Ambition Isn’t
the Problem.
Access Is.
Everything your company’s leadership
program leaves out.
- Monthly sessions with top women who tell you what worked.
- A Success Team of peers who keep you on your goals.
- Learn on your schedule: includes On‑Demand Success Institute.
- Women who’ve faced your exact situation, a message away.
The Columbus Women Leaders Association Meeting Schedule
Bring Home Breakthrough Ideas From Today's Most Influential and Inspiring Women Leaders to Columbus.
Barbara Corcoran
CEO, Corcoran Inc
Shanelle Fowler
Director, US Affairs Abbvie
Arianna Huffington
CEO, Thrive Global
Carly Fiorina
CEO, HP
Lori Greiner
Ent, QVC
Frances Allen
CEO, Checkers
Ann Addison
VP, Northrop Grumman
Mary Mack
CEO, Wells Fargo
HEAR FROM INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKERS
Experience breakthrough moments as visionary speakers reveal the strategies and secrets that spark your own ideas, motivation, and success.
Karen Wilkins
Vice President, Waffle House
Liz Jin
Business Affairs Lead, Google
Quiana Pinckney
VP, Waystar
Maureen Maggioni
Sr. Director, Salesforce
Katie Potochney
Senior Director, Mailchimp
Ellen Abamonte
Consumer Insights Lead, Amazon Studios
SPEED UP YOUR COLUMBUS CAREER WITH HANDS-ON TOOLS YOU CAN USE TODAY.
Breakthrough Ideas Every Month
Grow faster with direct guidance from top women executives, then put their tested strategies to work right away to reshape your career and business results in Central Ohio.
Unlock Elite Access & Networks
Step into a lively circle of the most accomplished women in Columbus and across Ohio—make connections, open doors, and reach your biggest goals side by side.
Stay Ahead All Year
Enjoy twelve months of members-only access to expert book summaries, fresh ideas, mentoring, and every inspiring speaker—keeping your edge sharp from one Ohio winter to the next.
Accelerate Your Growth
Tap members-only resources, expert insight, and game-changing Columbus connections to carry your journey further still.
Access the World's Largest On-Demand Success Institute for Women From Columbus!
• Weekly Success Clinics. Proven solutions from top women.
• Leadership Masterclasses. Accelerate your development.
• Member Directory. Network with Accomplished Women.
• Upcoming Meetings. Effortless Meeting Participation.
• Recent Meetings. Every session recorded, so no idea is missed.
• Podcasts. A weekly show of top women's ideas and tips.
• More. Unlock newsletters, audiobooks, & forum advice..
Use Exclusive Glass Ceiling Reports to Make Smarter Columbus Career Moves
Choose Columbus employers that advance women faster—compare each company’s Glass Ceiling Score™
Plus great speakers on how to avoid scams, frauds, spam, and ripoffs by using experience, email, reputation checks, reviews, feedback, thoughts, opinions, reports, trustworthy, and get honest feedback thru online reviews, Reddit, BBB, and TrustPilot.
Monthly Women Rising Conferences Included!
(and recorded for your convenience)
Hear today's most influential women leaders Live. Experience transformative connections and inspiration.
The Top 10 Workplace Challenges Columbus Women Face, and How We Tackle Them
1. Unequal Pay for the Same Work in Columbus and Ohio
Even in identical jobs, Columbus women often take home less than men; statewide, full-time women earn a median $1,023 a week versus $1,331 for men. We respond with salary transparency efforts, peer pay data sharing, and negotiation workshops that help members push for fair compensation.
2. Too Few Women in Columbus Leadership Roles
Columbus ranks #6 of 80 metros on the Glass Ceiling Score, yet women hold just 41.62% of executive roles and few boardroom seats. We help close that gap through mentoring from industry leaders, leadership training programs, and targeted networking events that move women into decision-making seats.
3. Workplace Harassment in Columbus
Harassment remains a serious problem in too many Columbus workplaces. Our association offers Columbus members a safe place to share experiences and get support, and we back that with legal resources, allyship training, and access to confidential support networks.
4. Fewer Professional Development Opportunities for Columbus Women
Across Central Ohio, professional development is often harder for women to reach. We provide members-only training, skill certifications, and executive coaching so members are ready to succeed and advance, whether at a hospital system, a bank, or a growing tech firm.
5. Juggling Work and Life in Columbus
Keeping career demands and home life in balance is still a leading challenge for Columbus women, even with Ohio's average commute at 23.4 minutes. Through workshops, forums, and expert-led sessions, we pass along practical strategies and push for flexible policies that support better work-life integration.
6. Limited Access to Influential Columbus Professional Networks
Columbus women often run into barriers when trying to reach influential networks. Members get direct entry to high-impact networking events, collaboration forums, and partnerships with industry-specific associations to build meaningful connections across Central Ohio.
7. Columbus Career Break Penalties
Stepping away from work in Columbus for caregiving or other reasons often costs women ground in their careers. We provide career re-entry support, skill refresh programs, and workshops on presenting gaps as strengths on resumes and in interviews with Central Ohio employers.
8. Imposter Syndrome and Confidence Gaps Among Columbus Women
Many high-achieving women in Columbus wrestle with imposter syndrome. Peer support circles, a storytelling series, and personal growth seminars help our Columbus members build confidence and recognize the value they bring to work.
