The Startup Ladies

What The Startup Ladies does

The Startup Ladies is a professional membership organization founded in 2014 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, operating as a 100% remote LLC with a four-person staff. It serves early- and growth-stage women entrepreneurs, individual investors, and corporate executives, with the stated mission of increasing the number of women-owned companies that are started, scaled, and funded. The organization addresses the documented gap in which women founders capture less than 2% of the $228 billion invested in US startups annually.

The core product is a tiered membership platform anchored by Startup Study Hall Online, a 24/7 eLearning library covering 16 topic areas (Accounting, Business Models, Legal, Marketing, Raising Capital, Sales, Tech, among others), delivered via a member portal and complemented by recurring live programming including bi-monthly Startup Study Hall sessions, quarterly Startup Capital Series (investor education) and Mental Wellness for Business workshops, monthly Meetups & Book Clubs, and the annual #InvestInWomenFounders Summit featuring the Top 9 Accelerator for investment-ready founders. Adjacent offerings include Project Boardup (advisory board matching in partnership with the Indy Black and Indy Rainbow Chambers of Commerce), The Startup Ladies Fund (non-dilutive seed grants of $1,000–$1,500), and a Shop marketplace for women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ-owned businesses.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: recurring subscription memberships (Entrepreneur, Investor, Corporate tiers), marketplace commissions via the Shop, and corporate sponsorships including the 'Sponsor a Startup Lady' program. The Startup Ladies Fund is internally capitalized by allocating $100 from every Investor and Support Services membership. The organization has not raised institutional capital and operates with a lean team, relying on community-led growth, event-driven demand generation, and earned media coverage in Forbes, Inc., and Indianapolis-area outlets to acquire and retain members.

Name

The Startup Ladies

Legal name

Startup Ladies LLC

Website

https://thestartupladies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Startup Ladies is a 100% remote, Indianapolis-based membership organization founded in 2014 that educates, connects, and funds women entrepreneurs through an eLearning platform, live programming, a Top 9 accelerator, seed grants, and advisory board matching.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Education and Community Membership

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC), Entrepreneurship, Startup Incubation & Pitch Programs (EDAMAKAK)

Keywords

• Entrepreneur membership organization
• Startup education platform
• Investor readiness programs
• Women founder community
• Seed grant funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Membership: Professional membership organization offering tiered memberships for Entrepreneurs, Investors, and Corporations. Membership provides access to eLearning platform, member directory, pitch decks, special discounts, private Facebook group, educational programming, mentoring, and networking events.
2. Shop/Marketplace: Platform featuring products and services from women-owned, BIPOC & LGBTQ owned businesses. Members can purchase from featured vendors including Beautiful Dreamers, High Frequency Arts, Sip & Share Wines, Empowered Living, Inspiro Tequila, Scout & Zoe's.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors can sponsor The Startup Ladies programs, events, and individual founders through 'Sponsor a Startup Lady' program. $100 from every Investor and Support Services membership is allocated to The Startup Ladies Fund.
4. The Startup Ladies Fund: Seed grant fund providing grants to women founders to prove out scalable business concepts. Funded through membership contributions. Grant applications accepted rolling with awards made during pitch competitions twice yearly in March and at annual anniversary event.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Startup Ladies is a professional membership organization that educates, connects, and funds women business owners through three tiered memberships (Entrepreneur, Investor, Corporate), a 24/7 eLearning platform (Startup Study Hall Online), recurring live programming such as Startup Study Hall, Startup Investing 101, and Mental Wellness for Business, and the Startup Ladies Fund seed grant program. The organization also operates the annual #InvestInWomenFounders Summit, the Top 9 Accelerator, and Project Boardup, an advisory board matching program for diverse founders. Revenue is generated through membership subscriptions, corporate sponsorships, event ticketing, and grants, while a Shop marketplace features products from women-owned, BIPOC, and LGBTQ-owned businesses.

Product overview

The Startup Ladies is a professional membership organization operating a platform-plus-programs model rather than a single unified software product. The core platform consists of Startup Study Hall Online (a 24/7 eLearning platform built on Lessonly) offering structured curriculum across 16 topic areas including startup methodology, scaling, marketing, legal, and mental wellness. This is complemented by recurring live programming including Startup Study Hall sessions, Startup Investing 101, and Mental Wellness for Business workshops. The organization facilitates deal flow and capital access through The Startup Ladies Fund (seed grants), the annual #InvestInWomenFounders Summit, and the Top 9 Accelerator program. Additional offerings include Project Boardup (advisory board matching), member networking via Meetups & Book Clubs, and a Shop marketplace. Three membership tiers (Entrepreneur, Investor, Corporate) provide differentiated access to educational content, mentoring, funding opportunities, and community connections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Startup Study Hall Online: Online educational platform for entrepreneurs and investors providing tools to startup and scale companies.
• The Startup Ladies Fund
• Project Boardup
• Invest In Women Founders Summit

