Last verified
Alliance of Chief Executives vs The Founders Forum
Alliance of Chief Executives is a in-person facilitated forum with paid facilitator. The Founders Forum is a in-person peer-led forum with peer-led. This page compares cost, requirements, format, and stage fit using verified public data. Alliance of Chief Executives: Bay Area CEOs who want confidential, facilitated strategic peer forums with industry-diverse operators. The Founders Forum: Austin founders who want weekly in-person peer support integrating business, leadership, faith, and family — without dues.
Side-by-side
| Field | Alliance of Chief Executives | The Founders Forum |
|---|---|---|
| Format | in-person | in-person |
| Structure | facilitated forum | peer-led forum |
| Facilitation | paid facilitator | peer-led |
| Group size | About 12 per Alliance Group (target ~8 in-meeting) | Not published |
| Stage fit | Series A, Growth, Late stage | Pre-seed and seed, Series A, Growth, Late stage |
| Revenue / capital floor | Not published as a numeric floor; membership is fit-based, not balance-sheet gated | None stated; founders at every stage welcome |
| Annual cost | $750 one-time enrollment + $11,000 annual dues (monthly/quarterly options). Charged only after first private-group meeting confirms fit. | No membership fee (potluck; optional donations) |
| Application model | invite-only | application |
| Venture-specific | No | No |
| Other requirements | Qualified leadership position (CEO / senior leaders); personal fit interview; confidentiality and no-selling principles | Current or past founder who built a business from the ground up; must love Jesus (Christ-centered fellowship); Austin-based |
| Time commitment | About 40 hours/year on Alliance participation (site claim); private group meetings plus roundtables/dinners | Weekly in-person gatherings alternating Bee Cave and Downtown Austin |
| Geography | San Francisco Bay Area / Northern California / Silicon Valley | Austin, TX |
| Best for | Bay Area CEOs who want confidential, facilitated strategic peer forums with industry-diverse operators. | Austin founders who want weekly in-person peer support integrating business, leadership, faith, and family — without dues. |
| Not for | Pre-revenue founders seeking a startup-only room, or anyone unwilling to invest significant annual time. | Founders seeking a secular or venture-only peer board, or remote-only participation. |
| Last verified | 2026-09-15 | 2026-09-15 |
Verdict by stage
Pre-seed and seed
At Pre-seed and seed, The Founders Forum lists this stage. Alliance of Chief Executives does not. The fit is The Founders Forum for this stage band.
Series A
At Series A, both Alliance of Chief Executives and The Founders Forum list this stage. Compare revenue floor (Not published as a numeric floor; membership is fit-based, not balance-sheet gated vs None stated; founders at every stage welcome) and format (in-person vs in-person) to decide.
Growth
At Growth, both Alliance of Chief Executives and The Founders Forum list this stage. Compare revenue floor (Not published as a numeric floor; membership is fit-based, not balance-sheet gated vs None stated; founders at every stage welcome) and format (in-person vs in-person) to decide.
Late stage
At Late stage, both Alliance of Chief Executives and The Founders Forum list this stage. Compare revenue floor (Not published as a numeric floor; membership is fit-based, not balance-sheet gated vs None stated; founders at every stage welcome) and format (in-person vs in-person) to decide.
FAQ
- How much do Alliance of Chief Executives and The Founders Forum cost?
- Alliance of Chief Executives: $750 one-time enrollment + $11,000 annual dues (monthly/quarterly options). Charged only after first private-group meeting confirms fit. (verified 2026-09-15). The Founders Forum: No membership fee (potluck; optional donations) (verified 2026-09-15). Prices are shown verbatim from public sources; nothing is estimated.
- What are the requirements for Alliance of Chief Executives vs The Founders Forum?
- Alliance of Chief Executives: Not published as a numeric floor; membership is fit-based, not balance-sheet gated Qualified leadership position (CEO / senior leaders); personal fit interview; confidentiality and no-selling principles The Founders Forum: None stated; founders at every stage welcome Current or past founder who built a business from the ground up; must love Jesus (Christ-centered fellowship); Austin-based
- Which is better for venture-backed founders?
- Neither Alliance of Chief Executives nor The Founders Forum is marked venture-specific in the dataset. Compare revenue floors and stage fit instead.
Sources
Primary public pages used for the fields above.
- allianceofceos.comRetrieved 2026-09-15 · Alliance of Chief Executives
- allianceofceos.com/about_overviewRetrieved 2026-09-15 · Alliance of Chief Executives
- allianceofceos.com/exp_membersRetrieved 2026-09-15 · Alliance of Chief Executives
- thefoundersforum.netRetrieved 2026-09-15 · The Founders Forum