Women in The Fastener Industry

What Women in The Fastener Industry does

Women in the Fastener Industry (WIFI Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2009 by Pam Berry of Advance Components and Mary Lou Alderman of The Alderman Group to support women working in the U.S. fastener industry. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, the organization functions as a professional membership community rather than a technology company, operating through a Wix-hosted website (fastenerwomen.com), email newsletters, LinkedIn, and Zoom-based virtual programming. Its offerings include a one-on-one virtual mentorship program, five named scholarship programs (Edith Cameron, Margaret Davis, Ann Bisgyer Wolz, Joanne Sherman E-Learning, and Maryann Marzocchi), annual industry awards (Woman of the Year, Woman in Business, Man-Up), a recurring tradeshow presence, quarterly member meetings, a speaker series, and a job board.

WIFI's revenue model is a hybrid of low-fee recurring memberships, tiered corporate sponsorships, and donations. Individual memberships are priced at $50 annually; corporate memberships are priced at $250 for 5-9 members and $400 for 10+ members annually. Corporate sponsorships are tiered (Pink, Silver, Bronze), with Pink-tier sponsors including Wurth Industry USA, Brighton-Best International, Stelfast, and Star Stainless Screw Company. Membership enrollment is processed through the JoinIt platform, and the organization maintains partnerships with training and event providers including the Industrial Fasteners Institute, THORS eLearning Solutions, Fastener Fair USA, the Fastener Training Institute, and the International Fastener Expo. Governance is provided by a volunteer board of approximately a dozen women drawn from across the fastener value chain (manufacturing, distribution, testing, and sales representation), with no disclosed paid staff headcount.

Name

Women in The Fastener Industry

Legal name

WIFI Inc. (Women in the Fastener Industry)

Website

https://fastenerwomen.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Women in the Fastener Industry (WIFI Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 that delivers networking, mentorship, scholarships, awards, and industry training partnerships for women working across the U.S. fastener manufacturing and distribution sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Northvale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Memberships: Individual membership dues at $50 annually provide revenue from women working in the fastener industry who join to access networking, mentorship, scholarships, and professional development opportunities.
2. Corporate Memberships: Corporate memberships at $250 annually for 5-9 members and $400 for 10+ members provide revenue from fastener companies sponsoring their female employees' participation in WIFI programs.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors at Pink, Silver, and Bronze tiers provide financial support through the sponsorship program, helping fund scholarships and networking events.
4. Donations: The organization accepts donations from individuals and companies to fund scholarships and networking events, supporting the nonprofit's educational mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Women in The Fastener Industry (WIFI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports women professionals working in the fastener industry through membership programs, networking events, mentorship matching, scholarships, industry awards, and a job board. The organization offers both individual and corporate membership tiers and operates an annual conference focused on advancing women's careers in fastener manufacturing, distribution, and supply.

Product overview

Women in the Fastener Industry (WIFI Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that functions as a professional membership network rather than a commercial product company. The organization's offerings center on programs for advancing women in the fastener industry: the Mentorship Program (1-on-1 virtual mentoring), Scholarships (five named scholarships for industry education and events), WIFI Awards (Woman of the Year, Woman in Business, and Man-Up Award), the WIFI x IFI partnership program (free IFI training registrations), Events (tradeshows, quarterly meetings, speaker series), Membership Program ($50 individual / $250-$400 corporate annually), and a Job Board for fastener industry careers. These programs are offered through their website and third-party platforms including JoinIt for membership management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership Annual membership program for women professionals in the fastener industry, providing access to networking events, mentorship, scholarships, awards, and the job board.
• Corporate Membership Annual corporate membership/sponsorship for companies in the fastener industry, providing brand visibility, talent pipeline access through the job board, and recognition as a supporter of women in the industry.
• Annual WIFI Conference Annual in-person networking conference for women in the fastener industry, featuring keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and recognition of award recipients.
• WIFI Job Board Online job board listing career opportunities in the fastener industry for women professionals and member companies seeking to recruit diverse talent.

