WE Talks Enterprises LLC

PostedSeptember 17, 2026

UpdatedSeptember 17, 2026

ByEpsteinWiki

WE Talks Enterprises LLC was a women’s entrepreneurship and networking venture founded by Svetlana “Lana” Pozhidaeva in 2018. Public marketing presented WE Talks as a safe and supportive platform for female founders. Internal records released in the Epstein files show a second layer: Jeffrey Epstein received operating updates, made introductions to prospective speakers, followed the event calendar, received the company website and press coverage, and routed a $3,024.41 formation invoice to his accountant. Epstein lawyer Darren Indyke handled the company’s federal trademark application.

Snapshot

Field	Detail
Legal name	WE Talks Enterprises LLC
Public brand	WE Talks
Meaning of WE	Women’s Empowerment, Encouragement, and Entrepreneurship
Founder and host	Svetlana “Lana” Pozhidaeva
Other documented organizer	Viktoria Drokova, also identified as Vika Drokova
New York formation date	May 23, 2018
Public purpose	Events, networking, mentoring, and pitch opportunities for women entrepreneurs and professionals
Epstein connection	Corporate setup, legal work, payment routing, speaker introductions, operational updates, press monitoring, and direct communications about events
Epstein lawyer involved	Darren K. Indyke
Epstein accountant involved	Richard Kahn
Trademark	WE TALKS, United States application serial number 87933744
Known locations	New York City and Moscow
Documented events	New York pilot, larger New York gatherings, WE Pitch, media mixer, and WE Talks Russia launch
Namesake warning	Not the World Bank hosted WEtalks webinar series operated by the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative
Legal status	No located criminal charge or civil finding against WE Talks Enterprises LLC relating to Epstein

Key Takeaways

WE Talks was not merely mentioned in Epstein’s inbox. Epstein was kept informed about events, received its website and publicity, suggested a future speaker, introduced Pozhidaeva to a prospective speaker, and was asked how a company formation invoice should be paid.
Darren Indyke, Epstein’s longtime lawyer, represented WE Talks Enterprises LLC in its federal trademark application. The corresponding corporate services invoice was sent through Epstein’s office and then forwarded by Epstein to Richard Kahn.
Internal records show that WE Talks publicly promoted a safe women centered space while operating inside Epstein’s administrative and financial orbit.
A 2017 proposal from Maria Drokova advised Epstein that a women’s organization could improve his public image and give him access to a large group of ambitious women. WE Talks appeared the following year. The timing and resemblance are significant, but the available record does not by itself prove that the 2017 proposal was the formal founding instruction for WE Talks.
Pozhidaeva has since publicly identified herself as a survivor of Epstein’s abuse and coercive control. That account must be considered when evaluating communications that appear voluntary on their face.
The records do not establish that WE Talks attendees, speakers, contestants, judges, sponsors, or partner brands knew of Epstein’s behind the scenes involvement.
The page supplied at we-fi.org/we-talks concerns an unrelated World Bank hosted webinar series launched during the COVID period. It should not be cited as the website of the Epstein connected company.

Overview

WE Talks marketed itself as a monthly platform for female entrepreneurs and professionals. Its events combined networking, panel discussions, practical business topics, and access to venture capital figures. Promotional messages said the initials stood for Women’s Empowerment, Encouragement, and Entrepreneurship.

The venture grew quickly. A pilot plan called for thirty to forty guests at a Soho store in April 2018. By June, Pozhidaeva told Epstein that almost two hundred people had registered for an event and that the guest list had closed. In November, WE Talks promoted WE Pitch, a competition in which ten women led startups would make five minute presentations for a $10,000 prize. A Moscow chapter followed in 2019.

The public message was women’s opportunity. The private record ties the venture to Epstein’s infrastructure. Indyke handled the company’s trademark application. Corporate services billed Indyke for the company. The invoice went through Bella Klein and Epstein before Epstein sent it to Kahn. Pozhidaeva reported event growth to Epstein, sent him links, thanked him for introductions, and forwarded media inquiries about the relationship.

These records do not make every participant part of Epstein’s network. They establish that WE Talks itself had administrative, legal, financial, and communications links to his operation.

Namesake Warning

The Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative, known as We Fi, operates a separate webinar series styled WEtalks. The page at we-fi.org/we-talks describes webinars organized by We Fi and global partners to support women led small and medium businesses during the COVID pandemic. Its listed sessions began in May 2020.

