Graduate Business Forum

What Graduate Business Forum does

Graduate Business Forum (GBF) is a U.S.-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded in 1983 by Jim Deveau following his MBA at Columbia Business School. It operates as a global membership network of current and former student leaders from top MBA and graduate business programs, with a stated mission to 'inspire vision, create understanding and facilitate change in graduate management education, business and society.' Its flagship product is the annual Graduate Business Conference (GBC), a multi-day in-person gathering that rotates among partner schools worldwide — GBC 2025 is hosted by Ivey Business School (Western Ontario) under the theme 'Resilience – A Pillar for Tomorrow's Leaders.' Adjacent offerings include the Student Leadership Award (since 1991), the Responsible Leadership Award (since 2011), the Responsible Leadership Fund (a grantmaking program), Leadership Best Practices programming, GBF Alumni Summits, and regional conferences. No proprietary technology platform underpins these services; the organization relies on its website (Squarespace), the third-party Zeffy registration platform for ticket sales, and LinkedIn/Twitter for community engagement.

The business model is event-centric and dual-stream. The first revenue stream is per-attendee conference registration (USD 200 per attendee for GBC 2025), recorded as a one-time license-style payment that covers meals, materials, and local transport. The second stream is corporate sponsorships and school partnerships underwriting operations, the awards programs, and the Responsible Leadership Fund. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: access is invite-only or school-mediated, and recruitment runs through student governments at top business schools rather than direct paid acquisition. The organization reports engagement metrics of 2,500+ student leaders participated cumulatively, 30+ participating countries, 300+ forums and workshops delivered, and 100+ executives and officials engaged as speakers.

GBF is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Niall O'Hea, with a day-to-day executive team of approximately 10–15 people drawn from schools including NYU Stern, Cambridge Judge, Rotman, and Wisconsin School of Business. Notable leadership includes CFO Joe Sciarrino (FTI Consulting Managing Director, appointed 2019) and CEO Phoebe Laughlin (NYU Stern MBA, 2025 Student Leadership Award recipient). The executive committee is supported by board members with operating roles at AEye (Blair LaCorte), EAI Technologies (Velan Thillairajah), Euclid Network (Wieteke Dupain), and Thrivence (Gary McClure). The organization does not disclose financials and has not raised conventional funding.

Name

Graduate Business Forum

Legal name

Graduate Business Forum

Website

https://graduatebusinessforum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Graduate Business Forum is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 that runs a global network of MBA student leaders from top business schools, anchored by its annual Graduate Business Conference (GBC) and a long-running Student Leadership and Responsible Leadership Awards program spanning 30+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Leadership Development and Networking Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Education Conference Organizers (THAHACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Leadership, Service Learning & Volunteer-to-Career Pathways (EDAMAKAJ), Mentorship & Coaching (Career, Academic, Industry-Specific) (EDAMAKAA)

Keywords

• Leadership development programs
• Business networking events
• Graduate management education
• Student leadership awards
• Professional conference services

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration Fees: The organization charges registration fees for the annual Graduate Business Conference (GBC), with 2025 registration at USD 200 per attendee.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, GBF likely receives corporate sponsorships and partnerships with business schools to fund operations and the Responsible Leadership Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Graduate Business Forum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs the annual Graduate Business Conference (GBC) and a portfolio of leadership development programs connecting MBA student leaders from top global business schools. Its offerings include the Student Leadership Award and Responsible Leadership Award (presented at the GBC), the Responsible Leadership Fund, regional conferences, alumni summits, and a Leadership Best Practices knowledge-sharing program. Revenue is generated through conference registration fees (USD 200 per attendee for GBC 2025) and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

The Graduate Business Forum (GBF) operates as a single unified nonprofit offering centered on its annual Graduate Business Conference (GBC). The portfolio includes the Student Leadership Awards and Responsible Leadership Awards presented at the GBC, the Responsible Leadership Fund providing financial support, Leadership Best Practices programs for knowledge sharing, GBF Alumni Summits, and regional conferences. These offerings collectively support the organization's mission to inspire responsible leadership and global citizenship within the graduate business community worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Graduate Business Conference (GBC): The flagship annual conference hosted by GBF, bringing together student leaders from top global MBA programs. The conference includes workshops, networking opportunities, leadership awards, and cultural experiences.
• Student Leadership Award
• Responsible Leadership Award
• Global Leadership Awards
• Responsible Leadership Fund

