Council for Women Entrepreneurs
Because the playing field still isn’t level.
The Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs Council for Women Entrepreneurs (CWE) exists for a simple reason:
building a company is hard—and it’s often harder for women.
Founders face obstacles at every stage. But women founders still encounter gaps in access, visibility, capital, and networks that their male counterparts are less likely to face. Those gaps are real, persistent, and well-documented—and ignoring them doesn’t make them disappear.
CWE is HAE’s way of addressing that reality head-on.
What we do
CWE brings together alumnae and allies who are committed to:
Expanding access to networks, experience, and decision-makers
Increasing awareness of programs and opportunities where women founders can thrive
Reducing friction that keeps talented founders on the sidelines
This isn’t about special treatment. It’s about removing barriers that shouldn’t be there in the first place.
How we approach it
Practical, integrated, and grounded in outcomes. CWE works within HAE’s core programs and leadership - not around them—so women founders are informed, prepared, and positioned to participate fully.
Why it matters
Because talent is evenly distributed.
Opportunity still isn’t.
CWE exists to help close that gap - deliberately, thoughtfully, and without pretense.