The Epstein connected venture used the domain wetalks.co, operated in 2018 and 2019, and was organized through WE Talks Enterprises LLC. It was led by Lana Pozhidaeva and later expanded with Viktoria Drokova. The similar branding is not evidence of a corporate relationship. No evidence located for this article connects the World Bank hosted WEtalks series to Epstein, Pozhidaeva’s company, Indyke, or Kahn.

Feature	WE Talks Enterprises LLC	We Fi WEtalks
Relevant period	2018 to at least 2020	Began in 2020
Domain	wetalks.co	we-fi.org/we-talks
Organizer	Lana Pozhidaeva and WE Talks Enterprises LLC	Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative and partner organizations
Format	In person events, networking, and startup pitch programming	Webinar series focused on women led businesses during COVID
Epstein evidence	Multiple EFTA records	None located

Corporate Formation and Trademark

New York corporate records identify WE Talks Enterprises LLC as a limited liability company formed on May 23, 2018. Public registry aggregations list New York document number 5346753 and C T Corporation System as registered agent.

The Epstein files contain a C T Corporation invoice connected to WE Talk Enterprises LLC. The invoice was addressed to Darren Indyke and requested $3,024.41. A September 5, 2018 email asked Epstein how the bill should be paid and stated that Epstein had asked Indyke to register WE Talks. Epstein forwarded the message and attachment to accountant Richard Kahn.

The record clearly documents payment routing. It does not, standing alone, show the final bank account from which the invoice was paid. Later investigative reporting says Indyke paid the first bills, but the primary email should be described precisely: the invoice was directed into Epstein’s financial administration and forwarded to Kahn.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a September 17, 2018 examiner’s amendment for the WE TALKS mark. The applicant was WE Talks Enterprises LLC, the application serial number was 87933744, and the listed correspondent was Indyke. The examiner required a disclaimer of exclusive rights to the word “TALKS” apart from the full mark.

The corporate and trademark records establish that Epstein’s personal lawyer did more than offer casual advice. He served as the formal trademark correspondent for the business.

The 2017 Reputation Proposal

On July 9, 2017, Maria Drokova sent Epstein a detailed list of ideas for improving his public image. She suggested films, a science prize, filmed debates with scientists, and a foundation focused on workplace harassment and discrimination.

The proposed women’s organization was described as a way to provide legal and career support. Drokova also told Epstein that it could improve his image among women and give him access to a large pool of ambitious women whom he could recommend to business partners or hire himself.

WE Talks was formed the following year and used women’s empowerment language. Viktoria Drokova, Maria’s sister, later became an organizer of the Moscow operation. Investigative outlets have therefore treated the 2017 proposal as a conceptual precursor to WE Talks.

The evidentiary boundary matters. The 2017 message does not use the WE Talks name and does not direct the formation of WE Talks Enterprises LLC. It proves that Epstein received a women’s organization proposal tied expressly to reputation and access. The later venture’s relationship to that proposal is a supported inference, not a stated fact in the founding papers.

The April 2018 Pilot

A planning document for the WE Talks pilot listed April 12 as the date, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. as the time, and the Maiyet store at 16 Crosby Street in Soho as the venue. Pozhidaeva was identified as curator and host.

The planned subject was women founders and fundraising challenges. The format included a mixer, a thirty minute panel, a question period, and a second mixer. The target audience was thirty to forty people.

Planned or confirmed speakers included individuals associated with Tula, Perksy, Roots Studio, and Grayce and Co. Inclusion in the planning document establishes prospective event participation only. It does not establish knowledge of Epstein’s involvement.

On April 25, a message sent to Epstein said an event was one day away and supplied the wetalks.co address. This appears to concern a later event rather than the April 12 pilot.

Rapid Growth and Event Reports

By June 24, 2018, Pozhidaeva told Epstein that the guest list for an upcoming event was close to two hundred and had been closed. She said Topshop was arranging a special WE Talks sale and that women in venture capital were asking to be admitted.

The update is significant because it was not a generic newsletter accidentally captured in Epstein’s records. It was a direct report to Epstein about attendance, media interest, a commercial partner, and demand among investors.

Later promotional material described WE Talks as a monthly series that had worked with figures from Female Founders Fund, Inspiring Capital, and Flat World Partners. The message said its events were free and usually drew more than one hundred female entrepreneurs and professionals.

Epstein’s Speaker Introductions

In August 2018, Epstein introduced Pozhidaeva to a prospective speaker. His message said Lana was running WE Talks for women and had asked whether the recipient would speak to 180 young women.

