Networking organization · Entrepreneur networks · Young leaders
Young Entrepreneur Council
Founders, co-founders, CEOs and operators building a company now, screened for fit and contribution rather than a published financial threshold
A profile page holds what the organization publishes and what named sources report: who it admits, what it costs, how it is structured, where it operates, and how it has changed. Every figure carries the date it was checked. A dash means the organization does not publish that fact.
Founding — 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.
The Young Entrepreneur Council is an invitation-reviewed, fee-based community for founders and chief executives, operated by YEC Global, LLC. For most of its history it was a vetted membership organisation for entrepreneurs aged 45 or under whose companies met a financial test, and its members supplied syndicated expert content to business publications, including a YEC-branded column on Forbes.com. In 2026 the organisation relaunched with a narrower positioning: it now describes itself as "a council for founders operating at altitude" rather than a directory-style network, and is seating a Founding Cohort. Membership is decided by a short application, a full application form, and an interview with YEC leadership, which states it is reading for fit and contribution rather than credentials. Members get a vetted directory searchable by industry, location, expertise and stage, a private community space, live sessions with experienced operators, publishing opportunities through YEC and partner outlets, member spotlights, negotiated partner arrangements, in-person dinners and member-hosted gatherings, and a library of templates and standard operating procedures. Unusually for a peer community, YEC explicitly encourages members to hire and do business with one another.
How it works
Applicants complete a short form, confirm their email, then receive and complete a longer application; a person reviews every one and successful candidates are interviewed before being offered a seat. Members participate through a private online community with feeds, resources and a searchable directory, plus live sessions, publishing slots and in-person dinners and member-hosted gatherings listed on a public events calendar. Some events are open to non-members, others are members only. Renewal depends on continued participation: the organisation frames the seat as earned and kept by showing up.
Typical member
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.
Membership requirements
Requirements in detail, with history →Requirements are the tests the organization itself publishes — an age ceiling, a company-revenue floor, a net-worth minimum, a role. Where a figure straddles a range, the organization's own assessment decides. Local chapters can apply stricter tests than the published standard.
| Criterion | Published requirement | Provenance |
|---|---|---|
| Role or title | "founders, co-founders, CEOs, and builders who are in the arena right now" | Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗ |
| Other criterion | "Membership is decided through a short application, a conversation, and a review by YEC leadership. We are reading for fit and contribution, not credentials." | Verified September 2026High confidenceSource ↗ |
Published criteria as verified on the dates shown. Final eligibility and admission decisions belong entirely to Young Entrepreneur Council. See how you compare against these criteria →
Initiation fees are paid once on joining; dues recur. Chapter dues, retreats, travel and events are usually additional and are listed separately when the organization discloses them. Figures are as published or reported on the date shown — not quotations.
| Cost | First year | Three years | Provenance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual dues | 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. | Source ↗ | |
Structure and programming
Independent context
YEC is the hardest organisation in this group to pin down as of 2026, because it has just changed hands and changed shape. The version most people know - under-45 founders, a US$1m revenue or funding test, and syndicated bylines placed in national outlets - is described consistently in third-party write-ups but no longer appears anywhere on yec.co, which now publishes no age, revenue, funding or exit threshold at all. The site is also silent on price, so a prospective member cannot learn the cost before applying. What is stated clearly is process (form, application, human review, interview) and philosophy ("a gym, not a spa"; give counsel as readily as you take it). Treat any specific YEC criterion or fee quoted elsewhere as historical unless confirmed directly with the organisation.
Editorial analysis by Peer Group Guide editors. It is separated from the record above and follows the editorial policy.
Similar organizations
Alternatives, grouped by need →History and changes
Site-wide change log →- milestoneYEC founded, per its current About page ↗
- milestoneyec.co first appears in the Internet Archive ↗
- milestoneRelaunched under YEC Global, LLC, led by Jessica Aiello (community) and Drew Golub (strategy and technology), both former members, and opened a "2026 Founding Cohort" ↗
Milestones as published by the organization or reported by a named source. “Record” entries are changes to this site’s own record of the organization, kept in the public change log rather than overwritten.
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Sources
- YEC | Young Entrepreneur Council, YEC Global, LLC. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
- About - YEC, YEC Global, LLC. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 1
- Membership - YEC, YEC Global, LLC. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 2
- FAQ - YEC, YEC Global, LLC. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 2
- Apply - YEC, YEC Global, LLC. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 3
- Internet Archive CDX index for yec.co, Internet Archive. Accessed 6 September 2026.tier 8
Source tiers follow the published hierarchy: 1 official site · 2 official membership materials · 3 application documents · 4 annual reports · 5 government filings · 6 reliable business publications · 7 credible interviews · 8 other reputable secondary sources. Sources and data policy.
Is something wrong or out of date?
Represent Young Entrepreneur Council? Verified representatives can submit corrections to fees, criteria, chapters and contact details, and add approved material. Submissions are reviewed by an editor and shown as organization-supplied; they never overwrite independent research.