Women in ETFs

What Women in ETFs does

Women in ETFs (WE) is a global non-profit professional membership organization founded in January 2014 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. Its stated mission is to connect, support, and inspire women in the ETF industry while promoting diversity and inclusion across the broader financial services ecosystem. WE serves individual ETF professionals (both women and men) at all career stages through a free membership model, alongside corporate sponsors drawn from asset managers, wealth managers, broker-dealers, index providers, and exchanges. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors, two Co-Presidents (Kristen Winther and Tammy Cash), an Executive Director (Stephanie Shark), and a global leadership team with regional Co-Heads across four geographies.

WE's core offering is a unified platform of professional development and networking services. Products include a global membership program with access to 30+ chapters worldwide, a structured mentorship and professional development program, a Speakers' Bureau of accomplished women endorsed by major conference organizers (Informa, Morningstar, IMN) and media outlets (Bloomberg, WSJ, NYT, Fund Action, Kiplinger's), a WE Careers Center job board, the WE Talk Careers podcast (currently in Season 6), a multi-edition newsletter (Global, EMEA, APAC, Canada, US), regional events and chapter programming, member-exclusive discounts on third-party industry conferences, and a Corporate Sponsorship Program. The flagship initiative is the annual Ring the Bell for Gender Equality, co-organized with UN Women, UN Global Compact, IFC, the World Federation of Exchanges, and the Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative, which now spans over 100 stock exchanges globally.

The business model is sponsorship-driven: individual membership is free, and corporate sponsors across the ETF ecosystem fund the organization's programming. WE has 50+ corporate sponsors and operates without parent company, private equity, or public ownership. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The underlying technology stack is a standard association management platform (YourMembership); there is no proprietary technology product, no AI/ML capabilities, and no API integrations disclosed. WE's competitive position rests on first-mover brand recognition, a deep multilateral partnership network spanning exchanges, multilateral organizations, and media, and a leadership bench drawn from senior executives at FTSE Russell, S&P Dow Jones Indices, MSCI, Nasdaq, Vanguard, FactSet, BMO, and Cboe.

Name

Women in ETFs

Legal name

Women in ETFs Inc.

Website

https://womeninetfs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Women in ETFs is a global non-profit founded in 2014 that connects, supports, and inspires women in the ETF industry through a free membership model, mentorship, events, a Speakers' Bureau, and the annual Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative, funded by 50+ corporate sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Membership Association (Financial Services / ETF Industry)

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Broad Market Equity ETFs (FSAAAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

ESG/SRI & Climate ETFs (FSAAAFAJ), Gender Lens / Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Funds (FSANAJAM)

Keywords

• Professional membership association
• ETF industry networking
• Women in finance
• Corporate sponsorship programs
• Professional mentorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Women in ETFs generates revenue through corporate sponsorships. Companies sponsor the organization to gain access to a passionate community of ETF professionals and to support the advancement of women in the industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Women in ETFs is a non-profit professional membership organization that connects, supports, and inspires women in the ETF industry through a free global membership program (14,200+ members across 30+ chapters in US, Canada, EMEA and APAC), structured mentorship and professional development programs, a Speakers' Bureau registry endorsed by major ETF conferences and media, and the annual Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative held at 100+ stock exchanges worldwide. The organization is funded primarily through corporate sponsorships from ETF ecosystem participants.

