Athena Alliance, a professional development community focused on preparing women for executive and board roles, has announced an additional $2M in seed funding, bringing its total funding to $2.5M within its first 2.5 years of operation. Athena Alliance provides a range of services including on-demand learning, one-on-one executive coaching, and both virtual and in-person networking opportunities.
The funding round was led by Leonas Capital and Advisory, and the organization worked closely with its member base to develop a cap table that strongly represents its commitment to diversity and inclusion. Specifically, 87% of the cap table comprises women, 29% are people of color, and 3% identify as LGBTQ+, with a broad representation across various industries and geographic locations.
Sheila Bangalore, Co-Founding Partner of Leonas Capital and Advisory, commented: “Leonas Capital invested in Athena because of its unique model, which offers real-time online learning taught by experts in their field, executive coaching, and a dynamic network, all of which support executives to unlock their full potential. As Leonas Capital, we are proud to be funding an organization that magnifies the impact of these leaders daily.”
Founded by Coco Brown, Athena Alliance has supported more than 400 women in joining corporate boards at companies like Bose, Dropbox, Zillow, and PNC Bank since its inception. The community includes global leaders from various sectors, including venture-backed, growth-stage startups and Fortune 50 companies. These leaders join Athena to build relationships and gain insights into key business trends from thought leaders within the network.
The organization plans to use the new funds to expand its leadership, education, and sales teams. A portion of the funding will also be used to make further investments in member services, including the development of new courses and content. Athena Alliance recently launched Athena Academy, a suite of customized career and coaching programs.
Coco Brown, CEO of Athena Alliance, shared: “We launched this community to help women continue to realize their impact, whether it means serving on a corporate board, launching a business, or investing,” said Coco Brown, CEO of Athena Alliance. “We’re thrilled to continue building out our platform and increasing our highly curated content, while offering a personalized experience to our members.”
