Inspiring Women Changemakers

What Inspiring Women Changemakers does

Inspiring Women Changemakers (IWC) is a UK-based, founder-led governance and systems change consultancy combined with a membership community for changemakers advancing women's rights and safety. Founded in 2017 by Anj Handa, Forbes-recognised Diversity and Inclusion Trailblazer, the business is structured as a sole trader entity (Anj Handa Associates) trading under the IWC name, with 1-10 employees and a stated minimum commitment of 10% of time to pro bono work. IWC serves two distinct customer groups: (i) civil society organisations including charities, social enterprises, public sector bodies and purpose-led funders who purchase bespoke governance redesign and funding-practice consulting grounded in Shifting Power principles, and (ii) individual changemakers who pay £35 annually to access a community, training, peer support and the Changemaker Bursary Fund. Core products include the Governance & Systems Change Consultancy, the IWC Membership Community, the Igniting Inspiration Awards (annual recognition programme with multiple categories plus the Bernadette Mary Speight memorial award), and the PayPal-linked Changemaker Bursary Fund.

There is no proprietary technology platform underpinning the business; operations rely on standard web infrastructure (Google Analytics, Siteground hosting, SSL) plus content distribution through a website, the 'Pick My Brains' podcast, and active social channels on X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Revenue mechanics combine professional services day/half-day rates and mobilisation fees (30-50% upfront) for consultancy with recurring annual subscription income from membership and voluntary donations to the bursary fund. The company has no external investors, no funding rounds and no parent organisation, with sole ownership and control resting with the founder. Documented strategic milestones include the 2014 predecessor campaign that gathered 126,500 Change.org signatures on asylum/FGM grounds, the 2022 successful challenge to CPS pre-trial therapy guidelines that removed a clause preventing survivor testimony, and the August 2025 partnership outcome with Karma Nirvana supporting UK Government pledges for a statutory definition of honour-based abuse.

Name

Inspiring Women Changemakers

Legal name

Anj Handa Associates

Website

https://inspiringwomenchangemakers.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Inspiring Women Changemakers is a UK-based, founder-led consultancy and membership community that helps charities, public bodies and purpose-led funders redesign governance structures to advance equity for women and marginalised people, while supporting individual changemakers through an annual £35 membership community and the Igniting Inspiration Awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Governance and Equity Consulting

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Change Management & Transformation Consulting (BPAHAGAC), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF)

Keywords

• Governance consulting
• Charity governance
• Diversity consulting
• Membership community
• Equity advisory

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consultancy Services: Governance and systems change consultancy services provided to civil society organisations, charities, social enterprises, public sector bodies, and purpose-led funders. Engagement terms include mobilisation fees (30-50%), phased payments, and day/half-day rates.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fee of £35 contributing to the Changemaker Bursary Fund and community access.
3. Donations and Bursary Support: Voluntary contributions via PayPal to the Changemaker Bursary Fund supporting changemakers experiencing financial hardship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Inspiring Women Changemakers operates two complementary offerings: a governance and systems change consultancy that helps charities, social enterprises, public sector bodies, and purpose-led funders redesign governance structures to address structural inequality for women and marginalised people, applying Shifting Power principles; and a paid membership community (£35/year) for individual changemakers of all genders working on women's rights and safety, providing connection, skill-building, and bursary-funded support.

Product overview

Inspiring Women Changemakers (IWC) operates as a dual-function social business combining a governance and systems change consultancy with a membership community. The consultancy — its primary paid service — works with charities, social enterprises, public sector bodies, and purpose-led funders to redesign governance structures that perpetuate inequality for women and marginalised people, applying Shifting Power principles to governance design and funding practice. The membership community, launched in 2018 at £35 annually, provides changemakers with a platform for intersectional dialogue, skills development, and mutual support, with membership fees directly funding the Changemaker Bursary Fund. IWC also runs the Igniting Inspiration Awards, an annual recognition programme celebrating women changemakers across five categories plus a Bernadette Mary Speight special award, highlighting innovation, impact, collaboration, consistency, and personal growth.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Igniting Inspiration: A digital campaign to showcase the work of changemakers with an annual memorial award named after the Founder's late business partner. The campaign features women changemakers worldwide, with one entry awarded the Bernadette Mary Speight Award each year based on innovation, impact, collaboration, consistency, and personal growth.

