regional players

• Watermark Conference for Women: Large-scale annual women's leadership conference (California-rooted). Comparable on women-leadership retreat format, corporate sponsorship tiers, and keynote-driven program design; significantly larger scale and broader than hospitality-specific.
• New England Inns & Resorts Association (NEIRA): Accelerate's founding partner since 1907; a 300+ member hospitality association running education, networking, and events for New England lodging operators. Comparable on hospitality industry programming, member-based community, and sponsor/partner monetization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/accelerate-women-leaders-in-travel

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 Accelerate Women Leaders In Travel