Comparison · 14 material differences
The Executives' Club of Chicago vs LAVA
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
LAVA
Participants in the Los Angeles venture ecosystem: venture capitalists, limited partners, family offices, angel investors, founders of venture-backed companies, and the…
What the records say
- Maximum age at joining: The Executives' Club of Chicago: No published maximum age at joining; LAVA: Young VC membership requires the member to be employed by a venture firm and under 40.
- 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; LAVA: VC Partner membership is for partners at venture firms, or analysts and associates at those firms.
- Geographic restriction: The Executives' Club of Chicago: Chicago metropolitan area; LAVA: Los Angeles and Southern California focus.
- Annual dues: The Executives' Club of Chicago: $1,000 a year; LAVA: $485 a year.
Side by side
| The Executives' Club of Chicago | LAVA | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Networking organization |
| Founded | Not documented | 1984 (LAVA's About page says it was established in 1984 as the Los Angeles Venture Club; its homepage gives 1985. The two dates were not reconciled.) |
| Headquarters | Chicago, United States | Los Angeles, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Chicago metropolitan area | Greater Los Angeles and Southern California |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed. The club publishes neither an individual member count nor a member company count. | Not publicly disclosed |
| Chapters | A single-city club with no chapters. | No chapters. LAVA organises internally into industry committees, affinity groups and special interest groups rather than geographic chapters. |
| Primary audience | Senior business, civic and academic leaders in the Chicago area, with company-paid Enterprise memberships covering teams of executives | Participants in the Los Angeles venture ecosystem: venture capitalists, limited partners, family offices, angel investors, founders of venture-backed companies, and the professional services firms around them |
| 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. | LAVA's own description covers limited partners, venture capitalists, family offices, angel investors, founders, incubators, accelerators, universities, researchers, mentors, government officials and legal, accounting, marketing and PR service providers. Its membership tiers price these groups differently, with separate rates for entrepreneurs, investors, VC partners, limited partners and academics. |
| Qualification | ||
| Maximum age at joining | No published maximum age at joining | Young VC membership requires the member to be employed by a venture firm and under 40Carries a reduced rate and access to young-VC events.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| 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 ↗ | VC Partner membership is for partners at venture firms, or analysts and associates at those firmsGives access to investor-only events.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | Chicago metropolitan areaverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Los Angeles and Southern California focusThe academic researcher rate is described as a discounted rate for local academics.verified 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. | Membership is bought online through LAVA's member portal by selecting a category. There is no published application review, sponsorship or interview stage; category eligibility appears to rest on self-declaration. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. The club publishes no acceptance rate, and Enterprise members bypass individual review entirely. | Not publicly disclosed. Some events are invitation-only within the membership (investor-only and LP/VC-only formats), but membership itself is open paid enrolment. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $1,000 a yearExecutive membership: one qualified leaderverified September 2026 · source ↗ | $485 a yearPremium individual membership, annual ($50 a month on the monthly plan)verified 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 ↗ | Not publicly disclosed; no joining fee appears alongside the published dues.verified September 2026 |
| Membership term | Annual, with an auto-renewal option that waives the initiation fee | Annual, with a monthly option on the premium individual tier |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | A year-round programme of speaker events, exchanges, summits and workshops | Live and virtual events year-round, including investor round tables, syndication screenings, VC check-ins and private mixers, plus annual events such as Meet the VC, First Look SoCal and the LAVA Awards |
| Peer forums | Leadership Circle and structured leadership programmes (LEAD, Leadership Accelerator) rather than confidential peer forums | Industry committees across more than a dozen sectors, affinity groups (Women In LAVA, Young VCs at LAVA, university alumni groups), special interest groups and sector divisions |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Event-focused | Event-focused, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | Not documented | Yes |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Partial | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Partial |
| Leadership development | Yes | No |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | No |
| Next-generation programming | Partial | Yes |
| Investment discussions | No | Yes |
| Investment opportunities | No | Yes |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: The Executives' Club of Chicago · LAVA