About Us

Breaking Barriers, Building Impact

Women Leading Ed (WLE) is the nation’s largest nonprofit network for women committed to transforming education leadership to meet the demands of the nation’s growing education crisis. WLE supports and elevates women’s leadership through bold research, advocacy, and engagement—empowering women at every stage of their leadership journey to advance and make a lasting impact.

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Our Story

Women Leading Ed began in 2012 as an affinity group of women education leaders committed to supporting one another and strengthening leadership to better serve students.

Over time, this group grew organically, bringing together a network of women across the country, continuing the work of supporting women leaders in education.

The network's growth was fueled by a shared commitment to addressing the underrepresentation of women, particularly women of color, in top leadership roles. In 2023, Women Leading Ed became an official nonprofit organization, further expanding its reach and impact.

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Our Core Convictions

WLE advocates for policies and practices that create fair and accessible leadership opportunities at all levels of education. Through its focus on supporting women’s leadership development, WLE aims to open doors for more women to thrive in district, charter, state, and federal roles, ultimately working to transform education for all students.

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What We Offer

At Women Leading Ed, we offer a variety of impactful programming to support the leadership development journey. Our services include individual and group coaching designed to assist with career advancement, monthly virtual meetings and access to experts, and the opportunity to engage in facilitated peer networking within and across cohorts. Members are also given access to our annual Women Leading Ed Summit, our signature event.