Products and services

• Governance & Systems Change Consultancy A paid consultancy service for civil society organisations and purpose-led funders, specialising in governance design and funding practice to address structural inequality for women and marginalised people, grounded in Shifting Power principles. Engagements include governance redesign, leadership development, and application of the 2025 Charity Governance Code.
• IWC Membership Community A paid annual community membership for changemakers of all genders working on women's rights and safety, providing connection, intersectional dialogue, skill development, training, and coaching; membership contributions fund the Changemaker Bursary Fund.
• Igniting Inspiration Awards An annual recognition programme and campaign celebrating women changemakers across categories including Community Champion, Social Impact Star, Heart of Gold, Young Changemaker, and Diversity-Driven Business, with the Bernadette Mary Speight special award for innovation, impact, collaboration, consistency, and personal growth.
• Changemaker Bursary Fund A donation-supported bursary fund providing subsidised and fully-funded places on IWC training, coaching, and programmes for changemakers experiencing financial hardship, funded through membership contributions and voluntary PayPal donations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 126,500 signatures gathered on Change.org petition in 2014 campaign
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Karma Nirvana Push4Change CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Yasmin Javed in partnership with Karma Nirvana's Push4Change campaign to achieve UK Government pledges on honour-based abuse including statutory definition (August 2025).
• Project TrustminorOthersFeatured organisation on IWC site through Katie Footitt's fundraising for year abroad volunteering. Project Trust has been funding international placements for over 50 years.
• Women's Lives Leeds ConsortiumminorOthersEleven-organisation consortium working together to empower women and girls in Leeds, with Jeannette Morris-Boam as Project Manager featured on IWC site.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Inclusive Employers: UK membership body for employers focused on diversity and inclusion in workplaces — analogous membership-driven model and D&I advisory mission to IWC's changemaker community.
• Bates Wells Braithwaite: UK law and advisory firm with a long-standing social-enterprise and charity practice advising purpose-led organisations — comparable as a broader incumbent serving the same civil-society/governance client base as IWC.
• ACEVO: UK membership association for charity, voluntary and social-enterprise chief executives providing leadership development, networks and policy voice — broader incumbent in IWC's leadership/governance and civil-society community space.

Direct peers

• The Equality Trust: UK charity advancing research, advocacy and public engagement on structural inequality and gender/pay equity — overlapping with IWC's structural-inequality mission and changemaker education work.
• The Governance Group: UK specialist governance consultancy serving charities, social enterprises and public bodies — closely aligned with IWC's governance, leadership and board-effectiveness advisory services.
• Good Governance Institute (GGI): UK-based governance consultancy advising boards and public/civil-service organisations on governance design and accountability — directly comparable to IWC's governance redesign and Charity Governance Code advisory work.
• The Fawcett Society: UK gender equality advocacy organisation pursuing structural change on women's rights through research, lobbying and campaigns — highly comparable to IWC's gender-equality advocacy mission and campaign-driven model.
• Women's Resource Centre: UK infrastructure body supporting women's voluntary and community organisations through training, resources and advocacy — overlapping with IWC's changemaker support, membership and women's-sector community function.
• The Diversity Trust: UK-based charity providing diversity, inclusion and equity training, consultancy and advocacy to civil-society and public-sector organisations — directly comparable to IWC's consultancy-plus-community social-change model.
• New Philanthropy Capital (NPC): UK research and consultancy for the charity and social-purpose sector, advising funders and charities on strategy, impact and governance — overlapping with IWC's civil-society consultancy and purpose-led funder work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/WmnChangemakers
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGe_RqgyHtz7n7oLyR52Heg
• Facebookfacebook.com/InspiringWomenChangemakers
• Instagraminstagram.com/inspiringwomenchangemakers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/inspiring-women-changemakers

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 Inspiring Women Changemakers