A Decade of Visibility; More Important Than Ever

Ten years ago, we launched the Innovation Women speaker platform talking about a very specific problem: not enough women (and other underrepresented voices) on stage at conferences and events. Two-thirds of all conference speakers were and still are male. This lack of representation impacts:

• Pay equity. According to Pew Research Center analysis, in 2024, women earned an average of 85 percent of what men earned.
• Representation of women on boards and in the C-suite. According to the 50/50 project, women hold less than a third of all board seats. Approximately 10 percent of Fortune 500 companies have female CEOs.
• Funding for female-founded companies. In the U.S., companies founded by women receive less than 2 percent of all venture funding.

Public speaking, and the visibility and credibility it drives, can positively impact all these issues.

A decade later, Innovation Women’s mission is just as urgent. Frankly, even more so.

As conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion grow more fraught, we’re staying focused on what hasn’t changed: these talented people still need:

• Access to speaking opportunities.
• Deep educational content about speaking careers and businesses.
• A supportive community that doesn’t gatekeep. (Hello, Speaker Friends.)

Audiences still crave information, inspiration, and connection. Event managers are still looking for fresh voices, a plethora of different ideas, points of view and lived experiences. They also want to be able to easily connect directly with both professional and visibility speakers. We make it easy for them.

That’s where Innovation Women comes in.

This is a moment to come together. To elevate the voices that deserve to be heard. To be seen, supported, and amplified.

Here’s how you can help:

• Join our speaker community — or recommend someone amazing
• Book an awesome speaker for your next event
• Partner with us to support this mission for another decade

Because representation on stage isn’t just some trend to be abandoned on a whim – it’s a requirement for progress. The more DIVERSE voices and ideas we hear, the more we learn.

Let’s get loud. Let’s use our voices, together.

About Innovation Women

Innovation Women is a self-service visibility bureau focused on getting more diverse voices on stage by providing community, educational resources, a database of speakers for event managers to browse and an extensive list of speaking opportunities for speakers to apply to. Innovation Women and its sister company, Lioness Magazine, bring together a community of entrepreneurs and business professionals who come together to learn and grow. Join the community and take advantage of the extensive educational offerings exclusive to members. Learn more.