Products and services

• Graduate Business Conference (GBC) The flagship annual conference of GBF, bringing together student leaders from top MBA and graduate business programs worldwide for networking, workshops, inspirational speakers, and the Global Leadership Awards ceremony. The GBC 2025 edition is hosted at Ivey Business School in London, Ontario, Canada with the theme 'Resilience - A Pillar for Tomorrow's Leaders'.
• Student Leadership Award An award presented annually at the GBC to recognize outstanding leadership and innovation at the graduate business level. Notable recipients include Phoebe Laughlin (NYU Stern) and Mohit Gupta (Western Ontario Ivey) in 2025, and historical recipients from schools including Wharton, Carnegie Mellon Tepper, LSE, MIT Sloan, and others since 1991.
• Responsible Leadership Award An award introduced in 2011 to specifically recognize sustainability, charity, and social responsibility initiatives in the business school community, presented during the annual GBC.
• Responsible Leadership Fund A grant program providing financial and material support focused on leadership development in CSR, community projects, sustainable initiatives, and research that improves the quality of business education.
• Leadership Best Practices Program A knowledge-sharing initiative to identify, document, and share exemplary leadership examples and best practices throughout the GBF network, supporting graduate leaders to succeed in their visions.
• GBF Alumni Summits Events providing access to GBF alumni networks for continued knowledge sharing, learning, and leadership development beyond student years.
• Regional Conferences Regular calls, seminars, and regional conferences discussing important leadership challenges in management education, business, and society, supporting both global and regional knowledge sharing across the GBF network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2500+ student leaders have participated in GBC conferences since 1983
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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 core.

• Ivey Business School (Western Ontario)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1983Host of GBC 2025 - Ivey Business School serves as the primary conference host, leading discussions around the theme 'Resilience – A Pillar for Tomorrow's Leaders' in London, Ontario, Canada.
• Copenhagen Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1983Long-standing partner that hosted GBC 2006 and 2018; serves as a natural platform for CBS given its ambition to be among the best business schools globally
• Indian School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1983Hosted GBC 2013; multiple Student Leadership Award recipients from ISB; supports GBF's mission to develop responsible leadership in graduate business education
• National University of Singapore Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1983Hosted GBC 2007; valued partner for Asia's global business school community; multiple award recipients including Responsible Leadership Award winners
• China Europe International Business School (CEIBS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1983Hosted GBC 2015; multiple award recipients; CEIBS CSR Club and student leaders have been recognized for social innovation and carbon neutrality initiatives
• NYU Stern School of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 19832024-25 Langone Student Government Co-President Phoebe Laughlin serves as GBF CEO; active participation in GBF leadership programs
• ESCP EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1983Hosted GBC 2019 with theme 'United in Diversity'; ongoing partnership in the GBF network of top business schools
• University of St. Gallen (HSG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1983Hosted GBC 2016 with theme 'Giving Back: The Responsibility of Future Leaders'

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Net Impact: Net Impact is a global nonprofit mobilizing professionals and students to use business as a force for social and environmental good, with chapters at top business schools and annual conferences. It overlaps with GBF's responsible leadership programming and student-driven business school network model.
• Beta Gamma Sigma: Beta Gamma Sigma is the international honor society for AACSB-accredited business schools, recognizing top-performing MBA and business students worldwide through chapters, awards, and lifetime member benefits. It shares GBF's model of cross-school recognition for graduate business student leaders.
• CEMS - The Global Alliance in Management Education: CEMS is a global alliance of leading business schools that connects top students through international Master's programs, a global student board, and shared leadership/career programming. It is the closest direct peer to GBF given its focus on cross-school MBA/MIM student leader networks and global conferences.
• Forté Foundation: Forté Foundation is a nonprofit consortium of leading companies and business schools focused on launching women into business school and leadership through scholarships, MBA conferences, and career programming. It targets a similar MBA student leader audience and runs comparable annual events.
• Consortium for Graduate Study in Management: The Consortium is a nonprofit alliance of leading business schools and corporate partners that prepares underrepresented students for MBA programs and business leadership through fellowships, mentoring, and conferences. It serves graduate business school student leaders with a similar mission-aligned structure.
• AMBA - Association of MBAs and Business Graduates: AMBA/BGA is a global professional association that accredits MBA, DBA, and MBM programs and engages MBA students and alumni through events, awards, and networking. It is highly comparable to GBF given its focus on connecting graduate business students globally and recognizing leadership.

Broad incumbents

• QS Quacquarelli Symonds: QS is a global higher education analytics and events company that publishes MBA rankings and runs MBA-specific events (QS World MBA Tour, MBA fairs) connecting prospective students, business schools, and recruiters. It operates a larger, commercial version of the conference-circuit model GBF uses.
• GMAC - Graduate Management Admission Council: GMAC is the owner of the GMAT exam and operates major MBA-focused events (GMAC conferences, tours, and research) connecting graduate business schools, students, and corporate recruiters worldwide. It is a much larger incumbent in the same graduate business ecosystem that GBF serves.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gbconference
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/graduate-business-forum
• Facebookfacebook.com/gbconference

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Graduate Business Forum