Comparison · 4 material differences
Fast Company Executive Board 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 Fast Company Executive Board
Senior executives, founders, business owners and recognised industry experts who want a bylined platform on FastCompany.com
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: Fast Company Executive Board: CEO, C-suite or senior-level executive; vice president or above leading a region or division; founder or co-founder; 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: Fast Company Executive Board: "CEO, C-Suite, or senior-level executive of a company generating $3M+ in annual revenue"; Forbes Councils: "Your business generates a minimum of $1M USD in revenue".
- Minimum capital raised: Fast Company Executive Board: "$2M+ in total institutional funding"; Forbes Councils: "Your business has received a minimum of $1M USD in financing".
- Industry restriction: Fast Company Executive Board: No published industry restriction; Forbes Councils: "No MLM/direct sales, gambling, adult entertainment, adult websites, adult products, or cannabis companies are allowed".
- Annual dues: Fast Company Executive Board: Not publicly disclosed. Fast Company offers a one-year membership and a discounted two-year membership but publishes no prices; third-party estimates could not be independently verified.; 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
| Fast Company Executive Board | Forbes Councils | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Networking organization |
| Founded | Not documented | Not documented |
| Headquarters | United States | Boston, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Online community with no local chapters; operated in-house by Fast Company, part of Mansueto Ventures, LLC | Nine online councils with no local chapters; the operator, Community.co, is based in Boston, Massachusetts |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed | 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 | Senior executives, founders, business owners and recognised industry experts who want a bylined platform on FastCompany.com | Owners, founders, partners and senior executives who want a bylined publishing platform on Forbes.com alongside a vetted online peer network |
| Typical member | CEOs, C-suite and senior executives at companies with at least US$3m in annual revenue; vice presidents and above who lead a region or division at companies of the same size; founders of companies with at least US$2m in revenue or institutional funding; and nonprofit founders at organisations with at least US$1m in revenue. An alternative expertise track admits professional speakers, published authors and regular columnists. | 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 | CEO, C-suite or senior-level executive; vice president or above leading a region or division; founder or co-founderverified 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 | "CEO, C-Suite, or senior-level executive of a company generating $3M+ in annual revenue"Also "Vice President or above who leads a region or division for a company generating $3M+ in annual revenue"verified September 2026 · source ↗ | "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 | "$2M+ in total institutional funding"Alternative to the founder revenue testverified September 2026 · source ↗ | "Your business has received a minimum of $1M USD in financing"Alternative to the revenue test for the senior-level councilsverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| 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 | Membership is by application only. Candidates complete an online application, which is vetted against the published qualifications. Fast Company states every application is reviewed to ensure members meet the criteria. Accepted applicants choose a one-year or discounted two-year membership and pay before access begins. | 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. Fast Company states "Every application is vetted to ensure members meet strict qualifications" 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 | Not publicly disclosed. Fast Company offers a one-year membership and a discounted two-year membership but publishes no prices; third-party estimates could not be independently verified.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 | Not publicly disclosed | 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 ↗ |
| Membership term | One-year or two-year membership terms | One-year or two-year terms, renewing automatically for equal periods |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Virtual events and Expert Panels; no scheduled local meetings | Monthly Expert Panel cycles and private virtual events; no scheduled local meetings |
| Peer forums | No facilitated peer forums; members use interactive online groups and chat | 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, Event-focused | Virtual, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Yes |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Partial | Partial |
| Leadership development | Partial | Partial |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | Partial | Partial |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | Medium | Medium |
| Social emphasis | Low | Low |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Fast Company Executive Board · Forbes Councils