about us
The Women of Wisdom Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Seattle, WA, has served women with The WOW Conference™ since 1993. WOW gives voice to the feminine wisdom within all and transforms our personal and collective consciousness. WOW midwifes the evolutionary shift through a model of circle leadership creating the balance of feminine and masculine energies. The WOW Way empowers women’s voices and their contributions to the world, in partnership with other like-minded individuals and organizations.
We are committed to creating a safe and supportive environment where all will feel welcome to pursue healing and growth. By deepening spiritual awareness, Women of Wisdom serves to empower the lives of others.
Our Mission
Women of Wisdom empowers the feminine dreams and spirits within all of us through authentic, intimate, transformative, and healing experiences where we share our stories, acknowledge our wisdom and transform our personal and collective consciousness.
Our Values
We embrace these values and model to the world:
• Feminine Consciousness ~ Cherish the feminine within each individual
• Transform Personal & Collective Consciousness ~ Recognize the value of each individual’s participation in the evolution of collective consciousness
• Circle Leadership ~
Nurture an environment that embraces the unique offering of all
History of Women of Wisdom
The founder of Women of Wisdom Foundation is Kris Steinnes. After reading “The Feminine Face of God” by Patricia Hopkins and Sherry Anderson, in 1992, she received a vision to gather women to experience powerful women spiritual leaders while creating a supportive community for women. Kris established a committee of women from Seattle Unity Church to create the group’s first week-long conference in 1993, which drew 500 women.
The unique model of the WOW conference featured nationally known women authors, along with local women leaders from the Pacific Northwest. Inspiring presentations included guest speakers such as Jean Shinoda Bolen M.D., Jean Houston, Marion Woodman, Riane Eisler, Angeles Arrien, Naomi Tutu, Isabel Allenda, Sandra Ingerman, Joan Borysenko Ph. D., Starhawk, and Donna Eden. Well-known women musicians performed over the years including Holly Near, Libby Roderick, Rhiannon, Jennifer Berezan, Ubaka Hill, and many more.
A key component making the WOW Conference different than traditional conferences was the in-depth, intimate, experiential workshops designed specifically for women to explore their dreams while being witnessed by a community of supportive women. This impacted and changed thousands of women’s lives who attended, as it gave voice to women’s wisdom and offered participants the opportunity to transform both personal and collective consciousness. It was a time to fully embrace the power of women artists, musicians, healers, and craftswomen who could showcase their work.
The spirit and desire of women to gather was evident as it soon evolved into a 9-day event. Between 1994 and 2004 there were more than 90 events. In the last two decades, the same powerful format was organized as a 4-5 day event. In 2021 and 2022 WOW transitioned to an online conference. With the retirement of its founder, Kris Steinnes, the organization has ended the conference after 32 years on September 2024, and they will focus on the Online Meetups and other programs online.
In 1998, Women of Wisdom became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, newly named the Women of Wisdom Foundation. WOW has been an all-volunteer run organization, directed by a core council utilizing a circle leadership model.
Kris Steinnes also authored and compiled the book “Women of Wisdom, Empowering the Dreams and Spirit of Women”, which is an expression of the divine feminine we experienced at the WOW conference through amazing presentations by our national speakers, poetry, art and stories from our community.