If positive energy and enthusiasm really are contagious, it makes sense that you're always on the hunt for people who match your drive. You already are a career-driven, ambitious, talented person. Positivity attracts positivity.
But finding other like-minded, mega-driven people can be genuinely hard, especially when you're breaking into a new field, launching your own venture, or doing something different from the people you've always run with.
At Girlboss, building community has always been at the center of what we do. The good news: there are more organizations built to connect women with other sharp women than ever. We rebuilt this list for 2026, cutting the ones that quietly folded and updating every number so you know exactly what you're walking into.
National Communities and Networks
Chief — Senior leaders, members-only
A private membership network for senior women leaders and executives, with clubhouses in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., plus a full digital platform. Chief hit unicorn status in 2022 and doesn't publish current membership numbers, but its last confirmed count topped 20,000. If you're building toward the C-suite or you're already there, this is the most targeted senior women's community in the U.S.
Second Degree Society (formerly Six Degrees Society) — National
A national networking community for ambitious women, with programming in NYC, Boston, Atlanta, LA, and more. Events range from career and personal-branding workshops to lifestyle content. Good for mid-career professionals who want warm, curated in-person connection.
Dreamers and Doers — Entrepreneurial women, community + PR
A private, application-only community and PR engine for entrepreneurial women. It changed hands in 2026, when founder Gesche Haas sold it to longtime member Christina Salerno, and it's stayed just as active under new ownership: around 600 paying members and a wider network of 30,000-plus, with new members admitted four times a year. Known for a genuinely high-quality member base focused on women actually amplifying each other's work.
Lean In Circles — Small groups, global
Lean In Circles are small peer groups of women who meet regularly to support each other's career growth. As of 2026, more than 100,000 Circles have launched across 183 countries. You can join an existing one or start your own, which makes this the pick for consistent, ongoing connection instead of a one-off event.
Tech and Industry-Specific Communities
Tech Ladies — Women in tech, job board + community
For women and non-binary people in tech, with 120,000-plus members. You get access to an exclusive job board, event invites, and a supportive community built for career advice. Free to join at the basic level, with paid tiers for extra access. Trans and non-binary folks are explicitly welcome.
Girls Who Code — Engineering, volunteering + community
For women and non-binary people in computer science and engineering, or anyone who wants to close the gender gap in tech. The org has now reached over 860,000 girls, women, and non-binary coders worldwide through its clubs and summer programs. Volunteering here, whether you're leading a club or mentoring, is a real way to build meaningful professional relationships through shared purpose.
Small Business and Entrepreneurship
Hello Alice — Small business owners, grants + community
A platform for small business owners that has now grown to 1.6 million-plus members across all 50 states. Hello Alice has distributed more than $57 million in grants to date, and its newest feature, an AI-powered advisory board, matches your business to funding and resources based on your industry, stage, and goals. Free to join. Especially strong for women, minority, and veteran-owned businesses looking for both connection and capital.
Women Helping Women Entrepreneurs — Facebook group for business owners
A large Facebook community, now over 870,000 members strong, for female business owners to connect, share resources, and support one another. Hosts free live trainings on social media marketing, branding, PR, and online marketing. Most active as a Facebook group, which works well for quick questions and real-time peer support.
Boss Moms — App, entrepreneurs with families
Founder Dana Malstaff closed the original Boss Moms Facebook group, which had grown to more than 78,000 members, and moved the community into the free BossMom app instead. It's still the same practical, warm space for the specific juggle of building a business alongside parenthood, now with Boss Mom meetups running in over 80 cities.
The community you invest in tends to reflect back what you put in. Whatever your industry or stage, showing up consistently in one or two of these spaces, rather than surface-level participation in ten, is where the real relationships get built. For more on making those connections actually count, this guide to networking your way to a job you want covers the follow-through that most people skip.
And if you're looking for mentorship specifically, this piece on finding a mentor as a woman of color addresses the real challenges of finding representation in the rooms you're trying to get into.
The community you've been looking for is right here. Get the Girlboss Daily for career, networking, and the coverage that keeps you connected to what matters.