Quantifiable outcome

• Global community supporting women at all career levels since 2009
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025WIFI and IFI partnership program called 'EmpowerHER: WIFI x IFI' provides exclusive access to industry training for WIFI members. IFI sponsors two free registrations for every IFI training event (webinars or in-person seminars), allowing WIFI members to expand technical knowledge and professional skills at no additional cost.
• Wurth Industry USAflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPink Sponsor of WIFI. Company employees including Kala Milburg (Sales Specialist) participate in WIFI programs. Company representative Katharina Graener (Senior Director of Procurement) serves as speaker at WIFI Speaker Series on global fastener supply chains.
• Brighton-Best InternationalflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPink Sponsor of WIFI. Company Branch Manager Kimberly Arnold serves as Treasurer on the WIFI Board. Company employees have won multiple WIFI awards including Woman of the Year (Rosa E. Hearn, 2020).
• StelfastflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPink Sponsor of WIFI. Company representative Simmi Sakhuja won Woman of the Year Award in 2019.
• Star Stainless Screw CompanyflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPink Sponsor of WIFI. Company won Man-Up Award in 2017 recognizing support for women in the industry.
• BTM ManufacturingcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of WIFI. Company representative Jake Davis won Man-Up Award in 2020. Margaret Davis scholarship honors the memory of ISSCO/BTM Manufacturing co-founder.
• Expedite Testing ServicecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Sponsor of WIFI. Company Vice President Tiffany Arnold serves as Vice President on the WIFI Board.
• THORS eLearning SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing Joanne Sherman E-Learning Scholarship for WIFI members to access online courses specifically designed for manufacturing and fastener industry needs. Scholarship fully covers course fees for members requesting financial assistance.
• Fastener Fair USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing Margaret Davis Scholarship for WIFI members to attend Fastener Fair USA. Scholarship covers travel, accommodations, and entrance to the show. Recipient is required to work at the WIFI show booth.
• Fastener Training InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing Ann Bisgyer Wolz Scholarship for WIFI members to attend Fastener Training Institute courses. Class fees covered for the Certified Fastener Specialist course or other classes of equal or lesser value.
• International Fastener ExpocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing Edith Cameron Scholarship for WIFI members to attend International Fastener Expo in Las Vegas. Scholarship covers travel, accommodations, and entrance to the show. Recipient must participate in WIFI event and show booth.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Industrial Fasteners Institute (IFI): The leading North American trade association for the fastener industry. IFI is WIFI's flagship strategic partner and operates in the same vertical at a much larger scale, providing training, standards, and advocacy that WIFI members access via the EmpowerHER partnership.
• National Fastener Distributors Association (NFDA): US trade association representing fastener distributors. Operates in the same fastener vertical as WIFI's sponsor/customer base with similar nonprofit, membership-funded structure — broader industry focus rather than women-specific.

Emerging players

• Young Fastener Professionals (YFP): An emerging fastener industry group for younger professionals. Mallory Nichols, a WIFI Board Member, simultaneously serves as YFP's President — illustrating the complementary role YFP plays for early-career fastener professionals relative to WIFI's broader women-focused mission.

Direct peers

• Women in Manufacturing: A nonprofit professional association advancing women in manufacturing careers. Closest comparable to WIFI in mission and structure (membership, mentorship, awards, events), though operating in the broader manufacturing vertical rather than fasteners specifically.

Others

• Fastener Training Institute: Nonprofit training provider for the fastener industry. WIFI partners with FTI to offer the Ann Bisgyer Wolz Scholarship covering Certified Fastener Specialist courses — a direct operational partnership and adjacent mission focus.
• American Fastener Journal: Industry media outlet covering the fastener sector. Tom Massar won WIFI's 2022 Man-Up Award, illustrating the close tie between the industry's trade press and WIFI's community. Functions as an adjacent information provider rather than direct competitor.
• THORS eLearning Solutions: Provider of manufacturing and fastener e-learning courses. WIFI partners with THORS to offer the Joanne Sherman E-Learning Scholarship to members — a content/enablement partner rather than a community competitor.

Regional players

• Eastern Fastener Distributors Association: Regional fastener industry trade association serving the US East Coast. Operates in the same vertical as WIFI's sponsor base with a similar nonprofit, membership-funded structure, focused on distribution rather than women-specific programming.
• Pacific West Fastener Association: Regional fastener industry trade association serving the US Pacific West. Mallory Nichols (WIFI Board Member) also serves on PacWest's board, illustrating the cross-pollination between regional fastener associations and WIFI.
• Midwest Fastener Association (MWFA): Regional trade association for fastener professionals in the US Midwest. WIFI board member Laura Nash has been a member for over 20 years, illustrating organizational overlap with WIFI's community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fastenerwomen
• Facebookfacebook.com/fastenerwomen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/womeninthefastenerindustry

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women in The Fastener Industry