Comparison · 12 material differences
Luminary vs theBoardlist
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 Luminary
Women and allies at every career stage, from entrepreneurs and mid-career professionals to the C-suite, plus corporate members buying access for employees
Networking organization
theBoardlist
Women executives seeking private and public company board seats, and the chief executives, investors and boards searching for candidates
What the records say
- Gender: Luminary: Gender-inclusive: Luminary is for "women and allies" and describes itself as "Inclusive for all"; men may join as allies; theBoardlist: The candidate pool was for women; theBoardlist described itself as connecting "highly qualified women across industries with private and public board opportunities".
- Monthly dues: Luminary: $49 a month; theBoardlist: Not publicly disclosed.
Side by side
| Luminary | theBoardlist | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Networking organization |
| Founded | 2018 ("founded and self-funded by former finance executive Cate Luzio, in late 2018". The same page states Luzio left her banking career and self-funded the launch in March 2018.) | 2015 (Launched on 15 July 2015 as the first initiative of the #ChoosePossibility Project, founded by Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, per Wikipedia. theBoardlist's own site carried a "© 2018 theBoardlist" notice.) |
| Headquarters | New York, United States | United States |
| Geographic footprint | A 15,000 square foot flagship space at 1204 Broadway in the NoMad district of New York, plus access to more than 40 partner spaces globally and a virtual membership serving members in over 30 countries | An online marketplace, originally focused on the United States technology industry and later broadened across industries |
| Members | 15,000as of September 2026 | 5,000as of June 2020 |
| Chapters | No chapters. Luminary operates one flagship location in New York plus access to partner workspaces. | No chapters; theBoardlist was a single online platform |
| Primary audience | Women and allies at every career stage, from entrepreneurs and mid-career professionals to the C-suite, plus corporate members buying access for employees | Women executives seeking private and public company board seats, and the chief executives, investors and boards searching for candidates |
| Typical member | Luminary sets no seniority, revenue or title bar. The founder's description spans "entrepreneurs to those navigating their career path, the Power Middle to the C-suite, those in transition, and everyone in between". Corporate partners represent more than 500,000 employees worldwide. | Senior women executives nominated by chief executives, investors and other business leaders for board service. Candidates did not self-nominate: entry to the talent pool came through peer endorsement by a recommender in theBoardlist's community. |
| Qualification | ||
| Gender | Gender-inclusive: Luminary is for "women and allies" and describes itself as "Inclusive for all"; men may join as alliesLuminary's mission is to "uplift, up-skill, and propel women and their allies forward"verified September 2026 · source ↗ | The candidate pool was for women; theBoardlist described itself as connecting "highly qualified women across industries with private and public board opportunities"Recommenders and searching companies were not restricted by genderverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | Yes |
| Sponsor required | No | Yes |
| Application process | There is no application or vetting. Prospective members choose a tier and sign up; Luminary states explicitly that there is no application process and no gatekeeping. Day passes are sold separately for people who want to try the New York space before joining. Corporate membership is arranged through Luminary's enterprise team. | Women entered the candidate pool by being nominated by a recommender from theBoardlist's community of chief executives, investors and senior leaders. Nominated candidates were then encouraged to complete a profile and connect their LinkedIn account so that searching companies could find them. |
| Selectivity | Not applicable: Luminary states there is no application process and no gatekeeping. | Not publicly disclosed as a rate. theBoardlist reported that more than 1,400 executives had nominated more than 2,100 women by November 2017 and that it had influenced more than 100 board placements. |
| Cost | ||
| Monthly dues | $49 a monthDigital tier: US$49 a month, or US$540 annually. Virtual access to the global community and member portal.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed |
| Programme fee | $399 one-timeCru Only: US$399 for six months. Standalone peer accountability groups meeting for 90 minutes monthly over six months.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed |
| Membership term | Monthly or annual subscription depending on tier; Cru groups run for six months | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | More than 250 programmes, events and activations a year, over 70 per cent of them member-led; Cru peer groups meet monthly for 90 minutes | No published meeting programme; theBoardlist listed events but its core function was the online marketplace |
| Peer forums | Cru: small facilitated peer accountability groups meeting monthly for 90 minutes over six months, acquired with The Cru in late 2023 | No forums |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Clubhouse premises, Virtual, Event-focused, Cohort-based | Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | No |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Yes |
| Online community | Yes | Partial |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Partial |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Partial |
| Leadership development | Yes | Partial |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | No |
| 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 | Partial | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | Medium |
| Social emphasis | High | Low |
Next
Last verified: not yet reviewed
Report an error on this page
Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Luminary · theBoardlist