If International Women’s Day teaches us anything, it needs to be that for women to succeed, we need to support one another. With that in mind, a new crop of female-to-female businesses has emerged with the premise that, first and foremost, let’s do business together. I sat down with two female-founded companies, The WIE Suite and Modern Day Village, where the deal-making and the hiring begins and ends with women.
Dee Poku is no stranger to female empowerment. As the Founder of The WIE Network, she has been bringing women together since 2010. Now with The WIE Suite, she is turning her strategy to what she calls peer sponsorship. Poku started The WIE Suite in response to the scarcity of women in leadership positions and to create a community where women could leverage their collective influence, experience, and expertise to help one another thrive.
BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MARCH 05: Dee Poku attends Woman Made on March 5, 2019 in Beverly Hills, … [+]
Getty Images for VIOLET GREY
The WIE Suite’s mission: “Our mission is to close the gender gap in leadership and increase the number of women and women of color in positions of power across business, culture and society.”
Mantra: Women Who Take Action For Women
Point of differentiation: “Our goal is to get results faster and more efficiently through action and transaction between members. We foster business alliances between our members and drive action-oriented support in the form of introductions, referrals, hiring, investment, tactical support, and more.”
Company demographic: “We’re aimed at women in leadership positions, experienced founders, senior level executives, and thought leaders.”
An example of a recent deal made: “Members of our angel group, The WIE Suite Angels led by Rochelle Stewart, recently invested in a new company led by a Black woman founder.”
Types of professionals who are members: The CMO of an LVMH brand, the managing director of a major private equity firm, a showrunner on a major HBO show, and a managing director at UBS
What’s your next immediate goal for this company? “We plan to build our own platform so we can do what we do even more efficiently.”
How do people join? Apply via thewiesuite.com
What are the requirements to join? “We’re looking for women who align with our values. Yes, success and experience are factors, but the willingness to leverage your social capital to elevate other women is essential. Prices range from $1200 to $3500 depending on the level of seniority and other factors.”
Last words: “The go-to solution for increasing diversity in leadership generally requires women to look inward and ‘fix themselves’ via more mentorship and training. And yes, those things are important but so is having sponsors and advocates who can vouch for you and mention your name in the right rooms. That’s what we’re trying to do with The WIE Suite.”
Kerry Glanz and Lee Genung are thinking about deal-making for women in a vastly different way than Poku. Their company, Modern Day Village, was born out of their frustration by the lack of flexible, paid work opportunities for moms (whether stay-at-home moms, empty nesters, or employed women with other passions).
“There is a huge market of untapped talent and a desire to use these skills in a professional capacity. We also recognize the need for a platform to showcase skills that are not necessarily on a resume.” Think of Modern Day Village as making skilled moms the answer to busy moms.
Lee Genung and Kerry Glanz
Modern Day Village
Modern Day Village’s Mission: “Make life easier by empowering women with marketable skills and expertise to help those juggling multiple roles and responsibilities.”
Mantra: Empowering moms with the power of moms through a new, virtual village
What is your point of differentiation? “The diversity of skill sets available; talent that is acquired by professional experience, education, or interests; a community that believes that moms need more flexible paid-work opportunities and support.”
Who is your demographic? Working: Ages 25-65 female (stay-at-home moms, empty nesters, and employed women with other passions)
Who’s hiring? Businesses and individuals, especially moms.
An example of a recent deal made: A prestigious NY-based bank hired an editor to review and edit employee manuals. (a 50-hour project)
Types of professionals available: Editing, Copywriting, Branding & Marketing, Graphic & Logo Design, Team Building, Essay Advice/Editing, Tutoring, Home Organization, Cooking Lessons, Life Coaching, Fitness, Yoga, Personalized Poems, Friend to the Elderly, Technology Advice/Lessons
What’s your next immediate goal for this company? “To expand our providers and hiring base and promote Modern Day Village as a great go-to resource for your project hiring needs.”
How do moms join? “The platform works nationally. It’s free to join. If you want to work, you can create a profile. If you want to hire, you can search for services available. You can message, get a quote, hire, create and receive invoices, and then rate and review.”
What are the requirements? “We review profiles before they are published, but we are not vetting people. Our ratings and reviews are designed to help prospective hirers with their purchasing decisions. We do prohibit certain services, such as medical and psychological services, massage, childcare, and pet sitting.”
Last words: “As founders, we are excited about creating new opportunities for moms, helping them open new doors for themselves while finding a renewed level of professional fulfillment and/or more free time.”
