Chicago's Women's Empowerment Community — Est. 2011

Where Women Build the
Next Version of Themselves

A community center dedicated entirely to your growth. Expert coaching, professional workshops, meaningful mentorship, and an inspiring space to gather, connect, and rise — right here in Chicago.

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14
Years in Chicago
6,200+
Members
340
Workshops Annually
18
Certified Coaches

What We Offer

Six Pathways to Your Potential

Whether you're pivoting careers, seeking accountability, hosting an event, or simply wanting to connect with women who get it — we have a program designed around where you are right now.

Women participating in a professional development workshop in a bright collaborative space

Professional Development Workshops

Our expert-led workshops run year-round across seven topic tracks: leadership, negotiation, financial literacy, public speaking, entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and career transition. Each session is limited to 18 participants to ensure deep engagement and real conversation — not passive observation. We run over 340 sessions annually, with new topics introduced each quarter based on member feedback. Morning, lunchtime, and evening time slots are available Monday through Saturday to accommodate every schedule. A certificate of completion is issued for all full-track series.

See Schedule →
One-on-one coaching session between two professional women

One-on-One Life Coaching

Work directly with one of our 18 certified coaches in a confidential, goal-oriented partnership built around your timeline. Our coaching process begins with a complimentary 30-minute discovery call where you're matched with the coach whose approach and area of expertise best aligns with your needs. Sessions are 60 minutes, available in-person at our Halsted Street studio, over video call, or in hybrid format. Packages run 4, 8, or 12 sessions. Specializations include career transition, confidence and identity, relationships and communication, financial wellbeing, and burnout recovery. All coaches hold ICF or equivalent certification.

Book Discovery Call →
Women networking and connecting at a community gathering event

Monthly Networking Circles

Held on the first Thursday of every month, our Networking Circles bring together 40 to 80 women from across the Chicago professional landscape in a structured yet relaxed environment. Each Circle has a themed focus — a recent example: "Building a Board of Directors for Your Life" — with a 20-minute speaker segment followed by curated small-group conversations. Unlike traditional mixers, our facilitated format ensures every attendee leaves with at least three meaningful connections. Wine and light refreshments are included. Members attend free of charge; guest tickets are available for $25.

Join Next Circle →
Women engaged in a group mentorship discussion

Mentorship Match Program

Our flagship Mentorship Match Program pairs women at career inflection points with experienced mentors who've walked a parallel road. The matching process draws on a detailed intake survey covering industry, goals, values, communication preferences, and life stage — resulting in a compatibility score that has earned us a 91% "highly satisfied" rating from mentees since the program launched in 2014. Matches commit to a structured 6-month engagement with bi-weekly check-ins, milestone reviews, and optional group cohort sessions. We currently maintain an active community of 140 mentor-mentee pairs. Applications open in January and July each year.

Apply Now →
Weekend wellness retreat gathering of women in a serene setting

Weekend Wellness Retreats

Four times per year, The Ministry for Women partners with curated retreat venues in the greater Midwest to host our two-day Weekend Wellness Retreats. These are intentional, phone-light weekends designed for women who need to step fully out of their routine to recalibrate. Programming includes guided journaling, breathwork, group coaching circles, a keynote dinner conversation, and optional individual sessions with our coaches. Retreat size is capped at 24 participants. Past venues include a restored farmhouse in Galena, Illinois and a lakeside lodge in Door County, Wisconsin. Retreats sell out an average of 11 weeks in advance — early registration is strongly encouraged.

Reserve Your Spot →
Event space rental in a beautifully appointed professional venue

Event Space Rentals

Our beautifully designed Halsted Street venue is available for private rental when not in use for programming. Hosting a board meeting, product launch, team offsite, celebration, or community gathering? The space seats up to 80 and is fully equipped with AV technology, high-speed Wi-Fi, and standing-desk collaboration pods. We work with three preferred local catering partners and can coordinate full-service setups for your event. Our venue coordinator is on-site for every booking. Space is available Monday through Saturday; Sunday rentals considered by request. Inquire via our contact form for availability and current pricing.