Pozhidaeva replied that WE Talks would be thrilled to feature the recipient. She described the venture’s panel format, its themes, its audience, and the meaning of the WE initials. She thanked Epstein and moved him to blind copy to reduce traffic in his inbox.

This exchange establishes a direct operational role for Epstein in building the speaker network. The record does not show that the invited person knew why Epstein was making the introduction or understood his relationship to the company.

WE Pitch

WE Pitch was the venture’s most clearly documented startup competition. Promotional material sent to Epstein said the event would take place on November 27, 2018. Ten women led startups would make five minute presentations for a $10,000 prize before a panel of investors.

The announcement identified Anu Duggal of Female Founders Fund and Heather Hartnett of Human Ventures as judges. It said the event was intended to be supportive rather than hostile and emphasized that only women could pitch.

Another message said more than three hundred startups applied within days. Listed finalists included founders associated with Five to Nine, Motivote, Break the Love, Beaker, TrialJectory, Le CultureClub, Upside Health, Pluto Money, and other startups.

Epstein asked about the next event and received details about the November pitch competition. He also received the direct WE Pitch page link. In February 2019, Pozhidaeva sent him a Thrive Global article about the winners.

The EFTA record documents his continuing awareness before and after the event. It does not establish that judges, finalists, or attendees knew of his involvement.

Additional Events and Media Mixer

The files contain WE Talks promotional material for a media mixer organized with Zuri after layoffs in the media sector. The pitch was to connect displaced media talent with New York companies that were hiring or expected to hire.

The organization also received favorable lifestyle and business coverage. Messages in Epstein’s files circulated a Forbes profile, a Bustle feature, a Reserved Magazine item, and other promotional links. A message sent to Epstein in August 2018 linked to an article describing Pozhidaeva’s monthly events for female founders.

Press coverage helped establish a public identity independent of Epstein. At the same time, the files show that Epstein received and followed the coverage.

Moscow Expansion

In April 2019, Maria Drokova told Epstein that Lana and her sister Vika had opened a Moscow chapter and that WE Talks was going global. Epstein replied positively.

Investigative reporting identifies Viktoria Drokova as a cofounder or codirector and says she remained associated with WE Talks until September 2020. Reports describe an April 17, 2019 Moscow launch promoted through Russian business and lifestyle media, with hundreds of registrations and a waiting list.

The Moscow chapter is relevant because it connects the venture to the Drokova family and to the Russian business and diplomatic social environment examined in later reporting. It does not by itself prove activity by Russian intelligence or a government controlled operation. Claims about intelligence purpose require evidence beyond university background, family connections, or national origin.

The March 2019 Daily Beast Inquiry

In March 2019, Daily Beast reporter Kate Briquelet questioned Pozhidaeva about Epstein’s support for Education Advance, Indyke’s representation of WE Talks, and the registration of the WE Talks website to 301 East 66th Street, an address associated with Epstein.

Pozhidaeva forwarded the inquiry to Epstein. The chain shows that she initially engaged with the reporter about WE Talks before the conversation turned to Epstein funding and the corporate links.

On March 12, after publication pressure intensified, Pozhidaeva told Epstein that she and “Masha” were brainstorming how to change the discussion. The proposed message was that money for a good cause should not be rejected because of conduct that occurred more than ten years earlier and that Epstein had funded projects that may have saved lives.

This was an attempted public response to scrutiny. It also shows Epstein receiving real time communications about how his financial relationship with women’s projects might be defended.

The Daily Beast reported that Education Advance received $50,000 from Epstein in 2017 and that Indyke represented WE Talks in the trademark matter. That donation concerned Education Advance, a separate nonprofit. It should not be silently recast as a $50,000 donation to WE Talks.

Pozhidaeva’s Survivor Account

In 2026, Pozhidaeva publicly identified herself as an adult survivor of Epstein’s abuse. She told The Wall Street Journal that she had been trapped in Epstein’s network from 2008 through 2019, that he controlled elements of her immigration, housing, and finances, and that she had been pressured to introduce other women.

This account materially affects how her WE Talks communications should be read. Messages thanking Epstein, sending updates, or requesting administrative help may coexist with coercion, financial dependency, fear, and survival behavior. A polished business email is not proof that the relationship behind it was free of abuse.

Other investigations have raised serious questions about Pozhidaeva’s actions and recruitment activity. She has said she acted under duress and has expressed shame about harm to other women. The WE Talks article should neither erase documented conduct nor strip a survivor of that status because coercion produced apparent cooperation.

