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Everything you need to know about Athena

Who is an Athena member?
Athena members are experienced, high-achieving women who are actively exploring and pursuing their next chapter — whether that means taking on a board seat, shifting industries, starting something new, or leveling up their current work with more support. Most have significant leadership experience, but what they share isn’t a job title — it’s ambition paired with a need for expert guidance and authentic community.
There’s no single title or resume checklist required to join. We look at the substance of someone’s experience — the scope of what they’ve led, built, or influenced — rather than matching against a fixed list of job titles. If your title doesn’t map neatly onto a traditional corporate ladder (founder, consultant, board member, nonprofit executive, etc.), that’s expected, not a barrier.
Yes. Many members join specifically because they’re in transition — leaving a role, changing industries, or figuring out what’s next — and that’s exactly when the support is most valuable. You don’t need to hold a certain title today to belong; you need the track record and drive that suggest you’ve been and are still headed somewhere significant.
Individual Athena membership is only for women and non-binary people. Our enterprise offerings are for cohorts of both women and men.
Members range from senior executives and founders to experienced leaders in transition, spanning industries from technology and finance to healthcare, media, and nonprofit. Geographically, the community is national and increasingly global, connected through both virtual programming and in-person events held in cities across the country.

Yes. Most of the day-to-day experience — your Engagement Advisor relationship, courses, salons, and peer group meetings — happens virtually, so location isn’t a barrier to full participation. In-person summits and gatherings add another layer of connection when you’re able to attend, but they’re not required to get value from membership.

Most executive networks offer one thing — networking, coaching, or content — and expect you to assemble the rest yourself. Athena combines a dedicated advisor, structured learning, curated community, and real board and career opportunities into one ongoing relationship, so you’re not managing multiple disconnected resources on your own.
How does Athena help members pursue board seats?
Athena prepares members for board service through board-readiness programming, coaching with board experts, and direct introductions to opportunities as they arise. Members also get guidance on positioning their experience for board roles and support navigating the process once an opportunity is in motion.

Members pursue the full range — public company boards, private and portfolio company boards, advisory boards, and nonprofit boards. Which path makes sense depends on a member’s background and goals, and that’s part of what the advisor relationship helps sort out.

We help members navigate a transition with a plan and a support system, rather than figuring it out alone. Members going through a career transition can start in the Transition Hub, which helps you assess where you are and points you toward what’s next. From there, tools like the Portfolio of Impact™, Branded Career Portfolio, and Expert Strategist Support help you build clarity and a plan. Members also get one-on-one guidance from their advisor, access to relevant courses and peer groups, and introductions to people and opportunities aligned with where they’re headed.
We help members navigate a transition with a plan and a support system, rather than figuring it out alone. Members going through a career transition can start in the Transition Hub, which helps you assess where you are and points you toward what’s next. From there, tools like the Portfolio of Impact™, Branded Career Portfolio, and Expert Strategist Support help you build clarity and a plan. Members also get one-on-one guidance from their advisor, access to relevant courses and peer groups, and introductions to people and opportunities aligned with where they’re headed.
What is a Member Engagement Advisor, and what happens in my first 90 days?
A Member Engagement Advisor (MEA) is a dedicated point of contact who helps you get the most out of membership. As your guide, advocate, and accountability partner, they understand your goals, connect you to the right people, content, and opportunities, and check in regularly. In your first 90 days, your MEA works with you to map out your goals and build a personalized plan for accomplishing them and shaping your Athena journey.
Membership is designed to flex around a busy schedule — there’s no minimum number of hours required. Most members engage a few hours a month between salons, peer group meetings, and occasional courses or events, scaling up or down depending on what they need at the time.
Athena hosts events at multiple levels — regular virtual salons throughout the year, smaller in-person Gatherings, and larger Summits held periodically in cities around the country.
Summits are in-person events that bring members and select guests together for a day of substantive conversation, expert speakers, and relationship-building with peers from across industries. Each Summit centers on a current, high-stakes topic relevant to modern leaders, paired with dedicated time for members to build relationships.
Members connect through peer groups, salons, Summits, and Gatherings, as well as informally through the broader community. Member Engagement Advisors also play an active role, facilitating connections by making personalized introductions between members based on their goals and interests. Many relationships that start in a structured setting — a peer group, a Summit conversation, or an MEA introduction — continue on their own from there.
What does Athena membership cost, and what’s included?
Athena membership costs $6,000 annually. It includes access to virtual salons and peer groups, in-person summits and gatherings, a full content library, Athena Academy courses, and a dedicated Member Engagement Advisor equipped with tools and resources to support your goals.
Membership runs for a twelve-month term starting the day you activate. Payment can be made in full by card, ACH, or payment link, or through a payment plan; a payment plan is a schedule on the annual membership, not a month-to-month subscription. Membership renews automatically at the end of each term using the payment method on file, and you’ll receive renewal reminders by email ahead of the date.

Yes, many members have their membership sponsored by their employer as part of professional development or leadership investment. If your company has its own approval or payment process, talk with your Membership Consultant and we’ll work out the arrangement that fits it.

Membership doesn’t require employer sponsorship; many members join and pay individually. If spreading the annual fee out would help, a payment plan is available, and your Membership Consultant can walk you through the options.
How do I join Athena?

Fill out our brief application to tell us where you’ve been and where you’re headed next. If it looks like you’re a fit for our ecosystem, a Membership Consultant will schedule a call — for us to learn more about you, and for you to learn more about Athena. From there, you’ll be invited to join with a membership shaped to your goals. The application is the first step: start there.

The call is a personal conversation, not a sales pitch. A Membership Consultant asks about your background and current goals, and then shares how Athena’s ecosystem can equip and support you in achieving them. You’ll leave with a clear sense of whether it’s a fit and what joining would look like. If you’ve taken the free Portfolio of Impact™ assessment first, bring your results; they give the conversation a concrete starting point.

Yes. Our Portfolio of Impact™ assessment gives you a clear read on the framework the Athena experience is built around — mapping where your career stands today and where you could take it next. We also host virtual salons throughout the year, with select sessions open to the public, so you can experience a real event before joining. Your Membership Consultant will help match you to the right sessions, virtual or in-person.

What is Atlas and who is it for?

Atlas is a new community built for professionals in their twenties and early thirties, offering the same kind of structural support — mentorship, community, and guidance — earlier in a career. It shares its foundation with Athena but is built specifically around the challenges of young professionals starting out today. More info coming soon.

How can I partner with, speak for, or work with Athena?

Athena regularly works with outside experts and organizations on live and virtual programming. We’d love to hear from you by contacting [email protected].

Yes, Athena supports enterprise cohorts of men and women. We deliver our courses, workshops and coaching to companies across industries. Learn more about enterprise offerings here.

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