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As a five-time founder — including founding All Inclusive Marketing, one of the leading affiliate marketing agencies — and a ɫ��ֱ�� partner, Sarah Bundy has a unique vantage point on the relationships that drive trust and success in tech. Authenticity and diversity lead to better business, which is why ɫ��ֱ�� started Women in SaaS three years ago to spotlight the women — like Bundy —  who keep the ecosystem operating.

So, when she introduced , not just as a business, but as a strategic solution to accelerate women's progress, ɫ��ֱ�� knew we wanted to amplify this story so that other women leaders (both in tech and across other industries) can join the community to grow, partner with and support female founders and thought leaders and access the resources they need to scale.

Read Bundy’s story below and see how partnering up with the right folx makes all the difference.

Why I started Athena Collective — and why it matters

This is my fifth startup.

The first few were successful, but none of them came easy. They were built with literal and proverbial blood, sweat and tears. Every win came with a lesson. Every lesson came with growing pains.

As a female founder, the journey has always come with an extra layer of challenge — one that many women in business know all too well. Balancing leadership, family and personal expectations while building a company from the ground up isn’t easy. Juggling team meetings and client calls while holding a baby on your hip? I’ve been there. And I know I’m not the only one.

From day one, women founders often start behind. Lack of funding. Limited time. Fewer connections. Restricted access to the right tools and people. In Canada, married women couldn’t even open a bank account without their husband’s signature until 1964. That wasn’t long ago.

Today, only two per cent of women-owned businesses ever hit $1M in revenue. Only 12 per cent reach $100K. And that’s not because women aren’t ambitious or capable. It’s because we’re still catching up on access — to capital, mentorship, visibility and community.

That’s why we started .

A smarter way to grow women-owned businesses

Athena Collective is a digital-first platform and global community built by women in business, for women in business — designed to become the growth engine for female founders, owners and operators.

We bring together the best tools, resources and people in one place — then curate and personalize results with smart matching technology. No more wasting hours figuring out what’s worth your time or who you can trust.

Athena meets you where you are. Whether you’re building your first six figures, scaling to seven, or preparing for an exit, we deliver what you need: from strategic insights and vetted service providers to funding opportunities, technology tools and more.

Need to expand into new markets? We connect you with experts. Want to boost profitability with AI before a sale? We bring you the right solutions. And thanks to partnerships with world-class companies like ɫ��ֱ��, we’re able to give women entrepreneurs direct access to proven tools that help them grow smarter, faster and more effectively than ever before.

Our promise is simple: less friction, more confidence and a better way to move the needle forward.

Related: Critical points of trust within your ecosystem.

Real talk: There’s too much noise out there

Entrepreneurs are drowning in noise — too many tools, too many communities, too many conflicting opinions. Athena Collective cuts through the clutter with two things that matter most: a trusted community of women who get it, and a smart matching system that understands your business needs and delivers the right solutions in real time.

Since launching in January 2025, we’ve expanded across Canada and the US, launched a global City Ambassador Program, and partnered with top names in finance, tech and law — all while adding hundreds of vetted resources, service providers and perks for women in business each month.

We listened to what members wanted and we gave it to them; easy access to the tools and expertise they need to succeed. Other like-minded women on their entrepreneurial journeys who get it. Curated events and a place where they can ask questions and get real answers.

When I built my first companies, I wasted years and millions of dollars chasing half-baked solutions and the wrong advice. If I’d had a trusted community plus technology that could point me to exactly what I needed, when I needed it, everything would have been faster, easier and a whole lot more effective. That’s why we built Athena Collective: to remove the friction, fear and overwhelm — so women can scale smarter, with the right people and the right answers at their fingertips.

What makes this different: Tech built with community in mind

Athena Collective is tech-powered, but community-led.

It’s not just another resource hub or meetup group — it’s a global network of experienced founders, leaders, operators and partners who want to help each other move faster and smarter.

We’re not here to replace other incredible organizations. We need them. In fact, we encourage women to continue with those communities, especially if they are helpful and providing value. Athena acts as a powerful add-on: connecting the dots, consolidating what’s scattered and personalizing the experience to best support members’ unique needs.

The result? Personalized insights. Personalized connections. Personalized opportunities.

We’ve already seen members do business together, barter services, find contractors, land media coverage and form friendships that make the entrepreneurial journey less lonely.

See more: Key learnings from the Women in SaaS 2025 report and panel.

What’s next for Athena Collective

Athena Collective is my next chapter — and my most exciting one.

Our mission is simple: help more women in business thrive, not just survive. Help them scale better, faster and more affordably — with fewer headaches and more wins. Remove the isolation, burnout and overwhelm. We do it better together.

We believe that when women succeed, their families succeed. Their teams, clients, partners and communities succeed. And ultimately, we all win.

If that sounds like something you want to be part of, I’d love for you to join us. is just getting started — and with partners like ɫ��ֱ�� alongside us, the best is yet to come.

Sarah Bundy

Founding Partner & CEO, Athena Collective

ɫ��ֱ�� Partner

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