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Ellevate Network Review: 7 Things to Know Before You Join

Ellevate Network Review: 7 Things to Know Before You Join

7 min read

The Ellevate Network can be a smart buy, but only if you know exactly which part of it you’re paying for. It’s one of the oldest and biggest women’s professional networks in the country, and that size is both its superpower and its catch. In this review I’ll walk you through what Ellevate actually includes, what it costs according to its own help center, who gets real value from it, and when a smaller, goal-based community will serve you better. My stance is simple: networks don’t change careers, relationships do, so judge any membership by how fast it puts the right people in your corner.

What Is the Ellevate Network in 2026?

Ellevate started life in 1997 as 85 Broads, a group Janet Hanson created for women who had left Goldman Sachs. According to Wikipedia’s history of the organization, Sallie Krawcheck acquired it in 2013 and rebranded it as Ellevate in 2014. In late 2022 Allyson McDonald bought the organization, and she later appointed Anusha Harid-Paoletti as CEO.

Today Ellevate describes itself as a community for professional women from early career to the executive level, built around peer mentoring, leadership development and career growth. Its site cites 280,000+ members, and as of January 2024 it reported more than 40 chapters, mostly in the US, with locations in Dubai, London, Madrid and Toronto.

(You may have seen claims online that Ellevate closed. As of October 2026, its website is running, it lists memberships and event programming, and its privacy policy and terms were updated in March 2026. Check the site yourself before you decide.)

Key Takeaways

  • Ellevate is a large, established network (280,000+ members) with three access levels: Guest, Pro and Executive.
  • Its own help center lists Pro Access at $480 a year and uses $1,800 a year for Executive Access in an upgrade example, so confirm current pricing before you pay.
  • It pays off when you’ll actually show up to Roundtables, chapter events and Squads. If you need targeted mentorship fast, a smaller goal-based community may fit better.

How to cite this article: McCloud, R. 2026. WomenCEO. Ellevate Network Review: 7 Things to Know Before You Join. https://womenceo.co/article/ellevate-network/

Small group of professional women talking at a table, the kind of circle an Ellevate Network chapter aims to create

7 Things to Know Before You Join the Ellevate Network

I’ve watched a lot of women buy a network membership and then never log in again. Here’s what I’d want a friend to know first.

1. It’s built for breadth, not a hand-picked room

With a membership this large, you get range: industries, cities, career stages. You don’t get a curated circle handed to you. The women who love Ellevate tend to be the ones who pick a lane (one chapter, one Squad, one Roundtable topic) and go deep.

2. There are three access levels, and they matter

Ellevate’s help center organizes membership into Guest Access, Pro Access and Executive Access. Guest Access gets you registered for events. Pro is where most of the programming opens up, and the help center calls it “our most popular access level.”

3. The programming is the product

According to Ellevate’s own help center, members get Virtual Roundtables, Community Circles, local chapter events and Squads, a 12-week leadership development program. Its events page also lists Ellevate Connects, the Mobilize Women Summit and The Ellevate Coaches Corner.

4. Pro unlocks free virtual events

Ellevate’s Pro Access page says that with Pro “all virtual events will be free,” plus 80% off in-person events and full access to the twelve-week program. If you’d attend two or three events a month, that math starts working.

5. You can try it before you commit

The help center says the free trial “includes everything that’s in Pro Access” and runs 30 days, and you can cancel anytime during that window. Ellevate says it emails a reminder a few days before the trial ends. Put a calendar note on day 25 anyway.

6. Your employer might pay for it

This is the part people skip. Ellevate publishes a letter template for asking your employer to expense the membership, and notes that many members have a professional development stipend. Use it.

7. Results depend on how active you are

Nobody is going to find you in a network of 280,000. You have to raise your hand, show up twice to the same group, and follow up. That’s true of every network, but it’s especially true of a big one.

Ellevate Membership Levels and Cost

Ellevate doesn’t publish a simple price table on a page I could read this month, so here’s what its own help center states (checked October 2026). Treat the numbers as a starting point and confirm on its memberships page at checkout.

Access levelPrice stated in Ellevate’s help centerWhat it’s forBest fit
Guest AccessNot listed as a paid tierRegistering for eventsTesting the waters with one event
Pro Access$480 a year ($40 a month when paid annually upfront)Free virtual events, 80% off in-person events, the 12-week Squads programMid-career women who’ll attend regularly
Executive Access$1,800 a year (used in Ellevate’s upgrade example)The top access level; upgrades are pro-ratedSenior leaders who want the full program
30-day free trialFree for 30 daysEverything in Pro AccessAnyone undecided

One useful detail: when you upgrade mid-year, Ellevate’s pro-rated credits article explains that it ends your current plan, starts a new year at the new level, and credits back the unused value. Your receipts will show “85 Broads,” which tells you how deep those roots go.

