A Simpler, Sustainable HiPower Membership Model

HiPower is changing its membership model for the 2026-2027 membership year.  The change is intended to accomplish three goals:

  1. make it easier for alumni to stay connected to the community through a new lower priced tier membership;

  2. provide members with more choice in how they participate and what they pay for by separating membership from our higher-cost in-person events; and

  3. create more capacity to invest in the programming, connection, and experiences that matter most to our executive members, while building a more sustainable HiPower for the future.

HiPower Core Membership: $395

Core Membership includes full access to the HiPower community and year-round virtual and small group programming, including:

  • This Is Me

  • Expert Series

  • Small Group Socials

  • Other virtual programming

  • Optional smaller in-person gatherings throughout the year

The new lower Core Membership fee makes it easier to remain part of HiPower even in years when travel, schedules, budgets, or other priorities make the larger in-person events less practical. Members can stay connected to the community throughout the year, then choose the additional experiences that make sense for them.


Optional Add-On Flagship Events

Members may choose to add either or both of HiPower’s flagship in-person events.

  • Ignite Conference: $1,195

    Nov, 2027 (specific date TBD)

    Event space, AV, food and beverage, and administrative costs

  • Spring Refresh Bay Area: $250

    4/3/2027

    Food and beverage, AV, and administrative costs; venue is typically sponsored; attendance capped, available on a first-come-first-serve basis.

    *Austin members will receive separate details about the local Spring Refresh satellite experience.

Travel and accommodations are not included in event fees.


Flagship Events

Ignite and Spring Refresh are designed as in-person member experiences, centered on time together, peer connection, and conversations that are difficult to replicate virtually.

Programming at both events is created and led primarily by HiPower members and volunteers. Conference fees are designed to cover the direct costs of hosting the events.

Members may participate in HiPower for the year without attending either conference, attend one, or choose both.

Deadlines to sign up and pay

Ignite: December 31, 2026

Spring Refresh Bay Area: January 31, 2027

Ignite requires HiPower to make contractual commitments for meeting and event space, AV, food and beverage, and other event costs approximately 12 months in advance.

Those commitments are based in part on expected attendance. Knowing who plans to participate helps us reserve appropriately sized spaces, avoid committing HiPower to costs that registration fees will not cover, and shape the programming around the members who will actually be in the room.

Because much of the conference content is created and led by HiPower members and volunteers, early visibility into participation also helps us develop the right mix of topics, conversations, and experiences for that group.

Conference registration is first come, first serve. Requests after the published deadline will be considered only if contracted capacity allows.

Why We’re Making the Change.

We want HiPower membership itself to be an easy decision for alumni who want to remain connected to the community.

Separating membership from our two larger in-person events allows us to reduce annual membership dues to $395 while giving members the flexibility to choose the experiences that are most valuable to our members.

It also creates a clearer and more sustainable financial model for HiPower.

We recognize that committing to the Core Membership as well as both Spring Refresh and Ignite represents a significant increase from last year’s single-tier membership. The Board considered this carefully.

Historically, sponsorship revenue and fees from the Signature Program have helped subsidize the cost of executive member programming and our larger in-person events. This year, we are intentionally reducing our dependence on sponsorships and Signature Program fees so that we can build a more self-sustaining and enduring HiPower and keep serving our members for years to come. 

Two headwinds are driving this decision to become more self-sustaining.  First, today’s uncertain economic environment is limiting sponsorship opportunities for organizations like HiPower. In recent years, we have seen a number of other women’s organizations that have relied heavily on sponsorship end up closing their doors. Second, a significant portion of our volunteer efforts over the past years has been directed to new Signature Program participants, limiting our ability to focus on our growing executive membership. Pausing the Signature Program this year gives our volunteer leaders more capacity to shape programming and experiences around what is most valuable to our executive members.

To remain financially viable without relying on those subsidies, Ignite and Spring Refresh must be offered at the direct cost of hosting them.