History

In 1997, Janet Hanson was inspired to create 85 Broads, a network connecting women who had retired from Goldman Sachs with women who were building their careers at 85 Broad Street, the firm’s former Manhattan headquarters.

What all these women had in common was a “love of the game” – whether as investment bankers, traders, research analysts, or portfolio managers. Over time, their passion for their clients, their teammates, and the firm itself morphed into something even greater – an uncompromising standard of excellence in everything they chose to do in their personal and professional lives.

Not long after the network was founded, 85 Broads expanded its membership to include women who shared that passion for excellence – regardless of chosen professional career path. For that reason, women who were students and alumnae of the leading graduate and undergraduate institutions were invited to join 85 Broads to collaborate and partner with the network’s founding members.

Today, with over 30,000 members from all parts of the globe, the members of 85 Broads have a clearly defined mission: to use their remarkable intelligence and talent to positively change the course of history for future generations of women worldwide.