Companies are not required to be a Lean In partner in order to run Circles programs. Any employee at any organization can start a Circle, similar to how community members or students can start Circles without being affiliated with a company or campus. So, some companies that run Circles will not be officially partnered with Lean In—only affiliated with us through their Circle programs.
However, other companies both partner with Lean In and run Circles. While Lean In partners are not required to run Circle programs, they are strongly encouraged to do so, and the majority of them do. Companies that partner with us get access to special resources that help them run Circles, they are publicly recognized on our website for supporting gender equality, and they also receive the latest information on Lean In programs.
If your company runs Lean In Circles, you should inquire into whether your organization is also partnering with Lean In. If your company does not currently run Lean In Circles, you can launch a company Circles program at your organization here. Alternatively, you can start your own Circle here.