Ladymates
Startmate's Woman Leader of the Year 2024
A huge congratulations to the winner and the 26 nominees for Startmate’s 2024 Women Leader of the Year Award.
Learn more
Learn more
Ladymates
A highly-vetted, in-person membership for accelerating women
PROGRAM DATE:
Ongoing, with quarterly intakes: next intake JUL 28 2025
Applications close:
Jun 9
No items found.
Accelerate your career or startup
“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Or in our case, we do both.
In Ladymates, you’ll surround yourself with ambitious, high-performing women who open doors, share game-changing insights, and challenge you to level up.
Whether it’s a serendipitous intro to your next role, mentor or investor, advice that helps you nail a big project, or the confidence to go after that promotion or pitch that investor—you’ll have the right people and resources at the right time to move faster and go further.
Meet peers in similar roles
Ever felt like you’re figuring it out as you go? Ever wished you could see how others approached a similar problem? You are not alone.
You’ll be connected to a community of women in a similar role and career stage. This is your unfair advantage to swap strategies, sanity-check decisions, and get real talk from peers who’ve been there before.
Learn from industry leaders
The best career advice isn’t in a book—it comes from real conversations and hands-on practice with people who’ve been there.
From in-person hands-on workshops with experts to ask-me-anything sessions with leading startup operators, you’ll walk away with tactics you can apply immediately, fresh perspectives on your biggest challenges, and connections that accelerate your career.
160
WOMEN IN THE LADYMATES COMMUNITY
WHO IS LADYMATES FOR?
You are in a role or seeking your next opportunity
You are in the throes of founding and are seeking connection, investment opportunities and guidance
Based in Sydney or Melbourne (if you’re in another city, register interest here)
9.3/10 FROM 125+ ALUMNI REVIEWS
No items found.
What do you get?
We appreciate women in tech are some of the busiest people out there, so this initiative is high impact, low time commitment (~2-4h per month).
This highly selective, 12 month membership includes...
In-person ‘masterclasses’ [monthly for leaders, quarterly for collective tier]:
- Skill-building workshops tailored to you and your needs
- Past workshops include: commanding a room with confidence, having tough conversations, and influencing key stakeholders.
Peer advisory board [monthly] & role circles [quarterly]
- Peer advisory: 4-6 hand-picked peers based on professional experience and career stage. Meet in real life to tap into their collective knowledge, work through challenges, get feedback on decision-making, and soundboard ideas
- Role circles: Peers in similar roles who get it and are doing it too. Soundboard role-specific challenges, share expertise and resources and engage in regular discussions on the topics that matter to you and your role.
Optional socials and catch-ups
- Connect 1-1 or with small groups around a shared interest, challenge, location, etc.
ADD ON: Executive coaching [monthly]
- 1:1 or group coaching with a top exec coach who will mentor & support you to improve business performance, enhance personal growth & increase confidence.
Past speakers and coaches
Cheryl Mack
CEO @ Aussie Angels
Emer McCann
Head of People & Operations at Simply Wall St
Lane Litz
Founder @ Chatterize
Phoebe Harrop
General Partner @ Blackbird
Veronica Mason
High Performance Coach at VRM Futures Co
Silvia Hope
Founder @ AmazingCo.
Sally-Ann Williams
CEO @ Cicada Innovations
Pricing options
COLLECTIVE
For early/mid-level professionals and founders
$
550
- 4x Skill-building workshops
- Peer Advisory Board Sessions
- Role Advisory Sessions
- Keynote speakers sessions
LEADERSHIP
For senior leaders and founders
$
825
- 10x Skill-building workshops
- Peer Advisory Board Sessions
- Role Advisory Sessions
- Highly vetted leadership community
ADD-ON: EXEC COACHING
Either small group or 1:1
$
1650
- 1:1 or group coaching with a top exec coach who will mentor & support you to improve business performance, enhance personal growth & increase confidence.
- Above prices are for group coaching. Please reach out if you are interested in 1:1 coaching. Email: kaya@startmate.com.au
COLLECTIVE
For early/mid-level professionals and founders
$
2000
- 4x Skill-building workshops
- Peer Advisory Board Sessions
- Role Advisory Sessions
- Keynote speakers sessions
LEADERSHIP
For senior leaders and founders
$
3000
- 10x Skill-building workshops
- Peer Advisory Board Sessions
- Role Advisory Sessions
- Highly vetted leadership community
ADD-ON: EXEC COACHING
Either small group or 1:1
$
6000
- 1:1 or group coaching with a top exec coach who will mentor & support you to improve business performance, enhance personal growth & increase confidence.
- Above prices are for group coaching. Please reach out if you are interested in 1:1 coaching. Email: kaya@startmate.com.au
Proudly supported by
.png)
Westpac Business Lending aims to break down barriers and support the next generation of female entrepreneurs, furthering their commitment to financial inclusion and equality. As such, they have generously provided $20K in Westpac Scholarships to help support women working in tech to accelerate their career growth through Ladymates.
ESSENTIAL READS
VIEW ALL
VIEW ALL
Frequently asked questions
Is it a safe and confidential space?
It's important that you feel safe to share the challenges you're facing and get the support you need.
One of the Ladymates core values is confidentiality, and Chatham House Rules must be upheld by all members.
Is attendance mandatory?
- We believe you get out what you put in. Given the limited intake size, we want members who are ready to commit to their growth and are present to support their fellow Ladymates.
- For this reason, attendance is mandatory. Participants who miss more than one session may be withdrawn from the membership*, so please get in touch if you have concerns around your availability (*except in extenuating circumstances).
- Think of us as your accountability buddies - we’re here to help you help yourself!
What if I’m going to be overseas / away for a week or two of the membership?
- This isn’t the end of the world. We encourage a healthy work/play balance (and talk about it all the time in sessions!). It should be fine to go overseas or take some holidays, just be sure to give your group members a heads up.
- However, we prefer participants are not absent for months at a time or miss more than one session.
- Note that we also put all sessions on pause for the end of year holiday period!
What type of mentoring or support will I receive?
- Peer mentoring
- We group all Ladymates into 'peer advisory groups', where women can work through challenges, soundboard ideas, and get feedback from other Ladymates who are facing similar challenges. Learn more here.
- Masterclassess
- We bring in a subject expert and/or a woman in tech a few steps ahead of you to provide tangible advice, frameworks, and support to help you build your skills and navigate challenges.
- Some masterclass examples include ‘asserting influence through storytelling’ with Arabella Macpherson, ‘presence and body language’ with Lucy Allen, ‘having difficult conversations’ with May Samali, etc.
- Role/functional mentoring
- You have the option to join any of the different ‘functional groups’ (i.e. Ops, Marketing, Customer Success, etc.), where you will receive role-specific support and resources.
I can’t afford it. Can my work sponsor it?
- Many of our members have been able to secure sponsorship through their workplace! We’d highly recommend at least having the conversation with them.
- To help you navigate this, we’ve put together this handy guide on how to get your company to invest in your Learning & Development