Where Established Women Entrepreneurs Really Network

August 22nd 2025

The saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” has never been truer in business.

Relationships frequently give business owners a foot in the door or a leg up in being considered for a contract. And since the Old Boys Network has been fully operational for generations, women who have entered the business realm often are at a disadvantage; it’s hard to break in .

Fortunately, new tools and communities for networking have emerged, designed to connect women business owners with one another and with supporters who can provide them with a competitive edge in business situations.

However, many women’s business programs, including communities and coaching offers, are targeted more at beginner business owners than at established six and seven-figure entrepreneurs.

That means successful women business owners at that level frequently are doing more to help others get up and running than to work on growing their own businesses. The networking opportunities, in most cases, are at best lateral connections rather than upward-oriented; that is, they’re not meeting many business leaders who are ahead of them in their business journey.

That puts women business owners at a disadvantage. Entrepreneurs trying to figure out how to grow and scale need to hear from founders who have been where they are. They may need help in finding banks willing to lend to them, recruiting services that can deliver a steady stream of capable job candidates, or maybe an attorney with M&A experience. When growth from $1 million to $10 million is the goal, or maybe $250,000 to $500,000, you need peers who can walk you through how they did that.

The Value of Networking with More Established Entrepreneurs

Surrounding yourself with women business owners who have surpassed your own level of success, you can tap into opportunities and information relevant to more established businesses. 

Some of the opportunities you may find with more established networks include:

• Peer mentorship from fellow business owners who have been where you are now.
• Introductions to business leaders, investors, and board members who are active in your industry or region.
• Joint ventures with other businesses similar in size, or in the same industry.
• Investment opportunities with area companies.
• Funding avenues you may never have heard of.
• Counseling and advice regarding complex problems and situations you’re facing.

Being in the same room with business owners who are already where you want to be in terms of growth, you can listen to conversations about what’s keeping them up at night, what solutions they’ve recently implemented, or technology they’re testing that you might never have thought of. The discussions are different because the challenges are different when you have more employees, more products or services, and more customers.

Finding Networks of Established Women Leaders

While there are plenty of online and in-person communities for women business owners, identifying opportunities to connect with six, seven, and eight-figure business owners is more limited. Fortunately, more places to connect are cropping up.

Some of the emerging programs and communities for women entrepreneurs and women leaders include:

Women Presidents Organization 

The Women Presidents Organization supports female entrepreneurs by connecting them with each other and with learning opportunities. To be considered for membership, candidates need to have an ownership interest in and be responsible for the daily management of a privately held business generating at least $1 million in gross revenue (service) or $2 million (product). There are local chapters nationwide.

Chief

Women corporate leaders should consider joining Chief, for C-suite executives, to network with other women at their level. Membership isn’t cheap, but then the opportunity to network with women of this caliber is hard to come by.

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women 

Women business owners around the world who are looking for business education, access to capital, and networking and mentoring opportunities, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women program may be a smart starting point. Women who complete all 10 of the courses are invited to join the Goldman Sachs alumni network.

Strategic Coach

This paid coaching program serves established business owners looking to grow or scale. Strategic Coach offers a combination of business and group coaching and mentorship.

Vistage

Vistage offers CEO advisory services and peer-to-peer coaching through regional groups. Created to serve business leaders, this paid program is focused on fostering growth.

All Raise

Women business owners have historically had more difficulty securing needed capital for growth, whether from banks or investors. In response, more women-focused angel investor groups have been formed, including All Raise. This 501(c)3 organization has brought together more than 3,000 women and nonbinary investors to support other women businesses.

Female Founders Fund

For more than 10 years, Female Founders Fund has risen to become the leading source of institutional capital for women entrepreneurs, raising seed capital with $3 billion+ in enterprise value.

Golden Seeds

Similarly, Golden Seeds is focused on helping women entrepreneurs raise capital. Today, it is one of the most active early-stage investor firms.

Over time, your networking needs will inevitably change and shift. The type of support and guidance you needed when yours was a $50,000 company is very different when you hit $500,000 or $5 million. You may need to step down from involvement in programs or communities where you’re doing more advising than receiving coaching, in order to make time for other groups where you can get help leveling up.