Women-only members club AllBright launches in Australia as founders pursue mission to create global network

London's women-only private members club AllBright has launched in Australia as its founders pursue their mission to run the "leading global career network for women".

AllBright was launched in Fitzrovia in 2018 by Debbie Wosskow, who sold travel company Love Home Swap for £39million in 2017, and former Hearst chief Anna Jones, with the aim of helping London women find "the necessary capital, skills, connections and confidence female leaders need to thrive".

Founder members included the entrepreneur Baroness Lane-Fox and actors Ruth Wilson and Naomie Harris. The club soon opened a branch in Los Angeles, and pivoted online after the pandemic hit with AllBright Digital - a networking site offering talks, events, and mentoring opportunities for women anywhere in the world.

On Thursday the start-up, which is backed by private equity firm Cain International, revealed that it has now launched down under with the acquisition of Australian lifestyle platform and online community for women, The Grace Tales.

The site was founded by former Vogue Deputy Editor Georgie Abay, who is to head up the new AllBright Australia. Her platform, aimed at working mothers, will advertise AllBright membership to its audience.

Wosskow and Jones said that buying the site "marks a significant gear change in the business’ mission to become the leading global career network for women".

It comes as multiple studies suggest women are seeing more job losses globally. A recent UN global report found female employment is 19% more at risk than men’s, while the latest report from independent think tank, Centre for London, revealed that women in the capital are facing a deeper financial hit from the pandemic than men. The number of women in paid work for five or fewer hours each week more than doubled to 15% in London between September and January.

While a physical membership of AllBright's clubs would set you back £1,300-a-year, AllBright Digital memberships cost £100 per year as a one-off fee, or £15 per month.

Wosskow told the Standard: “There’s no question about it – COVID-19 has had an adverse impact on women and created challenging circumstances for many of our members, with many studies pointing towards the fact that it will undo progress made by women by more than a decade, so it is now more important than ever to stay connected.

"With our digital offering we are able to connect likeminded women to support and learn from one another, and to create a global sisterhood of kick-ass women to create environments where they are able to flourish and thrive. If we continue to improve our network and opportunities, there’s nothing we can’t achieve."

Abay wrote on Instagram that she was keen to join AllBright after going on a "deep dive" into the digital membership.