Comparison · 12 material differences
The Executives' Club of Chicago vs Level 20
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 The Executives' Club of Chicago
Senior business, civic and academic leaders in the Chicago area, with company-paid Enterprise memberships covering teams of executives
Networking organization
Level 20
People working in European private equity and venture capital, with the mission focused on women in investment roles
What the records say
- Role or title: The Executives' Club of Chicago: Membership covers "qualified leaders"; the club is aimed at senior business, civic and academic leaders in the Chicago area; Level 20: No published role or title.
- Geographic restriction: The Executives' Club of Chicago: Chicago metropolitan area; Level 20: In-person programming is concentrated in Europe.
- Industry restriction: The Executives' Club of Chicago: No published industry restriction; Level 20: Must work in private equity or venture capital, or at a firm that supports the industry.
- Annual dues: The Executives' Club of Chicago: $1,000 a year; Level 20: £0 a year.
Side by side
| The Executives' Club of Chicago | Level 20 | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Networking organization |
| Founded | Not documented | 2015 (Launched in the UK in 2015 by twelve co-founders, all senior women in European private equity and private markets) |
| Headquarters | Chicago, United States | London, United Kingdom |
| Geographic footprint | Chicago metropolitan area | Thirteen chapters covering 20 European countries; the team is based in London |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed. The club publishes neither an individual member count nor a member company count. | 7,250as of September 2025 |
| Chapters | A single-city club with no chapters. | 13 |
| Primary audience | Senior business, civic and academic leaders in the Chicago area, with company-paid Enterprise memberships covering teams of executives | People working in European private equity and venture capital, with the mission focused on women in investment roles |
| Typical member | The club describes its members as current and emerging leaders of Chicago-area businesses, and says its board of directors is composed of chief executives and senior executives of companies headquartered in the Chicagoland area. Membership is priced for both individual executives and corporate groups of two, five or ten. | Members work in private equity and venture capital or in firms that support the industry, at all seniority levels. Membership is open to both women and men, who participate as members, speakers, mentors and research contributors. The organisation's stated goal is increasing the representation of senior women, particularly in investment roles. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | Membership covers "qualified leaders"; the club is aimed at senior business, civic and academic leaders in the Chicago areaThe club does not publish a specific title, revenue or seniority test.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published role or title |
| Geographic restriction | Chicago metropolitan areaverified September 2026 · source ↗ | In-person programming is concentrated in EuropeLevel 20 operates 13 chapters across 20 European countriesverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | No published industry restriction | Must work in private equity or venture capital, or at a firm that supports the industryMembership is open to both women and men at any seniority levelverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | Sometimes | No |
| Application process | Individuals apply through the club's membership application, and may be sponsored by an existing member; applications not carrying a sponsor go through the club's own review. Companies buying an Enterprise membership nominate their qualified leaders directly, without individual applications. | Individuals complete a membership application form in the member portal; there is no fee, sponsorship or interview. Firms wishing to sponsor contact Level 20 through its Get in Touch page. Members are then matched to relevant programming by role, seniority, sector, strategy and firm type; mentoring places are allocated by cohort through the chapter committees. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. The club publishes no acceptance rate, and Enterprise members bypass individual review entirely. | Not publicly disclosed for general membership, which appears to be open. The mentoring programme is described as highly sought after but no acceptance figures are published. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $1,000 a yearExecutive membership: one qualified leaderverified September 2026 · source ↗ | £0 a yearIndividual membership is free. "Level 20 membership is free for all those working in private equity and venture capital, or in firms that support the industry", Annual Review 2025verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | $100–500 one-timeOne-time initiation fee by tier: $100 Executive, $200 Enterprise 2, $350 Enterprise 5, $500 Enterprise 10. Waived if the member enrols in auto-renewal.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Level 20 is funded by sponsor firms rather than member dues. |
| Membership term | Annual, with an auto-renewal option that waives the initiation fee | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | A year-round programme of speaker events, exchanges, summits and workshops | Local professional development and networking events run by each chapter, plus international conferences and online sessions |
| Peer forums | Leadership Circle and structured leadership programmes (LEAD, Leadership Accelerator) rather than confidential peer forums | Volunteer-run chapter committees organise local activity; mentoring runs as one-to-one pairings and group cohorts |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed | Could not be independently verified: no published confidentiality policy was found |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Event-focused | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Cohort-based |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Not documented | Yes |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Partial | Partial |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | No |
| Next-generation programming | Partial | Partial |
| Investment discussions | No | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: The Executives' Club of Chicago · Level 20