Wavemakers launches women over 40 membership marketplace

Wavemakers Women & Music has launched Wavemakers Community, an online membership and marketplace for women over 40 in music, creative work and entrepreneurship. The platform adds paid and free membership tiers, plus a partner program for brands and businesses looking to reach the audience.

Why it matters: - Wavemakers is trying to build a dedicated business and community platform for women over 40, a group the organization says has been overlooked by the music industry and mainstream media. - The new ecosystem bundles networking, resources, collaboration and revenue opportunities in one place for artists, entrepreneurs and supporters. - The launch also gives brands a structured way to reach a growing audience through partnerships instead of one-off sponsorships.

What happened: - Wavemakers Women & Music launched Wavemakers Community, an online membership platform for women over 40. - The launch expands the Austin-based organization’s broader mission across music, other creative industries and entrepreneurship. - The platform offers four membership levels: Community Member, Artist, Affiliate and Apothecary. - Wavemakers also introduced a Partner Program for businesses. - Membership information is available online through membership information.

The details: - Community Member is free and includes discounts on Wavemakers events, early access to courses, workshops and the upcoming The Remedy podcast, plus access to the global community. - Artist Membership is aimed at emerging and established musicians. - Artist members can be considered for the Wavemakers Agency roster. - Artist members also get access to paid performance, licensing, influencer and brand partnership opportunities. - Artist members receive a curated professional resource library and full access to the Wavemakers Circle community. - Affiliate Membership is open to business owners and professionals, including entrepreneurs, service providers, healthcare professionals, wellness practitioners, educators, financial planners, attorneys and business strategists. - Affiliate members receive a custom referral code. - Affiliate members earn a 10% quarterly commission on new memberships generated through their network. - Affiliate members also get full access to the Wavemakers community. - Affiliate members can upgrade to Trusted Ally status. - Trusted Ally members can pursue guest speaking spots on The Remedy podcast, live Wavemakers events and online courses in the Wavemakers Remedy Learning Hub. - Trusted Ally opportunities include shared revenue. - More info on guest speaking opportunities is available here. - Apothecary Membership is designed for supporters who want to engage without joining as musicians or business owners. - Apothecary benefits include access to The Remedy podcast, companion workshops, early ticket access for Wavemakers events and the Trusted Ally Directory. - The Trusted Ally Directory is a curated list of community-vetted service providers. - The Partner Program gives businesses visibility across Wavemakers programming, live events and community initiatives. - More information on the Partner Program is available here.

Between the lines: - The platform is built around what Wavemakers calls a “non-transactional ecosystem,” with reciprocity and shared assets at the center. - Founder Lurleen Ladd said the model is meant to make trust and member relationships the infrastructure for opportunity. - Wavemakers says the community has grown to more than 300 members since its soft launch in December 2025. - The organization says those members represent a combined artist reach of more than 2.2 million. - The design suggests Wavemakers is trying to move beyond networking into a marketplace that can drive bookings, licensing, promotion and career development. - Founded in 2023 by Austin-based musician and entrepreneur Lurleen Ladd, Wavemakers says it was built to dismantle barriers facing women in their most influential years.

What's next: - Wavemakers will continue rolling out community benefits, including the upcoming The Remedy podcast and related workshops. - The Partner Program is likely to become a key growth channel for brand collaborations and educational offerings. - Members can join or learn more through the Wavemakers Circle Community at wavemakerswomen.com.

The bottom line: - Wavemakers is turning a niche advocacy mission into a paid membership platform, a services marketplace and a brand-partnership engine for women over 40.