As LWL marks five years, the conversation around women in leadership is shifting from representation to meaningful influence, decision-making and access. LWL’s five-year journey reflects a shift in its own approach: from creating access and community to building pathways that can 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 last five years, the network has seen conversations and connections translate into a range of 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 and subsequently launching BXV Global Consulting together. An LWL introduction also 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 how the needs of women professionals and entrepreneurs have changed, with greater emphasis on practical support alongside access to a network. The mentorship programme, for instance, enables women to seek guidance on specific career and business challenges, while its broader conversations and interactions with leaders offer exposure to diverse perspectives. Together, these initiatives reflect a growing need for women to have access to mentorship, knowledge and networks that can support them 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 focus will be on deepening the value of its network, expanding its global footprint and creating stronger pathways across different stages of leadership. This includes enabling emerging leaders to find the right mentors, supporting founders as they scale, helping senior professionals access board opportunities, and creating greater access to capital, knowledge and global platforms.
The organisation also aims to create more measurable outcomes from its ecosystem, including more businesses scaled, leadership transitions enabled, board opportunities created and collaborations facilitated.
The next phase of LWL’s journey is therefore centred on building a more connected global leadership ecosystem where women can enter at any stage of their journey and find the people, perspectives, opportunities and support they need for what comes next.
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 over 1,500 women leaders across 80+ industries. With curated events, high-intent networking, mentorship, and a robust digital platform, LWL enables women to connect, collaborate, and grow. The platform’s vision is to see more women in leadership roles and to create an ecosystem where women can lead boldly, drive impact, and inspire change.
For more information, please visit ladieswholead.in.
