Comparison · 9 material differences
Forbes Councils vs Young Entrepreneur Council
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 Forbes Councils
Owners, founders, partners and senior executives who want a bylined publishing platform on Forbes.com alongside a vetted online peer network
Networking organization
Young Entrepreneur Council
Founders, co-founders, CEOs and operators building a company now, screened for fit and contribution rather than a published financial threshold
What the records say
- Role or title: Forbes Councils: Owner, founder, partner, C-level executive, or vice president and above leading a region or division, in the council's field; Young Entrepreneur Council: "founders, co-founders, CEOs, and builders who are in the arena right now".
- Minimum company revenue: Forbes Councils: "Your business generates a minimum of $1M USD in revenue"; Young Entrepreneur Council: No published minimum company revenue.
- Minimum capital raised: Forbes Councils: "Your business has received a minimum of $1M USD in financing"; Young Entrepreneur Council: No published minimum capital raised.
- Industry restriction: Forbes Councils: "No MLM/direct sales, gambling, adult entertainment, adult websites, adult products, or cannabis companies are allowed"; Young Entrepreneur Council: No published industry restriction.
- Annual dues: 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.; Young Entrepreneur Council: Not publicly disclosed. YEC's membership, application and FAQ pages state that membership is fee-based in effect ("A seat is earned, not bought") but publish no price; cost is discussed after acceptance..
Side by side
| Forbes Councils | Young Entrepreneur Council | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Networking organization |
| Founded | Not documented | 2012 (The current YEC About page states the council was founded in 2012. Earlier material and press describe the organisation launching around 2010-2011 under founder Scott Gerber; yec.co itself first appears in the Internet Archive in November 2013.) |
| Headquarters | Boston, United States | United States |
| Geographic footprint | Nine online councils with no local chapters; the operator, Community.co, is based in Boston, Massachusetts | Online community with member-hosted dinners and in-person gatherings; no chapters |
| Members | 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. | Not publicly disclosed. YEC does not publish a member count on its current site. |
| Chapters | No chapters; the councils are online communities | No chapters |
| Primary audience | Owners, founders, partners and senior executives who want a bylined publishing platform on Forbes.com alongside a vetted online peer network | Founders, co-founders, CEOs and operators building a company now, screened for fit and contribution rather than a published financial threshold |
| Typical member | 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. | Founders, co-founders, CEOs and builders currently running a business. The FAQ states "Young is the mind, not the age", so the historical under-45 rule is no longer presented as a test. YEC does not publish revenue, funding or exit thresholds on its current site. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | 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 ↗ | "founders, co-founders, CEOs, and builders who are in the arena right now"The FAQ adds "Young is the mind, not the age", indicating the historical age ceiling is no longer applied as a published testverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| 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 ↗ | No published minimum company revenue |
| 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 ↗ | No published minimum capital raised |
| 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 ↗ | No published industry restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | Sometimes |
| Application process | 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. | A short form starts the process, followed by email confirmation and then the full application. YEC states that a person reads every application and that applicants hear back either way. Shortlisted candidates complete an interview, which YEC frames as a two-way assessment of fit. Applicants may indicate that a member referred them. |
| Selectivity | 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. | Not publicly disclosed. YEC states applications are reviewed against "the same bar the members built" but publishes no acceptance rate. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | 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 ↗ | Not publicly disclosed. YEC's membership, application and FAQ pages state that membership is fee-based in effect ("A seat is earned, not bought") but publish no price; cost is discussed after acceptance.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | 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 ↗ | Not publicly disclosed |
| Membership term | One-year or two-year terms, renewing automatically for equal periods | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Monthly Expert Panel cycles and private virtual events; no scheduled local meetings | Live online sessions, in-person dinners and member-hosted gatherings scheduled through a public events calendar |
| Peer forums | No facilitated peer forums; members join interest-based and geography-based online groups | No published forum structure; YEC describes itself as "a small circle of peers who act as a mirror, not a directory you scroll" |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Virtual, Event-focused | Virtual, Cohort-based, 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 | Not documented |
| Travel | Partial | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | No | Not documented |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | Medium | High |
| Social emphasis | Low | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Forbes Councils · Young Entrepreneur Council