Comparison · 11 material differences
Athena Alliance vs Level 20
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact — it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Networking organization
Verified September 2026 Athena Alliance
Experienced, high-achieving women and non-binary executives, board directors, investors and founders pursuing board seats, portfolio careers or a career transition
Networking organization
Level 20
People working in European private equity and venture capital, with the mission focused on women in investment roles
What the records say
- Role or title — Athena Alliance: No single job title is required; Athena states it assesses "the substance of your experience - scope of leadership, influence, and accomplishments" rather than matching a fixed list of titles; Level 20: No published role or title.
- Gender — Athena Alliance: "Individual Athena membership is only for women and non-binary people. Our enterprise offerings are for cohorts of both women and men."; Level 20: No published gender.
- Geographic restriction — Athena Alliance: No published geographic restriction; Level 20: In-person programming is concentrated in Europe.
- Industry restriction — Athena Alliance: No published industry restriction; Level 20: Must work in private equity or venture capital, or at a firm that supports the industry.
- Annual dues — Athena Alliance: $6,000 a year; Level 20: £0 a year.
Side by side
| Athena Alliance | Level 20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Networking organization |
| Founded | Not documented | 2015 (Launched in the UK in 2015 by twelve co-founders, all senior women in European private equity and private markets) |
| Headquarters | United States | London, United Kingdom |
| Geographic footprint | Predominantly virtual, with more than 100 in-person gatherings a year across the United States and seven rotating summits; the team is described as globally located and location is stated not to be a barrier to membership | Thirteen chapters covering 20 European countries; the team is based in London |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed. Athena publishes programme statistics - over 600 women supported to boards, 16,000+ salon participants, 3,000+ peer group participants - but no current member total. | 7,250as of September 2025 |
| Chapters | No chapters | 13 |
| Primary audience | Experienced, high-achieving women and non-binary executives, board directors, investors and founders pursuing board seats, portfolio careers or a career transition | People working in European private equity and venture capital, with the mission focused on women in investment roles |
| Typical member | "Athena members are experienced, high-achieving women who are actively exploring and pursuing their next chapter - whether that means taking on a board seat, shifting industries, starting something new, or leveling up their current work." Most have significant leadership experience; Athena states no single job title is required and that it assesses scope of leadership, influence and accomplishments instead. Average member tenure is 3.4 years. | Members work in private equity and venture capital or in firms that support the industry, at all seniority levels. Membership is open to both women and men, who participate as members, speakers, mentors and research contributors. The organisation's stated goal is increasing the representation of senior women, particularly in investment roles. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | No single job title is required; Athena states it assesses "the substance of your experience - scope of leadership, influence, and accomplishments" rather than matching a fixed list of titlesMembers in career transition are explicitly welcomedverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published role or title |
| Gender | "Individual Athena membership is only for women and non-binary people. Our enterprise offerings are for cohorts of both women and men."verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published gender |
| Geographic restriction | No published geographic restriction | In-person programming is concentrated in EuropeLevel 20 operates 13 chapters across 20 European countriesverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | No published industry restriction | Must work in private equity or venture capital, or at a firm that supports the industryMembership is open to both women and men at any seniority levelverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Three steps: complete a brief application, schedule a consultation with a Membership Consultant, then receive a personalised membership invitation. Prospective members can explore Athena beforehand through the free Portfolio of Impact assessment or by attending selected public virtual salon sessions. | Individuals complete a membership application form in the member portal; there is no fee, sponsorship or interview. Firms wishing to sponsor contact Level 20 through its Get in Touch page. Members are then matched to relevant programming by role, seniority, sector, strategy and firm type; mentoring places are allocated by cohort through the chapter committees. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. Athena describes an application and consultation process leading to a membership invitation, but publishes no acceptance rate. | Not publicly disclosed for general membership, which appears to be open. The mentoring programme is described as highly sought after but no acceptance figures are published. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $6,000 a year"Athena membership costs $6,000 annually. It includes access to virtual salons and peer groups, in-person summits and gatherings, a full content library, Athena Academy courses, and a dedicated Member Engagement Advisor." The term runs twelve months from activation and renews automatically using the payment method on file, with reminders sent in advance.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | £0 a yearIndividual membership is free. "Level 20 membership is free for all those working in private equity and venture capital, or in firms that support the industry" — Annual Review 2025verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Programme fee | Additional Academy courses and coaching sessions with Athena's Expert Strategists can be purchased beyond what membership covers; prices are not published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Level 20 is funded by sponsor firms rather than member dues. |
| Membership term | Twelve months from activation, renewing automatically | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Monthly salons and peer groups, more than 100 in-person gatherings a year and seven rotating summits | Local professional development and networking events run by each chapter, plus international conferences and online sessions |
| Peer forums | Peer groups and peer networking circles alongside virtual salons; each member also works with a dedicated Member Engagement Advisor | Volunteer-run chapter committees organise local activity; mentoring runs as one-to-one pairings and group cohorts |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed | Could not be independently verified — no published confidentiality policy was found |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Virtual, Cohort-based, Event-focused | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Cohort-based |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Yes |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Partial |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | Partial | No |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | Partial | Partial |
| Investment discussions | Partial | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
Next
Last verified: not yet reviewed
Report an error on this page
Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Athena Alliance · Level 20