Last verified
Chief vs Hampton
Chief is a hybrid facilitated forum with paid facilitator. Hampton is a in-person facilitated forum with paid facilitator. This page compares cost, requirements, format, and stage fit using verified public data. Chief: Senior women leaders seeking Guide-led Core peer advisory, coaching, and executive programming. Hampton: Active tech or digital founders who clear the $3M revenue/funding bar and want a monthly in-person moderated peer group in their city.
Side-by-side
| Field | Chief | Hampton |
|---|---|---|
| Format | hybrid | in-person |
| Structure | facilitated forum | facilitated forum |
| Facilitation | paid facilitator | paid facilitator |
| Group size | Core (Jan 2026): C-Suite & Executive Leader 10–12; Builder & Navigator 15–20 | about 10 |
| Stage fit | This group is not framed by VC stage. | Series A, Growth, Late stage |
| Revenue / capital floor | Builders path only: $2M+ annual revenue or venture funding (or past CXO/VP+ at credentialed companies). | $3M+ revenue OR $3M+ funding OR $10M+ prior exit; active founders/CEOs of digital or tech-enabled companies |
| Annual cost | Chief Membership $5,900/year + $500 new member fee; Chief Signature $9,800/year (official Membership Experience PDF). | Not published |
| Application model | application | application |
| Venture-specific | No | Yes |
| Other requirements | Designed for 15+ years leadership experience. Categories: C-Suite, Senior Leaders & Executives, Builders. Criteria effective 10/2025. Not for early career or soliciting business. | Apply-gated; ~2% accepted (site claim); Core placement ~90 days; 18 chapter cities |
| Time commitment | Core: 6 × 90-minute meetings per year (~every two months), plus optional programming; or 4 × 1-hour coaching sessions/year | Monthly in-person Core group (Aug/Dec off) plus chapter events |
| Geography | US Clubhouses (NYC, SF, Chicago, DC) plus virtual and national events | 18 chapter cities (US-focused) |
| Best for | Senior women leaders seeking Guide-led Core peer advisory, coaching, and executive programming. | Active tech or digital founders who clear the $3M revenue/funding bar and want a monthly in-person moderated peer group in their city. |
| Not for | Early-career professionals or anyone joining primarily to solicit business. | Pre-seed founders below the bar, fully remote founders outside chapter cities, or anyone who wants a published price before applying. |
| Last verified | 2026-09-15 | 2026-09-14 |
Verdict by stage
Pre-seed and seed
At Pre-seed and seed, neither group lists this stage as a primary fit. Chief is not framed by VC stage. Hampton targets Series A, Growth, Late stage.
Series A
At Series A, Hampton lists this stage. Chief does not. The fit is Hampton for this stage band.
Growth
At Growth, Hampton lists this stage. Chief does not. The fit is Hampton for this stage band.
Late stage
At Late stage, Hampton lists this stage. Chief does not. The fit is Hampton for this stage band.
FAQ
- How much do Chief and Hampton cost?
- Chief: Chief Membership $5,900/year + $500 new member fee; Chief Signature $9,800/year (official Membership Experience PDF). (verified 2026-09-15). Hampton: Not published (verified 2026-09-14). Prices are shown verbatim from public sources; nothing is estimated.
- What are the requirements for Chief vs Hampton?
- Chief: Builders path only: $2M+ annual revenue or venture funding (or past CXO/VP+ at credentialed companies). Designed for 15+ years leadership experience. Categories: C-Suite, Senior Leaders & Executives, Builders. Criteria effective 10/2025. Not for early career or soliciting business. Hampton: $3M+ revenue OR $3M+ funding OR $10M+ prior exit; active founders/CEOs of digital or tech-enabled companies Apply-gated; ~2% accepted (site claim); Core placement ~90 days; 18 chapter cities
- Which is better for venture-backed founders?
- Hampton is venture-specific. Chief is not. The fit is Hampton when you want a venture-scale room.
Sources
Primary public pages used for the fields above.
- chief.com/membershipRetrieved 2026-09-15 · Chief
- chief.com/membership-criteriaRetrieved 2026-09-15 · Chief
- assets.chief.com/marketing/Chief_Membership_Experience.pdfRetrieved 2026-09-15 · Chief
- joinhampton.comRetrieved 2026-09-14 · Hampton
- joinhampton.com/explore-membershipRetrieved 2026-09-14 · Hampton
- joinhampton.com/faqRetrieved 2026-09-14 · Hampton