Comparison · 15 material differences
The Economic Club of Chicago vs Fast Company Executive Board
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
Invitation-only community
Verified September 2026 The Economic Club of Chicago
Chicago-area business and civic leaders at C-suite level or reporting directly to a chief executive
Networking organization
Fast Company Executive Board
Senior executives, founders, business owners and recognised industry experts who want a bylined platform on FastCompany.com
What the records say
- Role or title: The Economic Club of Chicago: Top-level leadership, C-suite, or reporting directly to the CEO, with operational oversight and P&L responsibility; Fast Company Executive Board: CEO, C-suite or senior-level executive; vice president or above leading a region or division; founder or co-founder.
- Minimum company revenue: The Economic Club of Chicago: Company generates at least US$10 million in annual revenue; Fast Company Executive Board: "CEO, C-Suite, or senior-level executive of a company generating $3M+ in annual revenue".
- Minimum employees: The Economic Club of Chicago: Company employs 25 or more people; Fast Company Executive Board: No published minimum employees.
- Minimum capital raised: The Economic Club of Chicago: No published minimum capital raised; Fast Company Executive Board: "$2M+ in total institutional funding".
- Annual dues: The Economic Club of Chicago: Not publicly disclosed. Neither the membership page nor the Club's own membership brochure names a dues figure.; 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..
Side by side
| The Economic Club of Chicago | Fast Company Executive Board | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Invitation-only community | Networking organization |
| Founded | 1927 (Founded in 1927 by leaders who set out to "aid in the creation and expression of an enlightened public opinion on the important economic and social questions of the day".) | Not documented |
| Headquarters | Chicago, United States | United States |
| Geographic footprint | Chicago and Illinois; members are drawn from the city's business, civic, cultural and nonprofit leadership | Online community with no local chapters; operated in-house by Fast Company, part of Mansueto Ventures, LLC |
| Members | 2,400as of September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed |
| Chapters | No chapters. The Club participates in a reciprocity programme with the Economic Clubs of New York and Washington, D.C. | No chapters |
| Primary audience | Chicago-area business and civic leaders at C-suite level or reporting directly to a chief executive | Senior executives, founders, business owners and recognised industry experts who want a bylined platform on FastCompany.com |
| Typical member | Around 70 per cent of members are C-suite executives. Candidates are expected to have operational oversight with profit-and-loss responsibility at a company generating at least US$10 million in annual revenue and employing 25 or more people, and to have a record of civic engagement. Government and nonprofit candidates are assessed under separate criteria. | 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. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | Top-level leadership, C-suite, or reporting directly to the CEO, with operational oversight and P&L responsibilityGovernment and nonprofit candidates are considered under separate criteria that are not published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | CEO, C-suite or senior-level executive; vice president or above leading a region or division; founder or co-founderverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum company revenue | Company generates at least US$10 million in annual revenuePublished as part of the Club's candidate criteria.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | "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 ↗ |
| Minimum employees | Company employs 25 or more peoplePublished alongside the revenue test.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum employees |
| Minimum capital raised | No published minimum capital raised | "$2M+ in total institutional funding"Alternative to the founder revenue testverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | Chicago-area business and civic leadershipThe Club describes its membership as reflecting the diversity of the city and state; no formal residence rule is published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| Invitation required | Yes | No |
| Sponsor required | Yes | No |
| Application process | Six steps. Two current members agree to sponsor the candidate and send a secure link for the biography and application. Both sponsors write letters of support. The candidate attends a Club meeting, preferably with a sponsor. A representative of the relevant membership subcommittee reviews the application and decides whether to interview. The Membership Committee then elects candidates at its quarterly meetings. | 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. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. The Club describes a rigorous application and election process and reports a 92 per cent renewal rate, but publishes no acceptance rate. | Not publicly disclosed. Fast Company states "Every application is vetted to ensure members meet strict qualifications" but publishes no acceptance rate. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosed. Neither the membership page nor the Club's own membership brochure names a dues figure.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | 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 ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed |
| Membership term | Annual; the Club reports a 92 per cent membership renewal rate | One-year or two-year membership terms |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Keynote speaker programmes through the year, member forums several times a year, and smaller Member Exchanges | Virtual events and Expert Panels; no scheduled local meetings |
| Peer forums | Large keynote events plus small, member-driven Member Exchanges; no standing confidential forums are described | No facilitated peer forums; members use interactive online groups and chat |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed; keynote programmes are published on the Club's YouTube channel | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Event-focused | Virtual, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | No | Yes |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Partial |
| Leadership development | Partial | Partial |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | Partial |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | Partial | No |
| Investment discussions | Partial | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Partial | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | Medium |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Low |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: The Economic Club of Chicago · Fast Company Executive Board