Comparison · 12 material differences
Convene vs REF
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
Peer advisory
Verified September 2026 Convene
Christian CEOs, business owners and presidents in the United States, with parallel tracks for C-suite executives and other senior leaders in their organisations
Peer advisory
REF
CEOs, owners and presidents, with parallel tracks for C-suite executives reporting to the CEO and for high-potential managers on leadership programmes
What the records say
- Role or title: Convene: CEO & Owner teams: CEOs, business owners and presidents; REF: Top Executive track: CEO, owner, president or equivalent.
- Annual dues: Convene: Not publicly disclosed. Convene's own membership page states: "Membership pricing is based on multiple factors, including company size, annual revenue, location, team type, and more. For accurate pricing information, please contact our team."; REF: Not publicly disclosed. REF publishes no membership price; the Peer Resources directory also recorded fees as unavailable at publication. Members are described elsewhere as paying monthly dues..
Side by side
| Convene | REF | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Peer advisory | Peer advisory |
| Founded | 1996 ("In 1996, Brian Thatcher and five pioneering CEOs founded Convene" per its own story page, which also marks 2026 as its thirtieth anniversary. The organisation began as the "BBL Forum", started by Brian Thatcher and Ric Green out of Saddleback Church.) | 1994 (Entrepreneur's franchise directory records the company as founded in 1994 and franchising since 1994. REF's own site says only "Founded 30 years ago in the USA" and "With 30 years of experience", which is consistent.) |
| Headquarters | Anaheim Hills, United States | San Diego, United States |
| Geographic footprint | United States, with in-person and online teams; Convene also runs international teams. It does not publish a public list of team locations, only a zip-code search | 51 locations across 20 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and Asia; the largest concentration is in Latin America |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed as a current figure. Convene states it has served "2000+ member companies over the last 25+ years", which is cumulative rather than active membership. | 3,000as of January 2025 |
| Chapters | Not publicly disclosed. Convene's locations page is a zip-code and team-type search rather than a published list; its team directory uses opaque internal identifiers. | 51 |
| Primary audience | Christian CEOs, business owners and presidents in the United States, with parallel tracks for C-suite executives and other senior leaders in their organisations | CEOs, owners and presidents, with parallel tracks for C-suite executives reporting to the CEO and for high-potential managers on leadership programmes |
| Typical member | Members are Christian business leaders. Teams are composed of 10-15 peers from non-competing industries. Convene publishes no revenue or headcount threshold, though it says pricing depends partly on company size and annual revenue, implying a size-banded structure. | Members are CEOs, owners and presidents of non-competing businesses, plus CXOs and upper management reporting directly to the CEO in the Key Executive track and high performers selected for leadership programmes in the High Potentials track. REF publishes no revenue or headcount threshold, though its application form asks for employee count and revenue. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | CEO & Owner teams: CEOs, business owners and presidentsverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Top Executive track: CEO, owner, president or equivalentREF's own application page lists the candidate requirements for each track.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | Sometimes |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Prospective members submit a membership application or enquiry form on the website; Convene then makes contact to explore fit before placing the candidate on a team with a Chair. There is no published sponsor or nomination requirement. | Applicants complete an online form selecting one of three tracks (Top Executive, Key Executive or High Potentials) and supplying title, industry, city, country, employee count and revenue. REF then contacts the candidate and, if accepted, places them in a local Forum of non-competing executives with a certified Forum Leader. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. Convene says it will "reach out to explore if this is the right next step" but publishes no acceptance data or screening standard. | Not publicly disclosed. REF describes its peer groups as "by invitation only" while operating a public application form, and publishes no acceptance data. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosed. Convene's own membership page states: "Membership pricing is based on multiple factors, including company size, annual revenue, location, team type, and more. For accurate pricing information, please contact our team."verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed. REF publishes no membership price; the Peer Resources directory also recorded fees as unavailable at publication. Members are described elsewhere as paying monthly dues.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 |
| Membership term | Not documented | Not documented |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | One full business day a month with the team, plus a 60-90 minute one-to-one coaching session with the Chair, and annual regional and national gatherings | One Forum morning each month, plus webinars, community events and curated trips and retreats |
| Peer forums | Teams of 10-15 Christian business leaders from non-competing industries, led by a Convene Chair who is a seasoned business coach; teams run in person and online | Forums of 12-15 executives from non-competing industries, led by a certified REF Forum Leader, meeting monthly in a three-part structure: expert insight, round table, and a member case |
| Confidentiality | Teams are described as peer-advisory groups of non-competing leaders; Convene does not publish a written confidentiality code | Forums are described as confidential, high-trust environments built on transparency and trust; one senior figure calls the Forum a "Circle of Trust" |
| Time commitment | About one full business day a month plus a 60-90 minute coaching session | One morning a month for the Forum, plus optional events |
| Organized as | Forum-based, Chapter-based, Event-focused, Virtual | Forum-based, Chapter-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Not documented |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Partial | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | Partial | Yes |
| Travel | No | Yes |
| Family programming | Yes | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Partial | No |
| Next-generation programming | Partial | Partial |
| Investment discussions | Partial | Partial |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Yes | No |
| Networking emphasis | Medium | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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