Over the past five years, LWL has evolved from a community for women into a curated leadership ecosystem connecting professionals across industries, cities and stages of leadership. The platform now brings together more than 1,500 women across over 80 industries and 25 cities, with a growing presence across India, Dubai and London. It has also brought more than 200 speakers into its ecosystem.
As LWL marks this milestone, the conversation around women’s leadership is increasingly moving beyond representation towards meaningful influence, decision-making and access to opportunities. The organisation’s journey reflects a similar evolution, shifting its focus from creating access and community to developing pathways that translate relationships, knowledge and visibility into tangible outcomes.
“When we started Ladies Who Lead, the need was clear: women needed access to the right rooms, the right people, and each other. Five years later, it has become equally clear that access alone is not enough. The real opportunity lies in what a woman is able to do once she enters that room, whether that is to build a business, raise funding, step into a board role, find a mentor, or create an opportunity for someone else. For me, the evolution of LWL has always been about staying close to the individual journeys within our community and building an ecosystem that responds to where women are in their careers and where they want to go next. LWL isn’t just about being in the room. It’s about what becomes possible because you were,” said Aabha Bakaya, Co-Founder, Ladies Who Lead.
Over the past five years, the network has seen conversations and professional connections translate into career and business outcomes for its members. These include Rutvika Charegaonkar being inspired to build her curly hair-care brand, The Curl Co., through an LWL curation; Supriya Jain launching a Kosmoderma clinic franchise through her connection with Dr. Chytra Anand; and Rachna Nath and Atreyi Das connecting through LWL before launching BXV Global Consulting together.
In another instance, an introduction through LWL connected Suniti Gupta’s Meero Digital Labs with NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Program, leading to the co-design of the Agri ATR programme.
The evolution of LWL’s offerings reflects changing needs among women professionals and entrepreneurs, with an increased emphasis on practical support alongside access to a network. Its mentorship programme enables women to seek guidance on specific career and business challenges, while conversations and interactions with leaders provide exposure to diverse perspectives.
Together, these initiatives address the need for mentorship, knowledge and professional networks that can support women at different stages of their leadership journeys.
“Having spent years building businesses and sitting on boards, I have seen first-hand that the lack of women around the table is not an anecdotal gap. It is a structural one. What stood out to me about LWL was its attempt to address that gap not simply through representation, but by building the infrastructure around leadership: the relationships, knowledge, mentorship, and opportunities that allow access to translate into meaningful participation. A strong leadership ecosystem should create value in both directions. It should help women access the rooms that matter, while also enabling them to contribute, create opportunities, and open doors for others. That is the opportunity LWL has been building towards over the last five years,” said Aditya Ghosh, Co-Founder, Ladies Who Lead.
As LWL enters its next chapter, the organisation plans to deepen the value of its network, expand its global footprint and establish stronger pathways across different stages of leadership. Its priorities include helping emerging leaders find suitable mentors, supporting founders as they scale their businesses, enabling senior professionals to access board opportunities, and widening access to capital, knowledge and global platforms.
The organisation also aims to generate more measurable outcomes from its ecosystem, including businesses scaled, leadership transitions enabled, board opportunities created and collaborations facilitated.
The next phase of LWL’s journey will focus on building a more connected global leadership ecosystem where women can join at any stage of their professional journey and access the people, perspectives, opportunities and support needed to progress.
About Ladies Who Lead
Ladies Who Lead (LWL) is a premium, members-only leadership and networking platform committed to empowering women professionals across India. Founded in 2021 by veteran business journalist Aabha Bakaya and business leader Aditya Ghosh, LWL brings together a diverse community of more than 1,500 women leaders across over 80 industries.
Through curated events, high-intent networking, mentorship and a robust digital platform, LWL enables women to connect, collaborate and grow. The platform aims to increase the number of women in leadership roles and create an ecosystem where women can lead boldly, drive impact and inspire change.
For more information, visit ladieswholead.in.
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