Comparison · 15 material differences
Athena Alliance vs Forbes Councils
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Networking organization
Verified September 2026 Athena Alliance
Experienced, high-achieving women and non-binary executives, board directors, investors and founders pursuing board seats, portfolio careers or a career transition
Networking organization
Forbes Councils
Owners, founders, partners and senior executives who want a bylined publishing platform on Forbes.com alongside a vetted online peer network
What the records say
- Role or title: Athena Alliance: No single job title is required; Athena states it assesses "the substance of your experience - scope of leadership, influence, and accomplishments" rather than matching a fixed list of titles; Forbes Councils: Owner, founder, partner, C-level executive, or vice president and above leading a region or division, in the council's field.
- Minimum company revenue: Athena Alliance: No published minimum company revenue; Forbes Councils: "Your business generates a minimum of $1M USD in revenue".
- Minimum capital raised: Athena Alliance: No published minimum capital raised; Forbes Councils: "Your business has received a minimum of $1M USD in financing".
- Gender: Athena Alliance: "Individual Athena membership is only for women and non-binary people. Our enterprise offerings are for cohorts of both women and men."; Forbes Councils: No published gender.
- Annual dues: Athena Alliance: $6,000 a year; Forbes Councils: Not publicly disclosed. The Business Council page confirms this is "a fee-based professional organization" offering "1-year and 2-year membership payment plans", and the membership agreement refers to "the then-current membership fee for each year of the Term", but no amount is published. Figures quoted on affiliate and agency blogs could not be independently verified..
Side by side
| Athena Alliance | Forbes Councils | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Networking organization |
| Founded | Not documented | Not documented |
| Headquarters | United States | Boston, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Predominantly virtual, with more than 100 in-person gatherings a year across the United States and seven rotating summits; the team is described as globally located and location is stated not to be a barrier to membership | Nine online councils with no local chapters; the operator, Community.co, is based in Boston, Massachusetts |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed. Athena publishes programme statistics - over 600 women supported to boards, 16,000+ salon participants, 3,000+ peer group participants - but no current member total. | Not publicly disclosed. Forbes Councils publishes member directories per council but no total. Community.co, which operates Forbes Councils and several sister communities, states "25k+ Members to date" across "50+ Communities", which is not a Forbes Councils figure. |
| Chapters | No chapters | No chapters; the councils are online communities |
| Primary audience | Experienced, high-achieving women and non-binary executives, board directors, investors and founders pursuing board seats, portfolio careers or a career transition | Owners, founders, partners and senior executives who want a bylined publishing platform on Forbes.com alongside a vetted online peer network |
| Typical member | "Athena members are experienced, high-achieving women who are actively exploring and pursuing their next chapter - whether that means taking on a board seat, shifting industries, starting something new, or leveling up their current work." Most have significant leadership experience; Athena states no single job title is required and that it assesses scope of leadership, influence and accomplishments instead. Average member tenure is 3.4 years. | Members are owners, founders, C-level executives, partners and vice presidents who lead a region or division, drawn from the industry each council covers. The financial test is set at the company level rather than personal wealth: US$500,000 or US$1,000,000 in annual revenue or capital raised, depending on the council. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | No single job title is required; Athena states it assesses "the substance of your experience - scope of leadership, influence, and accomplishments" rather than matching a fixed list of titlesMembers in career transition are explicitly welcomedverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Owner, founder, partner, C-level executive, or vice president and above leading a region or division, in the council's fieldThe Technology Council specifies "founders, partners, and CEOs of technology companies, C-level technology executives such as CTOs and CIOs, and VPs of technology teams"verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum company revenue | No published minimum company revenue | "Your business generates a minimum of $1M USD in revenue"Applies to the Agency, Business Development, Communications, Finance, Human Resources and Technology Councilsverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum capital raised | No published minimum capital raised | "Your business has received a minimum of $1M USD in financing"Alternative to the revenue test for the senior-level councilsverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Gender | "Individual Athena membership is only for women and non-binary people. Our enterprise offerings are for cohorts of both women and men."verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published gender |
| Industry restriction | No published industry restriction | "No MLM/direct sales, gambling, adult entertainment, adult websites, adult products, or cannabis companies are allowed"Certain marketing agencies (link sellers, guaranteed media placements) and some cryptocurrency companies, such as those attached to initial coin offerings, are also excludedverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Three steps: complete a brief application, schedule a consultation with a Membership Consultant, then receive a personalised membership invitation. Prospective members can explore Athena beforehand through the free Portfolio of Impact assessment or by attending selected public virtual salon sessions. | Candidates apply online to a specific council. A selection committee reviews the application against the published criteria and, if approved, issues a membership invitation. Payment is taken after acceptance, for a one-year or two-year term. Applications are made in an individual's own name, not a company's, even where an employer pays the fee. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. Athena describes an application and consultation process leading to a membership invitation, but publishes no acceptance rate. | Not publicly disclosed. Forbes Councils states that applications are vetted by a selection committee and that acceptance is at the company's sole discretion, but publishes no acceptance rate. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $6,000 a year"Athena membership costs $6,000 annually. It includes access to virtual salons and peer groups, in-person summits and gatherings, a full content library, Athena Academy courses, and a dedicated Member Engagement Advisor." The term runs twelve months from activation and renews automatically using the payment method on file, with reminders sent in advance.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed. The Business Council page confirms this is "a fee-based professional organization" offering "1-year and 2-year membership payment plans", and the membership agreement refers to "the then-current membership fee for each year of the Term", but no amount is published. Figures quoted on affiliate and agency blogs could not be independently verified.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Payment can be made in full by card, ACH or payment link, or through a payment plan, which Athena describes as "a schedule on the annual membership, not a month-to-month subscription". Employer sponsorship is not required and many members pay individually. | Not publicly disclosed. The membership agreement states a one-time initiation fee, where applicable, is "non-refundable and will not be refunded once paid regardless of termination or cancellation".verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Programme fee | Additional Academy courses and coaching sessions with Athena's Expert Strategists can be purchased beyond what membership covers; prices are not published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Forbes Councils publishes no prices. Membership auto-renews for a period equal to the initial term unless the member gives written notice within fifteen days of the renewal term commencing; a full refund of the annual fee is available within the first thirty days only if specified benefits have not been used. |
| Membership term | Twelve months from activation, renewing automatically | One-year or two-year terms, renewing automatically for equal periods |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Monthly salons and peer groups, more than 100 in-person gatherings a year and seven rotating summits | Monthly Expert Panel cycles and private virtual events; no scheduled local meetings |
| Peer forums | Peer groups and peer networking circles alongside virtual salons; each member also works with a dedicated Member Engagement Advisor | No facilitated peer forums; members join interest-based and geography-based online groups |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Virtual, Cohort-based, Event-focused | Virtual, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Yes |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Partial |
| Leadership development | Yes | Partial |
| Retreats | Partial | No |
| Travel | No | Partial |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | Partial | No |
| Investment discussions | Partial | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | Medium |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Low |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Athena Alliance · Forbes Councils