Evidence and Accountability Chart

Issue	What the evidence shows	Confidence	Important limit
Corporate existence	WE Talks Enterprises LLC was formed in New York in May 2018	High	A current registry label does not prove continued operations
Indyke’s role	Indyke was the federal trademark correspondent and received the corporate services invoice	High	Legal representation alone is not proof of criminal conduct
Epstein payment involvement	A $3,024.41 invoice was routed to Epstein, who forwarded it to Kahn	High	The email does not identify the final paying account
Epstein operational awareness	He received event reports, links, attendance updates, press coverage, and future plans	High	Awareness is not the same as documented day to day management
Speaker recruitment	Epstein introduced Pozhidaeva to a possible speaker for an audience described as 180 young women	High	The invited speaker’s knowledge of Epstein’s role is not established
Reputation strategy	A 2017 proposal encouraged a women’s organization as a way to improve Epstein’s image and gain access to ambitious women	High	The message did not name WE Talks
Moscow expansion	Epstein was informed that Lana and Vika opened a Moscow chapter	High	This fact alone does not prove state or intelligence control
Attendee knowledge	No evidence located shows ordinary attendees knew about Epstein’s involvement	Unknown	Silence in available files cannot prove universal lack of knowledge
Criminal liability	No located prosecution or judgment names WE Talks Enterprises LLC as an Epstein trafficking entity	High as to located public record	It does not resolve every factual or ethical question

Chronology

Date	Event
July 9, 2017	Maria Drokova proposes that Epstein create a women’s organization that could improve his image and give him access to ambitious women
April 12, 2018	Planned WE Talks pilot at the Maiyet store in Soho
April 25, 2018	Epstein receives the WE Talks website and notice of an event scheduled for the following day
May 23, 2018	WE Talks Enterprises LLC is formed in New York
June 24, 2018	Pozhidaeva tells Epstein an event has nearly two hundred registrations and a closed guest list
August 2018	Epstein introduces Pozhidaeva to a possible speaker for WE Talks
August and September 2018	A $3,024.41 corporate services invoice is routed through Epstein and sent to Kahn
September 17, 2018	USPTO issues an examiner’s amendment for WE TALKS application 87933744, with Indyke as correspondent
October 2018	Epstein asks about the next event and receives WE Pitch details and its website link
November 27, 2018	WE Pitch presents ten women led startups competing for a $10,000 prize
February 23, 2019	Epstein receives a Thrive Global article about WE Pitch
March 2019	Daily Beast questions Pozhidaeva about Epstein funding and WE Talks corporate links; she forwards the inquiry to Epstein
March 12, 2019	Pozhidaeva tells Epstein she and Masha are brainstorming how to defend accepting his money
April 2019	Moscow chapter launches; Maria Drokova tells Epstein that Lana and Vika have taken WE Talks global
August 10, 2019	Epstein dies in federal custody
September 2020	Investigative reporting places the end of Viktoria Drokova’s WE Talks role around this time
2026	Pozhidaeva publicly identifies herself as a survivor of Epstein’s abuse and coercive control

Direct EFTA Appearance Index

EFTA record	What it contains
EFTA01041085	Maria Drokova’s July 2017 image strategy, including the women’s organization proposal
EFTA02445716	WE Talks pilot plan, venue, format, topic, and proposed speakers
EFTA02460014	Event notice and wetalks.co link sent to Epstein
EFTA02556564	Pozhidaeva’s report to Epstein about nearly two hundred registrations, Topshop, and venture capital interest
EFTA02606459	Epstein’s speaker introduction and Pozhidaeva’s description of WE Talks
EFTA01024246	$3,024.41 company invoice routed to Epstein and forwarded to Richard Kahn
EFTA00811860	Attached C T Corporation invoice addressed to Darren Indyke
EFTA00796250	USPTO office action for WE TALKS application 87933744 naming Indyke as correspondent
EFTA02617792	Epstein asks about the next event and receives WE Pitch details
EFTA01018325	Parallel copy of the WE Pitch discussion
EFTA01018320	Additional copy of the next event thread
EFTA01018323	Additional copy of the event and speaker suggestion thread
EFTA02619494	WE Pitch page link sent to Epstein
EFTA01018259	Duplicate direct link to the WE Pitch page
EFTA02616365	WE Pitch announcement, judges, mission statement, and mailing information
EFTA02614844	Finalist announcements and WE Talks promotional links
EFTA02634173	Thrive Global coverage of WE Pitch sent to Epstein
EFTA02604704	Article about Pozhidaeva’s monthly events sent to Epstein
EFTA01007406	Parallel copy of the article link
EFTA02604745	Additional copy of WE Talks media coverage
EFTA01618622	WE Talks and Zuri media mixer material
EFTA02630874	Daily Beast inquiry about Epstein funding, Indyke, and website registration, forwarded to Epstein
EFTA02630549	Pozhidaeva and Masha discussion about changing the public narrative around Epstein funding
EFTA01030582	Parallel copy of the public response message
EFTA01612644	Maria Drokova tells Epstein that Lana and Vika opened the Moscow chapter
EFTA01030806	Record stating that Indyke represented WE Talks in the trademark matter
EFTA01654937	Published reporting preserved in the corpus discussing Indyke and WE Talks

