Last verified
The Founders Forum vs Vistage
The Founders Forum is a in-person peer-led forum with peer-led. Vistage is a hybrid facilitated forum with paid facilitator. This page compares cost, requirements, format, and stage fit using verified public data. The Founders Forum: Austin founders who want weekly in-person peer support integrating business, leadership, faith, and family — without dues. Vistage: CEOs and owners who want a Chair-facilitated confidential peer group with coaching, across a wide range of company sizes.
Side-by-side
| Field | The Founders Forum | Vistage |
|---|---|---|
| Format | in-person | hybrid |
| Structure | peer-led forum | facilitated forum |
| Facilitation | peer-led | paid facilitator |
| Group size | Not published | 12 to 16 |
| Stage fit | Pre-seed and seed, Series A, Growth, Late stage | Series A, Growth, Late stage |
| Revenue / capital floor | None stated; founders at every stage welcome | Chief Executive program: $5M+ revenue / typically 20+ employees. Small Business program: $1–4M revenue. |
| Annual cost | No membership fee (potluck; optional donations) | Not published |
| Application model | application | application |
| Venture-specific | No | No |
| Other requirements | Current or past founder who built a business from the ground up; must love Jesus (Christ-centered fellowship); Austin-based | CEO/owner peer groups of non-competing members; Chair-led. Qualify via form. |
| Time commitment | Weekly in-person gatherings alternating Bee Cave and Downtown Austin | Monthly peer group meetings plus monthly 1:1 with Chair; speakers and events |
| Geography | Austin, TX | Global chapters; local groups |
| Best for | Austin founders who want weekly in-person peer support integrating business, leadership, faith, and family — without dues. | CEOs and owners who want a Chair-facilitated confidential peer group with coaching, across a wide range of company sizes. |
| Not for | Founders seeking a secular or venture-only peer board, or remote-only participation. | Founders who need a venture-scale-only room or who reject paid facilitators. |
| Last verified | 2026-09-15 | 2026-09-14 |
Verdict by stage
Pre-seed and seed
At Pre-seed and seed, The Founders Forum lists this stage. Vistage does not. The fit is The Founders Forum for this stage band.
Series A
At Series A, both The Founders Forum and Vistage list this stage. Compare revenue floor (None stated; founders at every stage welcome vs Chief Executive program: $5M+ revenue / typically 20+ employees. Small Business program: $1–4M revenue.) and format (in-person vs hybrid) to decide.
Growth
At Growth, both The Founders Forum and Vistage list this stage. Compare revenue floor (None stated; founders at every stage welcome vs Chief Executive program: $5M+ revenue / typically 20+ employees. Small Business program: $1–4M revenue.) and format (in-person vs hybrid) to decide.
Late stage
At Late stage, both The Founders Forum and Vistage list this stage. Compare revenue floor (None stated; founders at every stage welcome vs Chief Executive program: $5M+ revenue / typically 20+ employees. Small Business program: $1–4M revenue.) and format (in-person vs hybrid) to decide.
FAQ
- How much do The Founders Forum and Vistage cost?
- The Founders Forum: No membership fee (potluck; optional donations) (verified 2026-09-15). Vistage: Not published (verified 2026-09-14). Prices are shown verbatim from public sources; nothing is estimated.
- What are the requirements for The Founders Forum vs Vistage?
- 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 Vistage: Chief Executive program: $5M+ revenue / typically 20+ employees. Small Business program: $1–4M revenue. CEO/owner peer groups of non-competing members; Chair-led. Qualify via form.
- Which is better for venture-backed founders?
- Neither The Founders Forum nor Vistage is marked venture-specific in the dataset. Compare revenue floors and stage fit instead.
Sources
Primary public pages used for the fields above.
- thefoundersforum.netRetrieved 2026-09-15 · The Founders Forum
- vistage.comRetrieved 2026-09-14 · Vistage
- vistage.com/membershipRetrieved 2026-09-14 · Vistage
- vistage.com/membership/programs/chief-executive-programRetrieved 2026-09-14 · Vistage
- vistage.com/membership/programs/small-business-programRetrieved 2026-09-14 · Vistage