If you’re comparing paid networks side by side, our breakdown of Chief membership cost shows how the premium end of the market prices access.

Is Ellevate Worth It for You?

Here’s my honest test. Write down the one thing you need in the next six months. A board seat? A sponsor? Five clients? Then ask whether a large network gets you there faster than a small one.

The research says the right network changes outcomes. According to Kellogg Insight, a study by Yang Yang, Nitesh Chawla and Brian Uzzi found that women with both high network centrality and close ties with female peers had an average job ranking 2.5 times higher than women whose networks lacked those two features. Breadth plus a tight inner circle. That’s the combination you’re shopping for.

And sponsorship still decides who moves up. McKinsey and LeanIn.Org’s Women in the Workplace 2025 reports that employees with sponsors have been promoted at nearly twice the rate of those without, yet only 31% of entry-level women have a sponsor compared with 45% of entry-level men. Women hold just 29% of C-suite roles, unchanged from 2024.

A network is worth exactly as much as the sponsors and peers it puts in your corner.

Ellevate tends to be worth it if you:

  • Live near an active chapter and like in-person events
  • Want structured group learning (Squads) more than one-to-one matching
  • Can get your employer to cover the fee
  • Have time to attend something most weeks

It’s a harder sell if you’re a founder who needs specific mentorship this quarter, or if you know you won’t attend events. Then you’re paying for a library card you never use.

Woman executive mentoring a younger founder, comparing ivy women circles with a national network

Ellevate vs Ivy Women Groups and Other Women’s Networks

People often search Ellevate alongside “ivy women,” expecting an elite alumni club. They’re different things. Ivy Women in Business is an awards program at Iowa State University, created in 2018 to honor champions for women in business, according to Business Record. Ivy League alumni clubs also run women’s events for their own graduates. Neither is a membership network like Ellevate.

How ivy women circles compare with a national network

Alumni circles give you instant common ground and a smaller room. A national network gives you reach across industries. Most ambitious women end up needing both: a tight group for honest advice and a broad one for opportunities you’d never see otherwise.

If you’re mapping the whole landscape, our guide to types of women’s networking groups breaks down chapter models, peer circles and online communities. Founders should also read how a female founders network differs from a career network.

A No-Waitlist Alternative Built Around Your Goals

I built WomenCEO because I kept seeing women pay for prestige and leave without a single new mentor. So we did it differently. There’s no waitlist. You tell us what you’re working toward, and mentorship runs through peer circles and one-to-one matches with women who’ve already done it. Our events are free, and you can join as a user at no cost.

That doesn’t mean Ellevate is wrong for you. Plenty of women do both: Ellevate for chapter events and a big-room feel, WomenCEO for goal-based mentorship and a community that knows your name. If you’ve been weighing paid clubs, our Chief alternative guide shows how we think about access.

Want to start with your goal instead of a price tag? Join WomenCEO free and tell us what you’re building.

Focused woman founder at her laptop choosing an Ellevate Network alternative built around her goals

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does the Ellevate Network cost?

Ellevate’s help center lists Pro Access at $480 a year, or $40 a month when you pay annually upfront. Its upgrade example uses $1,800 a year for Executive Access. Pricing can change, so confirm on Ellevate’s memberships page before you buy.

Is the Ellevate Network still active in 2026?

As of October 2026, Ellevate’s website lists memberships, event programming and chapters, and its terms were updated in March 2026. If you’ve read that it closed, check the site directly. Older comparison posts can be out of date.

Does Ellevate have a free trial?

Yes. Ellevate’s help center says its 30-day free trial includes everything in Pro Access. You can cancel anytime during the trial, and Ellevate says it sends a reminder email before it ends.

Is Ellevate connected to Ivy Women in Business?

No. Ivy Women in Business is an awards program at Iowa State University that honors champions for women in business. Ellevate is a separate, paid professional network for women. Some people searching for ivy women networks are really looking for a small, alumni-style circle, which is a different kind of group.

Can I expense an Ellevate membership?

Often, yes. Ellevate says many members have a professional development stipend through their employer, and it offers a letter template you can customize to request approval. Ask before you pay out of pocket.

What’s a good Ellevate alternative for women founders?

If you want goal-based mentorship without a waitlist, WomenCEO matches you with peers and mentors around what you’re working on, and its events are free. Founders who want a big chapter network can still use Ellevate alongside it. Pick based on the one result you need in the next six months.

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