Business Leaders of Charlotte
Business Leaders of Charlotte (BLOC) is a private, membership-based professional networking alliance founded in 2001 in Charlotte, NC, serving SMB professionals across five chapters with industry-exclusivity referrals, monthly meetings, and charitable events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersCharlotte, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Business Leaders of Charlotte does
Business Leaders of Charlotte (BLOC) is a private, membership-based professional networking organization founded in 2001 and headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It operates five geographic and demographic chapters — North, South, Uptown, FLOC (young professionals aged 18-35), and Alumni (members with 7+ years of tenure) — that meet monthly at Charlotte-area restaurants. The organization sells annual full memberships at $300 per year plus a one-time $25 application fee, supplemented by an After Hours Annual Pass at $60, per-event fees, and sponsorship programs. Its core value proposition is referral-based business development: members are granted industry exclusivity within their chapter, and since 2018 the network has generated 12,000+ referrals and 10,000+ member-to-member business transactions.
BLOC's product surface centers on recurring chapter luncheons, monthly After Hours evening events, and two anchor annual charitable events — the Charity Golf Classic (now in its 21st year) and BLOC-n-Bowl (24th consecutive year in 2025) — that together have raised $765,766.99 for 30+ local non-profits since 2001. The technology layer is intentionally lightweight: BLOC runs on Wild Apricot membership management software handling the directory, event registration, billing, and email communications. Distribution is primarily community-led, with growth driven by word-of-mouth, social media (Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram), and open-to-public After Hours events that funnel prospects into a structured membership application process requiring attendance at both an After Hours event and a chapter lunch before approval. Sponsorship revenue, including a 2026 SoFi Home Lending title partnership for the Golf Classic, is an emerging monetization layer layered on top of the membership base.
Business Leaders of Charlotte firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Business Leaders of Charlotte
- Legal name
- Business Leaders of Charlotte
- Website
- https://businessleadersofcharlotte.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Business Leaders of Charlotte (BLOC) is a private, membership-based professional networking alliance founded in 2001 in Charlotte, NC, serving SMB professionals across five chapters with industry-exclusivity referrals, monthly meetings, and charitable events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Business Leaders of Charlotte industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Networking Services
- NAICS
- Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Partner, Channel & Alliance Summits (THAHAMAC)
Keywords
Where Business Leaders of Charlotte is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Charlotte
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Business Leaders of Charlotte business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: BLOC charges annual membership dues of $300 per year with a one-time $25 application fee. This is the primary recurring revenue stream from members across all chapters.
- After Hours Annual Pass: A separate $60 annual subscription for After Hours membership that provides access to all After Hours events for the year with automatic renewal.
- Event Revenue: Revenue from event attendance including $10 pre-registration and $15 at-door fees for After Hours events, plus per-person fees for chapter lunch meetings.
- Charity Golf Classic: Golf tournament with team registration at $700 (foursome) or $175 individual, plus mulligan packages at $25 each. The event also includes sponsorship opportunities.
- BLOC-n-Bowl Bowling Event: Bowling tournament at $150 per player ($600 per team) with donation-based fundraising that can reduce or waive fees based on amounts raised.
- Sponsorships: BLOC offers various sponsorship opportunities including Title Sponsor, Charity Legacy, Beneficiary Sponsor, and various hole/cart sponsorships for events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Full Membership - $300/year |
| Subscription | Annual | After Hours Annual Pass - $60/year |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Probationary Member - $25 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | After Hours Event - $10 pre-registration / $15 at door |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Golf Classic Foursome - $700 / Individual - $175 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | BLOC-n-Bowl Per Player - $150 / Team - $600 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Business Leaders of Charlotte product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Business Leaders of Charlotte (BLOC) is a membership-based professional networking alliance that provides structured chapter meetings, monthly After Hours events, and annual charitable events (Golf Classic, BLOC-n-Bowl) to help Charlotte-area professionals generate referrals, grow their businesses, and engage with the local community. Members pay annual dues ($300/year) for industry exclusivity within chapters and access to a referral-driven ecosystem that has facilitated over 12,000 referrals and 10,000+ member-to-member business transactions since 2018.
Product overview
Business Leaders of Charlotte (BLOC) is a membership-based professional networking alliance offering a portfolio of programs and events. The core offering includes geographic chapter meetings (North, South, Uptown) and a young professional chapter (FLOC) that meet monthly, plus signature After Hours networking events held monthly. BLOC runs two major annual charitable events: the BLOC Charity Golf Classic (spring) and BLOC-n-Bowl bowling tournament (winter). Membership tiers include standard full membership ($300/year), Alumni Chapter membership for seasoned members (7+ years), and an After Hours Annual Pass. Since 2001, BLOC has donated over $700,000 to the Charlotte community through these programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FLOC (Future Leaders of Charlotte): A chapter specifically for young professionals aged 18-35 in the Charlotte area.
- BLOC Alumni Chapter
Products and services
- BLOC Full Membership
Companies that use Business Leaders of Charlotte
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Business Leaders of Charlotte technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Business Leaders of Charlotte partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.
- SoFi Home LendingmajorSoFi Home Lending is the Title Sponsor for the 21st Annual BLOC Charity Golf Classic in 2026. This sponsorship supports the organization's community involvement efforts and provides visibility for SoFi at one of BLOC's premier annual events.
