Comparison · 13 material differences
Chief Executive Network vs Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University
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
Peer advisory
Verified September 2026 Chief Executive Network
CEOs, presidents and owners of privately held and mid-market US companies, grouped with non-competing peers in the same industry and revenue band
Family-business organization
Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University
Family business owners and leaders in Georgia and the surrounding region, plus students from family businesses through the centre's next-generation programming
What the records say
- Role or title: Chief Executive Network: Must be a CEO, President or Business Owner; Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University: No published role or title.
- Minimum company revenue: Chief Executive Network: Networks span roughly $5 million to $2.5 billion in company revenue; Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University: No published minimum company revenue.
- Geographic restriction: Chief Executive Network: United States; Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University: Programming is delivered at Kennesaw State University in metropolitan Atlanta, which in practice limits membership to Georgia and the surrounding region.
- Industry restriction: Chief Executive Network: Industry networks cover architecture, biotechnology, engineering, general contracting, lodging/hospitality, manufacturing, software/technology and sub-contracting; Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University: No published industry restriction.
- Annual dues: Chief Executive Network: $5,500–12,280 a year; Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University: $1,000 a year.
Side by side
| Chief Executive Network | Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Peer advisory | Family-business organization |
| Founded | 1990 (CEN's own history page dates the launch to 1990, following work by Dr. Ronald E. Wiley leading CEO groups in the 1980s. CEN publishes no separate corporate address; the postal address in its own privacy policy is that of its parent, Chief Executive Group, LLC, 105 West Park Dr., Suite 400, Brentwood, Tennessee. Member enquiries route to a Lawrence, Kansas telephone number.) | 1987 (The centre's about page states it was founded in 1987 by Dr Craig Aronoff within the Coles College of Business. It is commonly described as the oldest university-based family business centre; its own landing page says it has operated for over 40 years, which does not reconcile exactly with a 1987 founding.) |
| Headquarters | Brentwood, United States | Kennesaw, United States |
| Geographic footprint | United States: national industry groups meeting at airport-hub cities, plus local boards in roughly ten metro areas | Georgia and the south-eastern United States, based at Kennesaw State University near Atlanta |
| Members | 1,000as of September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed |
| Chapters | CEN does not publish a total count of peer groups. Its 'By Location' page names local board markets and its 'By Industry' page names eight industry networks. | A single university-based centre with no chapters. |
| Primary audience | CEOs, presidents and owners of privately held and mid-market US companies, grouped with non-competing peers in the same industry and revenue band | Family business owners and leaders in Georgia and the surrounding region, plus students from family businesses through the centre's next-generation programming |
| Typical member | CEN says most members run companies with roughly $10 million to $1 billion in revenue, with networks spanning $5 million to $2.5 billion. The industry concentration is in manufacturing, distribution, technology and software, architecture/engineering and construction trades. | Members are family businesses rather than individuals, at a range of sizes and stages; the centre notes that membership is expected to move between tiers as a business changes. The next-generation side reaches Kennesaw State students from family businesses through a student group and a talent exchange with member companies. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | Must be a CEO, President or Business OwnerCEN's 2026 member guide states the personal membership criterion verbatim.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published role or title |
| Minimum company revenue | Networks span roughly $5 million to $2.5 billion in company revenueCEN's guide says it "has networks from $5 Million to $2.5 Billion" and that most members run $10 million-$1 billion companies. There is no single published floor.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum company revenue |
| Geographic restriction | United StatesCEN describes itself as a US-based network for US CEOs.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Programming is delivered at Kennesaw State University in metropolitan Atlanta, which in practice limits membership to Georgia and the surrounding regionSome programming is delivered as webinars.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | Industry networks cover architecture, biotechnology, engineering, general contracting, lodging/hospitality, manufacturing, software/technology and sub-contractingCEN does not run an industry network for every sector.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published industry restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Prospective members request a member guide and meeting agenda through the website or by phone, then speak with CEN staff about fit. CEN places the candidate in a group matched by industry, revenue band and region, checking that no direct competitor is already in the room. There is no published application form or committee vote. | Prospective members are invited to schedule a conversation with the centre team by email to discuss which tier fits their goals, then join at the published price. No vetting, sponsorship or committee process is described. |
| Selectivity | No acceptance rate is published. CEN says groups are "intentionally kept small" and that members are vetted for comparable scale and competitor-free status. | Not publicly disclosed: membership appears open to family businesses at the published rates. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $5,500–12,280 a yearNational industry networks; CEN's own 2026 guide gives "$5,500 to $12,280 (Based on co size)". Includes benchmark research and a conference.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $1,000 a yearCore membership, per business: workshops, webinars, speaker series, resource library, educational discounts, open house tours, three office-hours sessions and hosting opportunities.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | No initiation fee is published.verified September 2026 |
| Local chapter dues | $6,400–9,500 a yearLocal boards: "$6,400 for core membership ($9,500 option includes benchmark research and a conference)" per CEN's own 2026 guide.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Two published annual tiers, both priced per business rather than per person. |
| Programme fee | CEN's public web pages do not carry prices and direct enquirers to request a brochure; the figures above come from CEN's own downloadable 2026 guide. A third-party summary of that guide describes membership as "less than $1,000 per month" for most categories, which is consistent with the industry-network range. | Not publicly disclosed: the centre does not publish separate prices for the Family Business Forum, peer groups, the Family Business Roadmap or Family Business Boost; these are bundled into Signature membership or quoted on enquiry.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual | Annual |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | National industry groups meet twice a year for two days; local boards meet quarterly for half a day; plus national summits and online masterclasses | Peer groups meet monthly; the Family Business Forum runs twice a year; workshops, webinars, a speaker series and open house tours run through the year |
| Peer forums | Groups of roughly 8-12 non-competing CEOs matched by industry and revenue band, professionally facilitated | Confidential facilitated peer groups meeting monthly, available to Signature members. Group size and facilitator credentials are not published. The twice-yearly Family Business Forum is a larger gathering rather than a standing group. |
| Confidentiality | CEN describes meetings as confidential with a strict no-sell rule and no vendors in the room | The centre describes its peer groups as confidential; no written confidentiality policy is published. |
| Time commitment | Roughly four to six meeting days a year plus quarterly mentor calls, per CEN's published meeting cadence | Not documented |
| Organized as | Forum-based, Chapter-based, Event-focused | Forum-based, Event-focused, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | Yes | No |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Partial |
| Online community | Partial | Partial |
| Member directory | Not documented | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | No | Not documented |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | Yes |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | Not documented |
| Next-generation programming | No | Yes |
| Investment discussions | Partial | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | Medium |
| Social emphasis | Low | Low |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Chief Executive Network · Family Enterprise Center at Kennesaw State University