Product overview

Women in ETFs operates as a global non-profit membership organization offering a unified platform of professional development and networking services for women in the ETF industry. The core offering consists of a membership program providing access to a global network of over 14,200 members across 30+ chapters worldwide. Supporting this are the WE Mentorship & Professional Development Program pairing members at different career stages, the Speakers' Bureau connecting accomplished women with event organizers, the WE Careers Center job board, the annual Global Bell Ringings initiative with major stock exchanges, the WE Talk Careers Podcast series, regional events and chapter programming, member-exclusive newsletter publications, discounted access to industry conferences, and a corporate sponsorship program. These products work together to fulfill the organization's mission of connecting, supporting, and inspiring women in the ETF ecosystem through education, mentorship, networking, and visibility opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Women in ETFs Membership Program Global membership program connecting women in the ETF industry, providing free registration, access to local chapters across 30+ cities, networking events, and member resources across US, Canada, EMEA, and APAC regions.
• WE Mentorship & Professional Development Program Structured mentorship program pairing WE members at different career stages to build lasting professional relationships, offering career guidance, leadership development, and professional growth support for ETF professionals.
• WE Speakers' Bureau Registry of accomplished women in the ETF industry available for conference speaking engagements and media appearances, with the goal of achieving parity in women's representation at ETF conferences and in media coverage. Endorsed by major ETF conference organizers (Informa, Morningstar, IMN) and financial media partners (Bloomberg, WSJ, Fund Action, Kiplinger's, NYT).
• WE Careers Center (Job Board) Job board and career center platform allowing WE members to search openings across the ETF ecosystem and enabling employers to post positions, supporting professional advancement within the industry.
• Ring the Bell for Gender Equality (Global Bell Ringings) Annual global initiative partnering with stock exchanges worldwide for the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality ceremony on International Women's Day, with 100+ stock exchanges participating each year across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,000+ members connected globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UN Global CompactcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative, raising awareness for gender equality and women's economic empowerment in financial services globally.
• UN WomencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Co-organizer of the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative celebrating International Women's Day with stock exchanges worldwide.
• World Federation of ExchangescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partner organization in the annual Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative, coordinating exchange participation globally.
• IFC (International Finance Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative, promoting gender equality across global capital markets.
• Sustainable Stock Exchanges (SSE) InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partner in the Ring the Bell initiative, exploring how exchanges can encourage sustainable investment and ESG practices.
• Informa (Inside ETFs and Wealth|Stack)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor ETF conference organizer that has endorsed and partnered with WE on the Speakers' Bureau initiative to increase women's representation at conferences.
• MorningstarcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerConference organizer partner for the Speakers' Bureau initiative, supporting women's representation at industry events.
• IMNcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerConference organizer partner for the Speakers' Bureau initiative to promote gender parity at ETF conferences.
• BloombergcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for the Speakers' Bureau, working to increase women's representation in ETF-related media coverage.
• Wall Street JournalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for Speakers' Bureau, supporting women's visibility in financial media.
• Fund ActionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for Speakers' Bureau initiative.
• Kiplinger'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for Speakers' Bureau initiative.
• New York TimescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partner for Speakers' Bureau, working to increase women's representation in major financial media.
• NYSEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor exchange partner in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative.
• NasdaqcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange partner in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative, hosting events globally.
• Cboe Global MarketscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExchange partner in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative.
• TMX GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian exchange group partner in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative.
• London Stock ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK exchange partner in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative.
• EuronextcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean exchange partner (Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin) in the Ring the Bell initiative.
• Deutsche BörsecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman exchange partner in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative.
• SIX Swiss ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss exchange partner in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative.
• Singapore ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAsia-Pacific exchange partner in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative.
• Hong Kong ExchangescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPAC exchange partner in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative.
• Australian Securities ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian exchange partner in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative.
• Japan Exchange GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJapanese exchange partner in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Investment Company Institute (ICI): Leading trade association for US regulated investment funds including ETFs; comparable as the industry's primary trade body that WE engages with and whose members overlap substantially with WE's corporate sponsor base.
• CFA Institute: Global professional association for investment management professionals with extensive DEI and women's networking initiatives (e.g., CFA Society Women's networks). Comparable as a much larger, dues-funded incumbent running adjacent DEI programs for finance professionals.
• Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA): US broker-dealer and investment bank trade association running industry-wide diversity initiatives. Comparable as a much larger incumbent running parallel DEI programming with overlapping sponsors and members.

Direct peers

• 100 Women in Finance: Global non-profit membership organization that advances women in the alternative investments industry through networking, education, and peer engagement. Highly comparable to WE in mission, structure, and revenue model (corporate sponsorship + free individual membership).
• Women in Capital Markets: Canadian non-profit advancing women in the capital markets industry through mentorship, education, and networking. Highly comparable in mission, scope (capital markets), and non-profit sponsorship-based model; overlaps with WE's Canada chapter footprint.
• Financial Women's Association: Long-standing New York-based non-profit professional organization for women in finance offering networking, education, and leadership programs. Comparable in membership-driven model and finance-industry focus, though broader than just ETFs.

Emerging players

• National Association of Securities Professionals (NASP): US non-profit focused on increasing participation of minorities and women in the securities and financial services industry. Comparable as a mission-aligned membership association with overlapping corporate sponsor base, though broader in scope than ETFs.

Others

• Informa (Inside ETFs): Owner of the Inside ETFs conference series and a core WE Speakers' Bureau partner. Comparable as an ecosystem player enabling WE's mission while monetizing the same ETF professional audience.
• Morningstar (Events & Conferences): Major ETF conference organizer and a WE Speakers' Bureau partner. Comparable as an ecosystem player that benefits from WE's pipeline of women speakers and shares the same corporate audience.

Regional players

• CAIA Association: Global non-profit association for alternative investment professionals with growing DEI and women's initiatives. Comparable as a professional membership body in finance, though focused on alternatives rather than ETFs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/womeninetfs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@WomeninETFs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/7602286

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

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 in ETFs