Business Executives for National Security
Business Executives for National Security (BENS) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1982, that connects a 450-member network of CEO/C-Suite executives with U.S. national security leaders through advisory projects, executive travel, and thought leadership, funded by member contributions and provided at no cost to government.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Business Executives for National Security does
Business Executives for National Security (BENS) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1982 by Stanley A. Weiss, that operates as the primary private-sector bridge to the U.S. national security community. Its core product is an invitation-based membership network of approximately 450 CEO/C-Suite executives who contribute business expertise pro bono through advisory projects, roundtables, executive travel delegations, mentorship, and thought leadership. Services are delivered at no cost to government partners - including the Department of Defense, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Department of the Treasury, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, U.S. Combatant Commands, and NATO Strategic Commands - and the organization explicitly does not accept government funding.
BENS has no proprietary technology platform; its "platform" is relational, anchored by 40+ years of bilateral trust with senior government leaders and reinforced by a Distinguished Senior Fellows bench of retired four-star generals and admirals, an Ambassador's Council, and a Stanley A. Weiss Internship pipeline. The organization structures its work around four campaign areas: Homeland Resilience and Response, Strengthening Supply Chains, Mobilizing Private Capital, and Geopolitical and Economic Insights, with content distributed through a Substack publication (The BENS Lens), reports and practitioner recommendations, and a national footprint of seven regional offices (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York, Silicon Valley, and Washington D.C. Metro).
The revenue model is member-funded and member-driven. Primary funding comes from membership contributions and donations, supplemented by a structured planned-giving program (the Stanley A. Weiss Legacy Society) accepting bequests, charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, and donor-advised fund designations. Strict ethics prohibit lobbying and business development, members participate in their individual capacity, and membership dues are not publicly disclosed. The organization carries a 4-Star Charity Navigator rating (2025) and a Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency (2025).
Business Executives for National Security firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Business Executives for National Security
- Legal name
- Business Executives for National Security
- Website
- https://bens.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Business Executives for National Security (BENS) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1982, that connects a 450-member network of CEO/C-Suite executives with U.S. national security leaders through advisory projects, executive travel, and thought leadership, funded by member contributions and provided at no cost to government.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Business Executives for National Security industry classification
Industry- Product category
- National Security Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (81392)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Executive Leadership Summits (C-Suite, Board, Strategy Offsites) (THAHAMAA)
Keywords
Where Business Executives for National Security is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
Business Executives for National Security business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Contributions and Donations: BENS is funded through membership contributions and donations from business executives. Government funding is not accepted. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing services at no cost to the government.
- Planned Giving and Legacy Gifts: BENS accepts planned gifts including bequests, charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, and donor-advised fund designations as part of the Stanley A. Weiss Legacy Society.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Business Executives for National Security product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Business Executives for National Security (BENS) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that connects elite business executives with senior U.S. national security leaders. It organizes four campaign areas—Homeland Resilience and Response, Strengthening Supply Chains, Mobilizing Private Capital, and Geopolitical and Economic Insights—delivered through membership events, executive travel delegations, targeted projects, mentorship, thought leadership reports, and publications.
Product overview
Business Executives for National Security (BENS) is a nonpartisan nonprofit membership organization that serves as a bridge between private sector business leaders and the national security community. BENS does not offer a technology platform or software product; rather, it provides a suite of engagement services including an elite membership program with access to events, roundtables, executive travel delegations, mentorship, and targeted projects. The organization also produces thought leadership through The BENS Lens Substack publication, reports and practitioner recommendations, and runs programs such as the Distinguished Senior Fellows initiative and the Stanley A. Weiss Internship. BENS organizes its work around four campaign areas: Homeland Resilience and Response, Strengthening Supply Chains, Mobilizing Private Capital, and Geopolitical and Economic Insights. The portfolio is fundamentally service-oriented rather than product-based, focused on connecting private sector expertise with government security priorities at no cost to the government.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The BENS Lens: A Substack publication providing exclusive national security insights and perspectives delivered directly to subscribers.
- Stanley A. Weiss Legacy Society
- Eisenhower Awards
- Commission on the National Response Enterprise (CNRE)
Products and services
- BENS Membership Program Elite membership program connecting qualified business executives with senior national security leaders through exclusive events, roundtables, travel programs, and project participation opportunities. Members contribute expertise pro bono to government partners.
- Events & Roundtables Exclusive in-person and virtual convenings for members and guests featuring senior military, intelligence, and homeland security leaders. Includes luncheons, panels, and speaker series.
- Executive Travel Program Private sector leader delegations to examine critical geopolitical issues and engage with international partners. Recent delegations have visited Brussels, Athens, Hanoi, Buenos Aires, and Panama City.
- BENS Projects Targeted project engagements where members collaborate with government partners on specific national security challenges, applying best business practices.
- Mentorship Program Connection between BENS staff and private sector leaders with military, government, and key industry experience to support professional development.
- Thought Leadership Reports & Publications Reports, practitioner recommendations, and publications providing actionable insights on national security challenges facing the United States.
- Distinguished Senior Fellows Program Program bringing retired military generals and admirals to work alongside private sector executives on national security challenges. Current fellows include Lt Gen Brian Beaudreault, Lt Gen Laura Potter, Gen Anthony Cotton, Admiral Christopher Grady, and VADM Trey Whitworth.
- Stanley A. Weiss Internship Program Fall internship program placing high-performing candidates at the intersection of industry and national security, supporting BENS campaigns on homeland resilience, supply chains, and private capital.
- The BENS Lens Exclusive Substack publication delivering national security insights and perspectives, featuring commentary from BENS members and leadership.