Explore the Space →
Eleanor Boateng, founder of The Ministry for Women, photographed in a professional setting
2011
Serving Chicago

Our Story

Built by a Woman Who Needed It,
for Every Woman Who Does

For fifteen years, Eleanor Boateng was the person companies called when their cultures were broken — a senior HR director who rebuilt teams, designed leadership pipelines, and helped organizations retain the women they otherwise kept losing. She was exceptionally good at it. And quietly, she watched the same pattern repeat itself: talented women stalling at turning points, not for lack of skill, but for lack of a structure around them.

In 2010, Eleanor walked away from her executive role at a Chicago-based healthcare group to ask a question she'd been circling for years: What would happen if women had a dedicated place — a real physical space, not a Facebook group or a conference they attended once — where growth was the entire purpose?

She spent nearly a year speaking to women across Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, and the West Loop. She ran listening sessions at coffee shops. She surveyed 400 women about what was missing. The answers were consistent: structured mentorship, affordable professional development, genuine community, and a space that felt like it belonged to them.

In January 2011, Eleanor signed a lease on a converted two-story bookstore at 1817 N Halsted Street in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood. She spent three months renovating it with a small crew and a tight budget, preserving the bookstore's original wood-paneled reading room — now known as the Halsted Room, our largest event space — while opening up the ground floor into a bright, collaborative studio. The Ministry for Women opened its doors on March 8, 2011, International Women's Day, with 60 women attending an inaugural workshop on career negotiation.

Fourteen years later, The Ministry for Women is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization that has welcomed more than 6,200 members, run 340 workshops per year, and matched hundreds of mentor-mentee pairs who have gone on to launch companies, change careers, write books, and support each other through every kind of transition life brings.

Eleanor serves as Executive Director and still teaches one workshop series per quarter. She is joined by a staff of 12, a coaching roster of 18, and a volunteer mentor community that gives this organization its heartbeat.

The Ministry for Women is a place of dedicated service. Not to a cause or a platform — but to the women who walk through our doors and the versions of themselves they're working toward.

Growth-Oriented Community-Centered Practically Useful Radically Welcoming Expert-Led Honest & Direct
The Halsted Room event space — a warm, professionally appointed venue with exposed brick and natural light

Venue & Hire

Rent the Halsted Room

Our signature event space — the Halsted Room — is an award-winning converted bookstore interior featuring original oak paneling, oversized windows, and an intimate yet professional atmosphere that consistently earns five-star reviews from private renters. Whether you're hosting a board meeting, a brand launch, a team offsite, or a community celebration, the Halsted Room delivers a setting that is both inspiring and fully functional.

We partner with three local Chicago catering companies — Graze Chicago, Bright Table Collective, and North Side Kitchen — to offer full-service catering packages that can be coordinated directly through our venue team. Our on-site venue coordinator handles logistics from setup through teardown, so you can focus entirely on your event.

1,800 sq ft main floor
Capacity: up to 80 guests
Full AV system & screen
High-speed Wi-Fi (1Gbps)
Collaboration pods & whiteboards
3 preferred catering partners
On-site venue coordinator
ADA accessible entrance
Street parking + CTA access
Mon–Sat availability
Inquire About Availability

Member Stories

What Our Members Say

Real words from real women across Chicago who've taken their next step through our programs.

"The Mentorship Match Program changed the direction of my career in six months in a way that a decade of networking events never did. My mentor, a VP of Product at a logistics firm, helped me see that I wasn't underskilled — I was underselling myself. I negotiated a 22% raise three weeks after our final session. The Ministry for Women gave me the mirror I didn't know I needed."

