What Evanta does

Evanta operates invitation-only executive communities for C-level leaders, functioning as a peer-to-peer knowledge exchange platform within Gartner's broader research and advisory ecosystem. The company runs 101 unique communities serving approximately 14,000 individual members drawn from 7,500 organizations, with 404 C-level programs delivered annually across 10 countries. As of March 2025, Evanta formally rebranded to Gartner C-level Communities, deepening alignment with the parent Gartner (NYSE: IT) brand. The platform currently targets six executive cohorts: CIO, CISO, CHRO, CDAO, CFO, and the newly launched CSCO (Chief Supply Chain Officer).

The core product is membership-based executive community programming, combining facilitated peer discussions, executive gatherings, benchmarking exercises, and vendor-sponsored content. Member organizations include 93% of the Fortune 100 and 74% of companies with $1B+ in revenue, spanning consumer goods (Keurig Dr Pepper, Mars, Land O'Lakes), insurance (American Family Insurance), industrials (Schneider Electric), and professional sports (NBA). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and access is by invitation only. Revenue is generated through a dual model: enterprise membership fees paid by member organizations and sponsorship arrangements with enterprise technology vendors including Cisco, Cyera, Rubrik, Zscaler, Cloudflare, Securiti AI, and Island. The company also operates a mobile app introduced in 2025 as a member-engagement channel.

The company was founded in 2009 by Bob Dethlefs, who continues to serve as CEO, with Clare Ryan serving as VP of Content and Product Strategy. Headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, Evanta employs between 251 and 500 people and has been a Gartner subsidiary since approximately 2017. The latest strategic initiative is the launch of the CSCO community and its planned geographic expansion to New York, Chicago, and London in 2026.

Name

Evanta

Legal name

Evanta, a Gartner Company

Website

https://evanta.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Evanta, now Gartner C-level Communities, operates invitation-only executive peer communities for CIO, CISO, CHRO, CDAO, CFO, and CSCO leaders. It serves approximately 14,000 members from 7,500 organizations, including 93% of the Fortune 100, via 404 annual programs across 10 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Peer Networking & Communities

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Remote/Hybrid Leadership & Distributed Team Management (EDABAAAN)

Keywords

• Executive peer networks
• C-level communities
• Leadership events
• Executive summits
• Professional networking platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Organization membership fees for access to exclusive C-level communities, year-round programs, peer insights, and networking opportunities
2. Sponsorship: Technology vendors and solution providers sponsor communities and events, gaining access to C-level executives for thought leadership and business development. Sponsors include Global Thought Leaders (Cyera, Rubrik, Zscaler), CISO Thought Leaders (Cisco, Cloudflare, Securiti AI), and program sponsors for specific events.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Evanta operates Gartner C-level Communities, an invitation-only, membership-based platform that connects C-level executives (CIO, CISO, CHRO, CDAO, CFO, CSCO) from $500M+ revenue organizations through year-round Executive Summits, Town Halls, Inner Circles, and peer-to-peer meetings across 101 local communities in North America, EMEA, and APAC. Members access peer-validated insights, benchmarking research, the Leadership Perspective Survey, and curated networking via the Gartner C-level Communities app.

Product overview

Gartner C-level Communities (formerly Evanta) operates a portfolio of six exclusive C-level communities: CIO, CISO, CHRO, CDAO, CFO, and CSCO. The platform offers structured peer networking through year-round programs including Executive Summits, Town Halls, and Inner Circles held in local markets globally. Community members gain access to peer-validated insights, exclusive research, and one-on-one peer matching. The company also publishes the annual Leadership Perspective Survey drawing on responses from over 1,100 CIOs. The portfolio spans 101 communities across North America, EMEA, and APAC regions, serving 14,000+ members from 7,500+ organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CIO Community: Communities for Chief Information Officers to connect, share insights, and discuss technology leadership challenges
• CISO Community
• CHRO Community
• CDAO Community
• CFO Community
• CSCO Community

Products and services

• Gartner C-level Communities Platform An exclusive, invitation-only networking and peer-learning platform that connects C-level executives across six communities — CIO, CISO, CHRO, CDAO, CFO, and CSCO — offering year-round programs, peer-validated insights, and curated connections for senior leaders from $500M+ revenue organizations.
• Executive Summits

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of Fortune 100 companies represented across communities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered global thought leader, ciso thought leader, program sponsor and parent company.