Products and services

• Startup Study Hall Online (eLearning Platform) 24/7 online eLearning platform for entrepreneurs and investors providing structured tools to go from idea to market to growth. Includes modules on Accounting, Book Club, Business Models, DEI, Design and Branding, How to Scale, How to Startup, HR, Idea Viability, Legal, Marketing, Mental Wellness, Product Creation, Raising Capital, Sales, and Tech. Targeted at member entrepreneurs and investors who want self-paced startup education.
• Startup Study Hall (Live Sessions) Monthly educational sessions held the first and third Wednesday of each month (Noon-1pm ET via Zoom and 6-8pm ET in-person in Indianapolis) where vetted executive mentors help entrepreneurs move from idea to market to growth. Open to the public with a membership upsell opportunity, targeting women founders and aspiring entrepreneurs.
• Startup Investing 101 (Startup Capital Series) Quarterly lunch program teaching individuals with financial capacity to invest $5,000 or more how to invest in startups. Founders learn how to prepare for investment. Topics include investment vehicles, equity, evaluating business plans, risk assessment, exit strategies, and investor legal/tax responsibilities. Targeted at novice and professional investors seeking deal flow.
• Mental Wellness for Business Quarterly program providing education about psychological challenges entrepreneurs face while starting companies, offering actionable steps for emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Led by psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers moderating conversations around mental health. Targeted at founders and corporate leaders.
• #InvestInWomenFounders Summit Annual half-day event where women founders secure investment from funders in the community. Each founder is paired with a seasoned entrepreneur or senior executive who conducts an Oprah-style interview. Includes the Top 9 Accelerator program selecting investor-ready founders. Targeted at women founders seeking capital and investors seeking deal flow.
• The Startup Ladies Fund (Seed Grants) Seed grant program providing funding to women founders to prove out scalable business concepts. Grants of $1,000 to $1,500 may be applied to product prototyping, wire-framing, technology design and development, and manufacturing first runs. $100 from every Investor and Support Services membership is allocated to the Fund, with grant applications accepted rolling and awards made during pitch competitions twice yearly in March and at the annual anniversary event.
• Project Boardup (Advisory Board Matching Program) Program in collaboration with the Indy Black Chamber of Commerce and Indy Rainbow Chamber of Commerce that empowers diverse founders by building strong advisory boards. Aims to train 50 entrepreneurs and 100 executives and match them based on skills, industry, and interests. Targeted at women, Black, Brown, and LGBTQ+ owned startups in need of strategic guidance and industry connections.
• Shop (Marketplace for Diverse-Owned Businesses) Online marketplace featuring products and services from women-owned, BIPOC, and LGBTQ-owned businesses including Beautiful Dreamers, High Frequency Arts, Sip and Share Wines, Empowered Living, Inspiro Tequila, Scout and Zoe's, and financial coaching services. Members and visitors can purchase featured vendor offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Women founders typically capture less than 2% of startup investment capital in the US market
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Indy Black Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Project Boardup to empower diverse founders by building strong advisory boards. The initiative aims to identify and train 50 entrepreneurs and 100 executives, matching them based on skills, industry, and interests. Joint mission to equip startups and small businesses with advisory support needed to scale and succeed.
• Indy Rainbow Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Project Boardup to empower diverse founders by building strong advisory boards. Focus on LGBTQ+ owned startups alongside Black-owned businesses. Joint initiative providing advisory board training and matching services.
• Coworking Spaces & Local BusinessesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganization partners with coworking spaces and businesses for hosting events. Provides venue for in-person programming including Startup Study Hall (3rd Wednesday monthly) and other networking events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Halogen Ventures: Halogen Ventures is an early-stage venture fund focused on diverse, consumer-tech founders with an associated founder community and education programming — an emerging player with overlapping mission focus and pipeline-development activities.

Broad incumbents

• Kauffman Foundation: The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation funds research, education, and programs supporting entrepreneurship, including curriculum development and founder education — a major incumbent with similar entrepreneur-development focus but at foundation-scale.
• Techstars: Techstars is a global accelerator network running 3-month cohort programs with mentor networks and demo-day investor events — a broader incumbent offering overlapping accelerator programming at significantly larger scale.
• Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses: Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses is a structured education and capital-access program for entrepreneurs — a well-resourced incumbent delivering similar cohort-based startup education, mentorship, and capital pathways.

Direct peers

• All Raise: All Raise is a nonprofit focused on increasing the representation and success of women in venture capital and entrepreneurship through programming, mentorship, and community-building — a direct structural peer in mission and operating model.
• gener8tor: gener8tor operates a Midwest-anchored accelerator network and invests in early-stage startups through cohort-based programs; it shares both geographic roots (Indianapolis/Milwaukee) and the accelerator-plus-community operating model with The Startup Ladies.
• SCORE: SCORE is a nonprofit network providing mentorship, educational workshops, and resources to small business owners and entrepreneurs — closely paralleling The Startup Ladies' membership-plus-mentorship-plus-curriculum model, though broader in demographic focus.
• Astia: Astia is a global nonprofit that supports women-led high-growth companies with capital access, expert advisory networks, and investor connections — a direct peer in the women-entrepreneur ecosystem support model.
• Springboard Enterprises: Springboard Enterprises runs an accelerator and curated network program for women-led companies seeking investment, providing pitch coaching, investor introductions, and a venture-fund partner ecosystem — closely paralleling The Startup Ladies' Top 9 Accelerator and Investor Membership model.
• Female Founders Fund: Female Founders Fund is an early-stage venture capital fund investing in women-led companies with a curated community and founder-development programming — overlapping in the women-founder deal-flow and investor-education space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCk4Hn4ooNfR1ORQA1hyxucQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheStartupLadies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thestartupladies
• Instagraminstagram.com/thestartupladies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 The Startup Ladies