Danielle Osei-Mensah
Senior Product Manager • Wicker Park

"I hosted my board meeting in the Halsted Room last spring and I genuinely can't imagine doing it anywhere else now. The space has this quality of making everyone in it feel like they showed up to something worth showing up to. The AV was flawless, the catering from Graze Chicago was outstanding, and the coordinator knew exactly when to step in and when to disappear. We've already booked it twice more this year."

Priya Ramaswamy
Founder & CEO, Luma Advisory • Lincoln Park

"I came to the Financial Literacy for Entrepreneurs workshop having run my business for three years without really understanding my numbers. I walked out with a 90-day financial clarity plan and a group chat with four women who've become my closest professional community in Chicago. That's what The Ministry for Women does that no online course or podcast can — it puts you in a room with people who are doing the work alongside you. I've attended 11 workshops now and I'm already registered for three more."

Camille Jourdain
Owner, Soleil Bake Studio • West Loop

Take the First Step

Your Next Chapter Starts Here

Join 6,200 women across Chicago who chose to invest in themselves. Book a free discovery call, register for an upcoming workshop, or simply come see what we've built on Halsted Street.

Book a Free Discovery Call

Get in Touch

Address

1817 N Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60614

Phone

(312) 555-0267

Email

hello@ministryforwomen.org

Hours

Mon – Thu9:00 AM – 9:00 PM Friday9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Saturday10:00 AM – 4:00 PM SundayClosed

Service Area

Greater Chicago — Lakeview, Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, West Loop

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Privacy Policy

Last Updated: April 20, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how The Ministry for Women ("we," "us," or "our"), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization operating at 1817 N Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60614, and through our website ministryforwomen.org (the "Site"), collects, uses, discloses, and protects the personal information of our members, visitors, and individuals who interact with us online or in person.

By accessing or using ministryforwomen.org, registering for any program, or submitting information through our contact form, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal information in the following ways:

2. How We Use Your Information

The Ministry for Women uses the information we collect to:

3. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR)

If you are accessing ministryforwomen.org from the European Economic Area (EEA), The Ministry for Women processes your personal data on the following legal bases under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

4. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

To exercise your California privacy rights, contact us at privacy@ministryforwomen.org.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

ministryforwomen.org uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to support site functionality and, where consented, to analyze site usage. We use the following categories of cookies:

You may manage your cookie preferences at any time by clicking "Manage Preferences" in the cookie banner at the bottom of the page, or by clearing your browser's localStorage and cookies. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect site functionality.

6. Third-Party Services

ministryforwomen.org loads fonts via Google Fonts (fonts.googleapis.com) and images via Unsplash (images.unsplash.com). These services may collect limited technical data (such as your IP address) as part of serving these assets. Please refer to the privacy policies of Google (policies.google.com/privacy) and Unsplash (unsplash.com/privacy) for details. The Ministry for Women does not share your personal data with these providers beyond what is technically required to load page assets.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party for marketing purposes.

7. Data Retention

The Ministry for Women retains contact form submissions and program registration data for up to 36 months, after which records are deleted or anonymized. You may request earlier deletion at any time by writing to privacy@ministryforwomen.org.

8. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the personal information you share with The Ministry for Women and through ministryforwomen.org. However, no internet transmission or electronic storage method is 100% secure. We encourage you to use strong passwords and to contact us immediately at privacy@ministryforwomen.org if you believe your information has been compromised.

9. Children's Privacy

The programs and services of The Ministry for Women are intended for adults aged 18 and older. ministryforwomen.org does not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 18. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such data, we will promptly delete it.

10. Your Rights and How to Exercise Them

Regardless of your location, you may contact The Ministry for Women at any time to request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal information we hold about you, or to withdraw consent for any data processing activity based on your consent. Please direct all privacy-related requests to:

The Ministry for Women — Privacy
1817 N Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60614
privacy@ministryforwomen.org

We will respond to all verifiable requests within 30 days (or such shorter period as required by applicable law).

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

The Ministry for Women may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of ministryforwomen.org following a posted update constitutes your acknowledgment of the changes.