9. Biased Columbus Performance Evaluations
Gender bias frequently shows up in Columbus performance reviews. Members learn to speak up for their work, keep a record of results, and push for even-handed ratings, while managers learn inclusive evaluation practices.
10. Low Visibility for Women in Male-Dominated Columbus Industries
In STEM, finance, construction and other male-dominated fields, Columbus women often have to fight for recognition. Our association actively raises members' profiles through speaking platforms, editorial coverage, award nominations, and joint content creation.
From limited advancement to implicit bias, women at work run into many obstacles. Here in Columbus, the Columbus Female Mentorship Program is helping women move past them. A growing number of professionals find clarity and momentum through Columbus womens coaching, which offers guidance tailored to each career stage. Confidence is still a major hurdle, so many work with a Columbus confidence coach to build a stronger presence in leadership conversations at employers from Nationwide to OhioHealth.
Growing a career while working through life transitions can feel overwhelming, and a Columbus life coach provides structured paths toward purpose and well-being. Emerging leaders frequently look to a Columbus womens empowerment coach to build resilience and handle complicated workplace dynamics. Would-be founders gain a great deal from a Columbus female business coach who knows what it takes to start and scale a company in Central Ohio, where Rev1 Ventures and the Ohio Small Business Development Center at Columbus State support new ventures. Leaders who prefer a more intuitive style often find the perspective of a Columbus feminine coach transformative.
As women set their sights on the executive suite, many turn to a Columbus female executive coach to build influence at the top, a timely move in a region home to 5 Fortune 500 headquarters. Women stepping into new leadership roles often count on a Columbus women business coach to help them read corporate hierarchies. Growing a company calls for guidance as well, and a Columbus female business coach can supply the essential tools. Columbus executive coaching for women frequently underpins strategic development, with a focus on high-level influence and decision-making.
Professionals in the middle of big transitions gain from working with a Columbus life coach for women who can help define new goals. Founders frequently lean on a Columbus business coach for female entrepreneurs to turn ideas into ventures that scale, joining the 35,005 women-owned employer firms across Ohio. Columbus female empowerment coaching helps women claim their voice while leading authentically. For anyone switching industries, perhaps from retail into the region's fast-growing construction sector, a Columbus career coach for women can smooth the way and cut uncertainty.
A Columbus business coach for women can advise on everything from brand strategy to building a team. As women move up, Columbus female leadership coaching helps them refine how they lead. Leaders with a social impact vision, common in a state capital full of public agencies and nonprofits, often partner with a Columbus women empowerment coach to connect their mission with their professional goals. Driven executives frequently count on a Columbus female executive coach to sustain performance and confidence in high-pressure roles.
When self-doubt creeps in, a Columbus female confidence coach helps rebuild assurance and clarity. Entrepreneurs starting from nothing often seek a Columbus small business coach for women for practical strategies, alongside free mentoring from SCORE Columbus. Real-world stories and advice flow from Columbus female mentorship, linking professionals across industries. Columbus women mentors offer a network of accountability and encouragement. Columbus women mentoring programs designed to build skills and confidence help professional relationships grow deeper.
Trust grows in settings such as Columbus women to women mentoring, where people share their experiences honestly. A Columbus women business mentor can help newer professionals handle challenges nobody talks about. To make better decisions, many look for insight from Columbus female business mentors who have already blazed the trail. Technical fields, from software to analytics, are opening doors for Columbus women in tech, though more equity work lies ahead. The creativity and vision of Columbus women in marketing are reshaping marketing teams at the region's retail headquarters.
The leadership of Columbus women in human resources makes HR departments stronger and moves inclusive policies to the front. Thanks to Columbus women in hr, workplace culture is becoming more empathetic and more strategic, as leaders like Nationwide's Vinita Clements and Huntington's Sarah Pohmer show. Finance keeps growing more inclusive through the persistence of Columbus women in finance. Despite obstacles, Columbus women in logistics are breaking through in supply chain and operations roles. Columbus women in management are gaining representation, especially at mid-sized companies and startups.
As trust builds, Columbus women financial managers are guiding portfolios and advising clients successfully, in a metro where financial activities employ 81,800 people. Columbus women accountants strengthen the accounting profession with their careful work. In competitive markets, Columbus women in sales bring fresh ideas and relationship-building to their teams. The growing presence of Columbus women in real estate, who combine business sense with community knowledge, is changing local markets from German Village to New Albany. In every sector, Columbus Women Entrepreneurs are transforming industries with bold ideas and collaborative leadership.
Reviews on Reddit and the BBB can show how a company's reputation has trended over time. TrustPilot and similar sites add another angle on what customers say online. Clients in Columbus would be wise to collect several viewpoints before they sign anything. If something goes wrong, you can file a formal complaint with the relevant consumer agencies, such as the Ohio Attorney General's Office. A provider's review history and standing on several platforms are the best check of whether it can be trusted.
Reach us by email or e-mail whenever you need personal help or have a question about the Columbus chapter. Barbara Willis runs our member customer service team with dedication and efficiency. Shelley Taft and Ginger Whatley handle event planning and speaker engagement, making sure every gathering features diverse and inspiring voices for Columbus members.
If you are looking for recommendations on the best associations for women professionals and leaders to create meaningful business networks we recommend these which have exceptional customer reviews by their members:
Virginia Women Leaders Association business network
Vermont Women Leaders Association business network
Washington Women Leaders Association business network
