Our Story
Universal Womens Network™
The Universal Womens Network™ Inc. (UWN) is an inclusive global network for CEO’s, entrepreneurs, business leaders and professionals from diverse industries to connect, learn, empower and celebrate. We strategically partner with companies committed to being visible SupportHERs of gender equity, diversity, and inclusion by raising the bar to advance women and those who identify as women in business.
The Universal Womens Network™ creates opportunities for women to make valuable connections, advance in their careers, scale their business, connect with leaders from diverse industries, build thought leadership and increase their circle of influence through curated events, programs, media, publishing and recognition. The Universal Womens Network™ is committed to advancing gender equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). The Universal Womens Network™ recognizes the achievements of women through the Women of Inspiration™ Awards along with the allies who SupportHER™.
The Universal Womens Network™ enables female entrepreneurs to be visible in the marketplace as women-owned and women-led with Universal Women-Owned™/Led Certification. The Universal Womens Network™ encourages companies to support women-led businesses, invest in leadership development and take action to be visible SupportHERs to advance women in business.
Contact us to learn how to elevate your company as a visible champion of equity, diversity and inclusion though: rewards and recognition, programs, events, certification and integrated media campaigns.
The Universal Womens Network™'s mission is to connect, empower and inspire one billion women.
The Four Pillars
Connect
Committed to leveling the playing field and welcome allies to SupportHER™.
Learn
Leaders empower other leaders. If you have the knowledge, share it.
Empower
Empowered women empower women.
Celebrate
When you celebrate one woman you celebrate all women.
Shared Values
Monica Kretschmer's Story
Founder, CEO

"Resilience is not what happened to you, it is what you do with what happened to you. "
Monica is the Founder and CEO of the Universal Womens Network™ Inc., Women of Inspiration™ and SupportHER™.
She is a visionary, influencer and disruptor with passion to shift the definition of entrepreneurship that can be understood through her flawless dedication for women to step into the spotlight and own their voice! Her personal story of resilience of the “The Seven Year Journey” in the court system with 4800 hours of litigation, 22 days trail was the impetus for her to create the Women of Inspiration™ Awards to recognize the achievements of women who lead, inspire and motivate. Since 2015, the Women of Inspiration™ Awards has celebrated 1,000 women, with 3 million impressions and 10,000 views.
The Awards program has expanded and attracted nominations from around the world with a digital reach of 12 million. Monica believes every woman has a story. Your story does not define you; it empowers you.
Monica has built a recognizable brand and inclusive network for CEO’s, entrepreneurs, business leaders and professionals from diverse industries to connect, learn, empower and celebrate.
The Universal Womens Network™ is committed to advancing gender equity, diversity and inclusion by raising the bar to advance women in business. She is the creator of SupportHER™ (elevating male allies as champions for women in their networks, workplaces, and communities), the host of the Women of Inspiration™ Podcast, and publisher of the UWomen Magazine™. Monica is a Forbes Contributor and 2022 LinkedIn Top Voice for Gender Equity.
During the pandemic, Monica published the first edition of the Women of Inspiration – Women Driving Change book featuring 100 inspiring women from diverse industries which coincide with the launch of graphics trucks with the faces of contributors across North America. The second edition of ChangeMakers will be released in the spring of 2023.
Monica is a native Calgarian and proud mom to her son.

Women of Inspiration don't wait for opportunities they create them.
Empowering Women The Nest Foundation
The Nest Foundation™ empowers women in transition to rebuild their lives through access to networking, events and programs. The Nest Foundation™ partners with organizations to committed to gender and economic empowerment for women and youth.
When women succeed, families succeed!
We are committed to creating opportunities for everyone to contribute to making a change in our world and are passionate about building a circle of reciprocity that empowers others.
We believe that every woman has value and worth and together our collective contribution can make a significant impact on the lives of our fellow sisters.
We are proud to collaborate with other value-based organizations that believe in empowering women and paying it forward in the community. Interested in collaborating? Contact Us.