Terms of Service

Last Updated: April 20, 2026

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of the website ministryforwomen.org and any services, programs, or content offered by The Ministry for Women, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located at 1817 N Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60614 ("The Ministry for Women," "we," "us," or "our"). By accessing ministryforwomen.org or participating in any of our programs, you agree to be bound by these Terms.

1. Use of the Site

ministryforwomen.org is provided for informational purposes and to facilitate registration and communication related to the programs and services of The Ministry for Women. You agree to use the Site only for lawful purposes and in a manner that does not infringe the rights of others or restrict their use of the Site. Unauthorized use of any portion of ministryforwomen.org, including scraping, automated querying, or misrepresentation of identity, is prohibited.

2. Program Participation

Participation in workshops, coaching sessions, mentorship programs, networking events, wellness retreats, and event space rentals offered by The Ministry for Women is subject to availability, applicable fees, and any specific terms communicated at the time of registration. The Ministry for Women reserves the right to cancel or reschedule programs and will provide reasonable notice and a full refund or credit in the event of cancellation by The Ministry for Women. Participant cancellations are subject to the refund policy communicated at the time of registration for each specific program.

3. Event Space Rental

Use of the Halsted Room or any other venue space at 1817 N Halsted Street is governed by a separate Event Space Rental Agreement provided at the time of booking. In the event of a conflict between these Terms and a signed Rental Agreement, the Rental Agreement shall govern with respect to the rental.

4. Intellectual Property

All content published on ministryforwomen.org — including text, images, workshop materials, logos, and branding — is owned by or licensed to The Ministry for Women and is protected by applicable copyright and trademark laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from any content on ministryforwomen.org without the prior written consent of The Ministry for Women. Workshop participants may retain and use materials provided to them for their personal, non-commercial development.

5. Disclaimers

The information and content provided on ministryforwomen.org and through The Ministry for Women's programs is for general informational and developmental purposes only. It does not constitute professional legal, financial, medical, or therapeutic advice. The Ministry for Women's coaches are not licensed therapists or financial advisors. Results from coaching, mentorship, or workshops vary by individual and are not guaranteed.

ministryforwomen.org is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. The Ministry for Women makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, completeness, or availability of the Site.

6. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, The Ministry for Women, its officers, directors, employees, coaches, volunteers, and agents shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of ministryforwomen.org or participation in any of our programs, even if The Ministry for Women has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Our total liability to you for any claim arising from these Terms or your use of our services shall not exceed the amount you paid to The Ministry for Women in the 12 months preceding the claim.

7. Conduct and Community Standards

The Ministry for Women is committed to maintaining an environment of mutual respect, inclusivity, and professionalism in all in-person and online spaces. Participants in any program — workshops, coaching, networking events, retreats, or event space rentals — agree to treat all other participants, staff, coaches, and volunteers with dignity and respect. The Ministry for Women reserves the right to remove or bar any individual from participation in programs or the use of our venue for conduct that is abusive, harassing, threatening, or otherwise inconsistent with our community standards, without refund.

8. Third-Party Links

ministryforwomen.org may contain links to third-party websites for informational purposes. These links do not constitute endorsement by The Ministry for Women of the linked content, and we are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or availability of any third-party sites.

9. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms of Service and any dispute arising from your use of ministryforwomen.org or participation in the programs of The Ministry for Women shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any legal action or proceeding related to these Terms shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Cook County, Illinois, and you hereby consent to personal jurisdiction in such courts.

10. Changes to These Terms

The Ministry for Women reserves the right to update these Terms of Service at any time. Changes will be posted to ministryforwomen.org with an updated effective date. Your continued use of ministryforwomen.org following the posting of updated Terms constitutes your acceptance of those changes. We encourage you to review these Terms periodically.

11. Contact

Questions regarding these Terms of Service may be directed to:

The Ministry for Women
1817 N Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60614
hello@ministryforwomen.org
(312) 555-0267