What the Evidence Establishes

The evidence establishes a sustained connection between WE Talks and Epstein’s administrative network. Epstein was not a remote donor whose name appeared only on a check. He received business updates, participated in introductions, tracked events and media, and handled a formation invoice through his accountant. His lawyer was the company’s formal trademark representative.

The evidence also establishes that Pozhidaeva was the venture’s public founder and central operator. Viktoria Drokova became involved in the Moscow expansion, while Maria Drokova communicated with Epstein about the expansion and had earlier proposed a women focused reputation strategy.

What the Evidence Does Not Establish

The available records do not prove that WE Talks events were used to traffic women, that contestants were recruited for Epstein, or that speakers and sponsors knew about the Epstein connection.

They do not prove that the World Bank hosted WEtalks series was connected to WE Talks Enterprises LLC.

They do not establish that every action Pozhidaeva took was freely chosen. Her later survivor account describes coercive control, abuse, and financial dependency during the same period.

They also do not prove the intelligence claims made by some commentators. Connections to MGIMO, Russian officials, or politically connected families are appropriate subjects for investigation, but they are not by themselves proof of an intelligence operation.

Legal and Regulatory Status

No located public criminal charge, civil judgment, or regulatory finding identifies WE Talks Enterprises LLC as legally responsible for Epstein’s trafficking operation.

The company and its records remain relevant because they show how Epstein’s professional infrastructure could operate behind an apparently independent women’s empowerment brand. Legal innocence of participants should not be confused with absence of an evidentiary connection between the venture and Epstein.

Public business registry data available through a secondary corporate directory listed the New York entity as active as of November 2025, with a past due biennial statement. That administrative listing does not prove the brand continued programming after 2020.

Why WE Talks Matters

WE Talks matters because it illustrates the difference between public branding and private support structures. The visible product was a polished, feminist entrepreneurship platform. Behind it were Epstein’s lawyer, accountant, email traffic, address connections, introductions, and media response concerns.

The venture also followed a documented proposal that framed women’s advocacy as a reputation tool and a source of access to ambitious women. Even without proof that the proposal directly created WE Talks, the overlap raises an essential investigative question: who truly benefited from the platform’s network and credibility?

At the same time, Pozhidaeva’s survivor account prevents a simplistic story in which everyone inside Epstein’s orbit had equal freedom or power. An organization can serve a genuine public purpose, rely on tainted support, and be run by someone living under coercive control. Those realities can exist together.

Open Questions

Which account ultimately paid the $3,024.41 corporate services invoice?
Did Epstein provide additional direct funding, prizes, venue costs, travel, salaries, or vendor payments for WE Talks?
Who supplied the $10,000 WE Pitch prize?
Why was the website reportedly registered to 301 East 66th Street, and what records document later address changes?
What ownership interests did Pozhidaeva, Viktoria Drokova, Epstein, or Epstein controlled entities hold in WE Talks Enterprises LLC?
Was the 2017 women’s organization proposal the direct conceptual basis for WE Talks?
Which speakers and partners were introduced through Epstein or his associates?
Did the company maintain attendee databases, applicant files, resumes, photographs, or contact lists, and where are those records now?
Were any applicants or attendees later introduced to Epstein or people in his network?
What was the complete role of Maria Drokova in planning, publicity, and the Moscow expansion?
When did Pozhidaeva replace Indyke as counsel, and what records explain the change?
Did WE Talks conduct any activity after September 2020 despite the New York entity remaining on corporate registries?

Svetlana “Lana” Pozhidaeva; Jeffrey Epstein; Darren Indyke; Richard Kahn; Maria Drokova; Viktoria Drokova; Education Advance; Jeffrey Epstein VI Foundation; WE Pitch; Epstein Financial Network; Russian Connections; Women’s Organizations in the Epstein Network.

Sources

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