The Athena Rising Foundation
About The Athena Rising Foundation
The Athena Rising Foundation was created to help women rise into the top levels of senior leadership – from executives, to the C-suite, to the boardroom. We particularly focus on supporting underrepresented women leaders who make up less than 5% of the top ranks of leadership.
Vision
We believe the top ranks of business should reflect the demographics of the society it serves. We are dedicated to supporting all women as they reach the top ranks of business, from all ethnicities, abilities, LGBTQ+, and more.
Opportunities
Our funds are dedicated to giving women an ecosystem of community, learning, and a larger funnel of opportunity in partnership with Athena Alliance, Inc.
The Athena Access Fellowship
Our current scholarship opportunity is the Access Fellowship, allowing women leaders who left or were forced to leave their positions during the pandemic and are struggling to re-enter to join Athena Alliance, Inc. – the premier executive development and networking community for senior-level women. Through Athena, women executives access the community, learning, and opportunities that can accelerate their careers into the C-suite or the boardroom. Access Fellowship membership to Athena includes:
Virtual Salons
Learning starts in a live format, designed for busy executives. Members learn corporate governance and leadership insights from board directors and leaders from the world’s most notable brands.
Community
Women executives engage with each other in Athena’s digital community, a place to ask questions, share advice and thought leadership, support each other’s interests, and more.
Learning Library
Members gain access to a multimedia learning library, which includes hundreds of on-demand modules built for and by executive Athena members and supporters
Opportunities
Access Fellowship members can view and apply to all opportunities, such as board seats, CxO roles, and advisory positions.
Learning Circles
A structured learning cohort brought together by a common goal (like creating a value proposition or learning ESG+T trends). Members can dive into Athena’s content with a community for accountability and purpose-driven networking.
Peer Groups
Monthly, unrecorded, unstructured gatherings for Athena members to discuss topics of interest, from DEI to board committees (like audit and compensation) to sales and marketing best practices.
Athena's Commitment to Diversity
Member Testimonials
“Athena Alliance has managed to curate some of the most relevant and engaging virtual salons for prospective board members. They aren’t your typical video webinars with a speaker, but rather experts from the Athena Alliance network who are engaging attendees around board specific topics. No lectures, more a like a dinner party on zoom.”
Lybra Clemons
“This incredible community inspired me to shift my career in a meaningful way. The network and team of coaches that I was partnered with helped me to successfully make the leap from operator to investor — a move that I thought would take years to achieve.”
Katelin Holloway
“Athena Alliance has provided me with an amazing network of women who are actively serving on boards. Learning from their real world experiences has been invaluable in preparing me for my own board search.”
Ebony Beckwith
“My Athena experience spurred a deeper look at my career, resulting in a role change. In particular, the Athena coaches were especially insightful in helping me articulate and visualize my next step. It’s empowering to have trusted resources to lean on during times of reflection and change.”
Linda Ho
“Athena Alliance is leading the way to increasing women, and women of color to be placed on corporate boards. They are a true leader in ensuring diversity and inclusion is met at the executive level.”
Madinah Ali
“Athena was a key contributor to my board-readiness, helping me create my board bio and present my unique value for their opportunity. Working with Athena’s coaches helped me find my voice and broaden my impact in the C-suite and boardroom.”
Kirsten Garen
“Since joining Athena, I have felt a synergy amongst the members that I have never felt before within a networking dynamic. The members and Athena team are really passionate about helping each other. They equally provide actionable details to assist you with your Board Member/Board Advisory journey and will connect you with individuals that can be the catalyst to further your efforts on securing said roles. You couldn’t ask for a more welcoming group of ladies that lock arms and help each other climb the ladder to their next career post!”
Gia Fisher
“The Salons are informative, impactful and provide growth and focus to my own professional journey in consumable, constructive and meaningful ways. Athena’s Alliance is clearly staying true to its vision by championing and building leaders in a supportive community setting. The Salons inspire me to expand my horizons, learn more and give back.”
Anjali Shah
“Athena is such a wonderful platform! I have attended several salons, learned so much, and connected with AMAZING women. From the authenticity of the salons and the quality of the learning to the wonderful opportunities Athena shares with the community, I’m so impressed with your organization and thankful to be member.”
Ebonie Jackson
“Athena explained the unstated rules and helped me discover new allies. I now not only have the support of an amazing woman leader, but also many others who welcome diversity and bring leadership styles that one can look up to, admire, and continue to learn from.”
Purvee Kondal
Nominate Someone for the Access Fellowship
Our Supporters
Some of the world’s most notable brands, investment firms, and individuals have joined us to support this effort.
Scott and Jane Maxwell
Lloyd Taylor
Yvonne
Wassenaar
Meet the Board
We are a diverse group of leaders, unified by the belief that when women rise, we all rise. Through the Athena Rising Foundation, we seek to achieve equity at the highest ranks of leadership.
Dr. Yasmin Davidds
Board Director
Dr. Yasmin Davidds is an organizational psychologist, entrepreneur, and CEO of the Multicultural Women Executive Leadership Foundation and the Dr. Yasmin Davidds Leadership Institute, organizations dedicated to the teaching, instruction, and development of leadership competencies primarily focused on women in professional settings. Dr. Davidds’ commitment to the empowerment and development of all women leaders has brought her recognition and acclaim from the U.S. Congress, the California State Senate and the California State Assembly. She has been recognized and highlighted as one of the top Leading Latinas by Hispanic Magazine and as one of the most influential Latinas in “The Book of Latina Women.”
Beverly Cole
Board Director
Ms. Cole is an independent corporate director, serving on the Enterprise Risk and CRA, and Complex Real Estate Committees of a public company. She has been a senior executive in real estate, hospitality, food service, entertainment industries, and the manufacturing of consumer products in public and private companies. She is an ex- Wall Street investment banker in the commercial and residential real estate markets and served as a Federal regulator. She holds an MBA, finance degree from The Wharton School and a Juris Doctor from Fordham University. She is board member and Chair of investment Committee of a private fund, and she sits on the Board of National Association of Corporate Directors PSW Region and is a Retired State Commissioner and Insurance Task Force Member.
Lloyd Taylor
Board Secretary/Treasurer
Lloyd serves as COO as Alembic, an early-stage software startup headquartered in San Francisco. He hails from Autodesk, where he built and led operations for the global infrastructure for Autodesk’s cloud products. His board experience includes Samasource, the award-winning technology social enterprise. Lloyd is passionate about bringing opportunity and under-served people together.
Coco Brown
Board Director
Coco is the founder and CEO of Athena Alliance, the community platform that brings together women leaders, investors, CEOs, board directors and corporations in one digital ecosystem. Prior to founding Athena in 2016, Coco served as President, COO, and Board Director of Taos, a market leader in IT professional and managed services, serving hundreds of F1000 companies such as Apple, Cisco, ebay, Facebook, and Silicon Valley Bank. Coco also serves on the board of directors for ArcherPoint.
Stand with Us
Join forward-thinking leaders and top brands as they work to ensure the top ranks of business mimic society. Your donation will help women of all colors and backgrounds be represented at the top ranks of leadership.
Nominate Someone for the Access Fellowship
Deadline to nominate: September 30