- Greater Enrichment Program (GEP)majorGEP is the 2026 beneficiary for the BLOC Charity Golf Classic. GEP is a licensed after-school program serving at-risk elementary-aged children in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools since 1975, having served more than 10,000 children.
- Dove House Children's Advocacy CentermajorDove House CAC is the 2025 beneficiary for BLOC-n-Bowl. Their mission is to minimize trauma, promote healing, and enhance investigation and prosecution for child-victims of sexual abuse through advocacy, intervention, collaboration, and education.
- The Smith Family Behavioral Health Urgent CareminorBLOC donated over $12,000 to The Smith Family Behavioral Health Urgent Care in 2025 as part of their community involvement efforts.
- Wild ApricotcoreBLOC uses Wild Apricot membership management software for website hosting, member directory, event registration, email communications, and membership administration.
- Country Club of the Carolinas at FirethorneminorHost venue for the 21st Annual BLOC Charity Golf Classic in 2026.
- Bowlero 10 Park LanesminorHost venue for the annual BLOC-n-Bowl charity bowling tournament.
- Stir CharlotteminorVenue for BLOC-Uptown and FLOC monthly chapter meetings at 1422 S. Tryon Street, Suite 130 in Charlotte.
- Ames St. MarketplaceminorVenue for BLOC-South monthly chapter meetings at 215 N Ames St Suite 1000, Matthews, NC 28105.
- Foxcroft in Birkdale VillageminorVenue for BLOC-North monthly chapter meetings at 16915 Birkdale Commons Pkwy, Suite A, Huntersville, NC, 28078.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Business Leaders of Charlotte competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- LeTip International: Long-standing chapter-based professional networking organization with industry exclusivity and weekly meeting cadence — directly analogous to BLOC's referral-driven, exclusive-category model.
- BNI (Business Network International): The largest global referral-based business networking organization using chapter-based, industry-exclusive membership — the closest direct competitor to BLOC's operating model, just at global scale.
Broad incumbents
- Vistage Worldwide: Peer advisory and executive coaching organization serving SMB CEOs with paid membership groups — comparable in that it monetizes structured peer-to-peer business leader communities, though at a higher executive tier and price point.
Emerging players
- 1 Million Cups (Kauffman Foundation): Free, community-led monthly entrepreneur meetup program supported by the Kauffman Foundation — overlaps BLOC's mission of connecting local business owners, though without the dues or industry-exclusivity structure.
- Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO): Global peer network for entrepreneurs that runs local chapter events for business owners — comparable audience (small/mid business leaders) and chapter-based delivery, though with much higher dues and a more selective membership bar.
- Alignable: Digital small-business referral and networking platform — direct substitute for BLOC's in-person referral value proposition, leveraging free/low-cost online member networks that may erode the case for paid chapter membership.
Regional players
- Charlotte Regional Business Alliance: Charlotte-area chamber of commerce and business membership organization — operates in the same geography and targets overlapping SMB segments, but as a broader economic-development body rather than a referral network.
- Chamber of Commerce (generic local Charlotte chapter): Local chambers of commerce in the Charlotte area serve SMBs with networking events, advocacy, and member directories — an adjacent membership model that overlaps BLOC's audience and competes for the same networking-event mindshare.
Others
- SCORE: Free SBA-affiliated mentoring and small-business education network — an adjacent resource that competes for the same Charlotte SMB audience's attention, but offers mentoring rather than referral exchange.
- Toastmasters International: Global membership organization with local Charlotte-area clubs running regular member meetings — analogous member-meeting cadence and dues model, but oriented to leadership/communication skill-building rather than business referrals.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Business Leaders of Charlotte social profiles
Digital presenceBusiness Leaders of Charlotte financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Business Leaders of Charlotte leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Business Leaders of Charlotte funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Business Leaders of Charlotte 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 Leaders of Charlotte
What does Business Leaders of Charlotte do?
Business Leaders of Charlotte (BLOC) is a membership-based professional networking alliance that provides structured chapter meetings, monthly After Hours events, and annual charitable events (Golf Classic, BLOC-n-Bowl) to help Charlotte-area professionals generate referrals, grow their businesses, and engage with the local community. Members pay annual dues ($300/year) for industry exclusivity within chapters and access to a referral-driven ecosystem that has facilitated over 12,000 referrals and 10,000+ member-to-member business transactions since 2018.
Is Business Leaders of Charlotte a public or private company?
Business Leaders of Charlotte is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Business Leaders of Charlotte founded?
Business Leaders of Charlotte was founded in 2001. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Business Leaders of Charlotte based?
Business Leaders of Charlotte is headquartered in Charlotte, United States, in the North America region.
How does Business Leaders of Charlotte make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are after Hours Annual Pass, event Revenue, charity Golf Classic, BLOC-n-Bowl Bowling Event and sponsorships.
Who are Business Leaders of Charlotte's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are LeTip International and BNI (Business Network International). Vistage Worldwide is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are 1 Million Cups (Kauffman Foundation), Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) and Alignable. Regional players are Charlotte Regional Business Alliance and Chamber of Commerce (generic local Charlotte chapter). Others are SCORE and Toastmasters International.
Does Business Leaders of Charlotte have an API?
No public API is recorded for Business Leaders of Charlotte.
What industry is Business Leaders of Charlotte in?
Business Leaders of Charlotte's product category is Professional Networking Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHACAK, Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services, with a secondary code of THAHAMAC, Partner, Channel & Alliance Summits. Its NAICS code is 813920 and its SIC code is 8600.