• Cyeraglobal thought leaderGTM or Marketing PartnerCyera serves as a Global Thought Leader sponsor for CISO communities, providing cybersecurity thought leadership content and participating in executive discussions on data security and AI environments.
• Rubrikglobal thought leaderGTM or Marketing PartnerRubrik sponsors CISO communities as a Global Thought Leader, contributing expertise on cyber resilience and data recovery strategies for enterprise security leaders.
• Zscalerglobal thought leaderGTM or Marketing PartnerZscaler participates as a Global Thought Leader sponsor, providing insights on Zero Trust architecture and AI security for C-level community programs.
• Ciscociso thought leaderGTM or Marketing PartnerCisco serves as a CISO Thought Leader sponsor for community programs, contributing cybersecurity expertise and technology perspectives for security executive discussions.
• Cloudflareciso thought leaderGTM or Marketing PartnerCloudflare sponsors CISO communities as a Thought Leader, providing insights on network security, zero trust, and cloud protection strategies.
• Securiti AI (Veeam company)ciso thought leaderGTM or Marketing PartnerSecuriti AI, a Veeam company, sponsors CISO communities as a Thought Leader, contributing expertise on AI-powered security and data governance.
• Islandprogram sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerIsland sponsors DACH CISO Community programs, providing browser security and enterprise protection insights for executive discussions.
• Gartnerparent companyStrategic or Co-development PartnerGartner acquired Evanta eight years ago; Evanta now operates as Gartner C-level Communities, leveraging Gartner's research brand and analyst relationships to attract top-tier C-level executives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vistage Worldwide: Vistage operates paid peer-advisory groups for CEOs, executives, and business owners — the closest direct competitor to Evanta's invitation-only C-suite community model, with a similar model of recurring membership fees and facilitated peer exchange.
• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): YPO is one of the largest global peer communities for chief executives, offering forums, events, and education programs. It is comparable as a high-end, membership-gated executive peer network with global geographic reach.
• Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO): EO provides peer-learning communities for entrepreneurs and founders through chapter-based forums and events. It overlaps with Evanta on the executive peer-networking model, though skewed toward founders and earlier-stage company leaders.
• The Alternative Board (TAB): TAB runs peer advisory boards for business owners and CEOs, charging recurring membership fees for monthly peer group meetings. It is comparable to Evanta in business model and target audience of senior executives seeking confidential peer exchange.

Emerging players

• Chief: Chief is a private membership network for senior executive women, offering peer groups, events, and programming. It competes with Evanta for C-level mind-share among executives seeking curated peer communities, though it is digital-first and less tied to enterprise IT functions.
• Pavilion: Pavilion is a private membership community for go-to-market leaders offering peer groups, benchmarking, and events. It overlaps with Evanta as a paid executive peer community, though concentrated in revenue and marketing leadership rather than CIO/CISO functions.
• G2: G2 operates a software-buyer community with reviews, discussions, and events targeting enterprise technology decision-makers. It is comparable as a community-led platform monetizing the same CIO/CISO buyer audience that Evanta serves.
• PeerSpot (formerly IT Central Station): PeerSpot is a peer review and community platform for enterprise technology buyers, particularly in cybersecurity and infrastructure. It competes for the same CISO buyer attention and sponsorship dollars that anchor Evanta's CISO communities.

Broad incumbents

• Gartner Peer Insights: Gartner Peer Insights is the parent company's enterprise software review and ratings platform, with adjacent buyer-community dynamics. It is comparable as a Gartner-owned peer-content asset serving enterprise technology buyers and decision-makers.
• Harvard Business Review Ascend / HBR communities: HBR offers subscription content, executive education, and curated programming for senior business leaders, overlapping with Evanta on the audience of C-suite executives seeking premium leadership development resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/evanta
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/evanta
• Facebookfacebook.com/evanta-1155552454470409

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Evanta