- Eisenhower Awards Annual awards honoring public servants and private citizens who safeguard freedom, presented since 1986 to over 100 deserving Americans.
- Stanley A. Weiss Legacy Society Planned giving program for donors to support the organization's mission through deferred gifts including bequests, charitable remainder trusts, charitable gift annuities, and donor-advised fund designations.
- 2025 Leadership Report Annual publication highlighting BENS members' contributions through focused campaigns, strategic convenings, member delegations, and applied thought leadership.
Companies that use Business Executives for National Security
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Business Executives for National Security technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Business Executives for National Security partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- U.S. Department of DefensecorePrimary government partner. BENS provides senior military leaders with access to business expertise and best practices. The organization has worked extensively with DoD on defense reform, acquisition improvements, and operational challenges. Services are provided at no cost to the government.
- U.S. Combatant CommandscoreBENS supports U.S. combatant commands and NATO strategic commands by examining business and economic conditions pertinent to their respective missions. Recent delegations have visited to Brussels, Athens, Hanoi, Buenos Aires, and Panama City.
- U.S. Department of StatecoreBENS engages senior business and government leaders at the intersection of geopolitics and economic security through the Geopolitics and Economic Statecraft program.
- U.S. Department of Homeland SecuritycorePartnership with DHS including FEMA and Secret Service on homeland security challenges including emergency response, infrastructure protection, and national resilience.
- U.S. Department of the TreasurycoreCollaboration on economic security and financial aspects of national security challenges.
- Central Intelligence AgencycoreEngagement with CIA on intelligence and security matters relevant to business community insights.
- Office of the Director of National IntelligencecorePartnership providing business perspectives to the intelligence community on national security challenges.
- NATO Strategic CommandscoreBENS has supported NATO strategic commands by examining business and economic conditions. Recent engagement includes Commodore Maryla Ingham of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Business Executives for National Security competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Heritage Foundation: Major U.S. policy research organization with deep national security and defense work and substantial influence in Washington. Comparable to BENS in shaping defense and security policy conversations, though partisan rather than nonpartisan.
- RAND Corporation: Established nonprofit research institution with deep defense and national security policy work, including a longstanding relationship with the U.S. national security community. Broader and more research-output-oriented than BENS but operates in the same national-security advisory space.
- Brookings Institution: Major public policy think tank with substantial national security and foreign policy programs. Overlaps with BENS on policy research and senior-leader convening, though operates at significantly larger scale and with a broader policy remit.
- Young Presidents' Organization (YPO): Premier global membership organization for chief executives offering peer learning, forums, and education. Comparable to BENS in elite executive membership structure and learning/convening model, though focused on private-sector peer exchange rather than national security missions.
Direct peers
- Atlantic Council: Nonpartisan think tank focused on international affairs and national security with strong business and government engagement programs. Comparable to BENS for its defense/foreign policy focus, leadership convening function, and business-government bridge model.
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): Bipartite national security and foreign policy think tank with deep engagement with senior government and private sector leaders. Directly comparable to BENS in subject-matter focus (defense, homeland security, geopolitics) and in producing practitioner recommendations alongside BENS (e.g., 2004 "Tackling the Web" white paper).
- Aspen Strategy Group: Membership-based policy discussion forum within the Aspen Institute convening senior business, policy, and national security leaders around U.S. foreign policy. Highly comparable operating model to BENS — exclusive events, C-suite/government audience, member-driven agenda.
- Council on Foreign Relations: Elite nonpartisan membership organization that convenes senior business, policy, and government leaders around U.S. foreign policy and national security issues. Directly comparable to BENS in operating model (exclusive membership, member dues, think tank publishing) and in serving a similar C-suite/government audience.
Emerging players
- Truman National Security Project: Membership organization for emerging national security leaders with strong policy and government engagement programming. Comparable mission to BENS but focused on next-generation leaders rather than sitting C-suite executives.
Others
- World Economic Forum: International organization for public-private cooperation that convenes heads of state, business executives, and policy leaders around global challenges including security. Comparable to BENS in elite-executive convening function but operating at global rather than U.S. national security scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Business Executives for National Security social profiles
Digital presenceBusiness Executives for National Security compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Business Executives for National Security financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Business Executives for National Security leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Business Executives for National Security funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Business Executives for National Security M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Business Executives for National Security
What does Business Executives for National Security do?
Business Executives for National Security (BENS) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that connects elite business executives with senior U.S. national security leaders. It organizes four campaign areas—Homeland Resilience and Response, Strengthening Supply Chains, Mobilizing Private Capital, and Geopolitical and Economic Insights—delivered through membership events, executive travel delegations, targeted projects, mentorship, thought leadership reports, and publications.
Is Business Executives for National Security a public or private company?
Business Executives for National Security is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Business Executives for National Security founded?
Business Executives for National Security was founded in 1982. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Business Executives for National Security based?
Business Executives for National Security is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Business Executives for National Security make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Contributions and Donations are the primary driver. The others are planned Giving and Legacy Gifts.
Who are Business Executives for National Security's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Heritage Foundation, RAND Corporation, Brookings Institution and Young Presidents' Organization (YPO). Direct peers are Atlantic Council, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Aspen Strategy Group and Council on Foreign Relations. Truman National Security Project is listed as an emerging player. World Economic Forum is listed as an others.
Does Business Executives for National Security have an API?
No public API is recorded for Business Executives for National Security.
What industry is Business Executives for National Security in?
Business Executives for National Security's product category is National Security Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABAAAA, Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development, with a secondary code of THAHAMAA, Executive Leadership Summits (C-Suite, Board, Strategy Offsites). Its NAICS code is 81392 and its SIC code is 8600.