Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives
CESSE is a nonprofit professional membership association serving hundreds of CEOs and staff of scientific and engineering societies, providing networking, training, and an annual conference (ACCESSE) plus AI-education partnerships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1977
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives does
CESSE (Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives) is a private nonprofit professional membership association headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois, serving hundreds of CEOs and staff of scientific and engineering societies across North America. Its core offerings center on a trusted peer network, delivered through the flagship ACCESSE annual conference (held in 2026 at the Raleigh Convention Center), CEO-exclusive meetings, virtual training courses (Association Basics, Project & Volunteer Management), recurring webinars, and function-specific Shared Interest Groups (Publications, Membership and Marketing, Content, Meetings and Exhibits, Education and Training, and Finance/HR/Administration). The organization awards CAE and CMP continuing education credits and operates on third-party infrastructure including MemberClicks for membership management, Higher Logic for its CESSE Communities platform, and Zoom for virtual training.
CESSE monetizes through four primary streams: annual membership dues from society executives and staff, tiered conference registration ($745-$895 for ACCESSE), paid training courses, and year-round partnership/sponsorship agreements with vendors serving the association market. Its 2025 Year-Round Partner ecosystem spans AI (Betty/Blue Cypress), legal services (Venable LLP), association management consulting (AMC Consulting), audio-visual (Projection), web platforms (Results Direct), and destination marketing (Destination Canada), with an additional strategic partnership offering CESSE members discounted access to the Sidecar AI Learning Hub and AAiP certification. The go-to-market motion is community-led, with growth driven by event attendance, word-of-mouth within the STEM society ecosystem, and digital engagement through the website, blog, email newsletter, and social channels. CESSE is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors with no disclosed parent organization, no funding rounds, and no public revenue disclosure.
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives
- Legal name
- Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives
- Website
- https://cesse.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1977
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- CESSE is a nonprofit professional membership association serving hundreds of CEOs and staff of scientific and engineering societies, providing networking, training, and an annual conference (ACCESSE) plus AI-education partnerships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Association Services for STEM Societies
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD) (EDAAALAF)
Keywords
Where Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: CESSE generates revenue through annual membership fees from CEOs and staff of scientific and engineering societies. Membership provides access to SIGs, webinars, resources, and event discounts.
- Conference Registration: The ACCESSE annual conference is a major revenue stream with tiered pricing based on membership status and early registration deadlines. Additional revenue comes from pre-conference meeting registrations.
- Training Courses: Association Basics course and Project & Volunteer Management course generate revenue through registration fees. Courses award CAE credits and qualify as CMP Preferred Provider content.
- Conference Partnerships: Organizations become ACCESSE partners through sponsorship agreements, gaining access to STEM society decision-makers through various partnership tiers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | One time/ perpetual license | ACCESSE26 Conference - CESSE Member |
| Subscription | One time/ perpetual license | ACCESSE26 Conference - Nonmember |
| Subscription | One time/ perpetual license | Finance & HR Pre-Conference Meeting |
| Subscription | Annual | Sidecar AI Learning Hub - CESSE Members |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CESSE is a private nonprofit professional membership association that provides networking, education, and best-practice exchange services exclusively for CEOs and staff of scientific and engineering societies. Its core deliverables include the ACCESSE annual conference, the Association Basics virtual training course, the CEO Meeting, the Finance & HR Pre-Conference Meeting, the Project & Volunteer Management course, monthly webinars, and function-based Shared Interest Groups. Membership in CESSE provides access to these programs, CAE/CMP continuing education credits, and a Higher Logic-powered online community platform.
Product overview
CESSE offers a portfolio of professional development and networking services for STEM society executives and association management staff. The core offerings include ACCESSE (the flagship annual conference), various training courses (Association Basics, Project & Volunteer Management), CEO-exclusive meetings, and recurring webinars. These are supplemented by Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) hosted on the CESSE Communities platform for peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. Additionally, CESSE provides access to the Sidecar AI Learning Hub as a partner offering for AI education. The organization functions as a professional association rather than a software product company, focusing on trusted peer networks, shared learning, and actionable insights for STEM society management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ACCESSE: The flagship annual conference for STEM society professionals combining leadership development, peer-to-peer connections, and content expertise.
- IGNITE!
Products and services
- ACCESSE Annual Conference
Companies that use Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered event partner, year-round partner, core partner and content partner.
- Betty:AI (Thomas Altman and Rob Barnes)event partnerBetty:AI co-founders Thomas Altman and Rob Barnes present CESSE webinars on AI applications for standards development organizations, demonstrating governed AI use cases for standards lifecycle management.
- Destination Canadayear-round partnerDestination Canada serves as a 2025 Year-Round Partner, promoting Canadian destinations for meetings and events to CESSE members. They offer resources for planning events in Canada with expertise in sustainable and culturally authentic event experiences.
- AMC Consultingyear-round partnerAMC Consulting is listed as a 2025 Year-Round Partner, providing association management consulting services to CESSE members.
- Betty (Blue Cypress)year-round partnerBetty:AI, an AI Knowledge System for Associations, serves as a 2025 Year-Round Partner. They offer AI-powered solutions for associations and provide webinars on AI applications for standards development organizations.
- Blue Cypressyear-round partnerBlue Cypress is an AI ecosystem for associations offering products, services, and education. They serve 1,500+ associations and have launched multiple AI startups. Their Sidecar platform provides AI learning resources to CESSE members.
- Projectionyear-round partnerProjection serves as a 2025 Year-Round Partner, providing audio-visual services for events and conferences.
- Results Directyear-round partnerResults Direct is listed as a 2025 Year-Round Partner, providing web platform solutions for associations.
- Venable LLPyear-round partnerVenable LLP serves as a 2025 Year-Round Partner, providing legal services and thought leadership on association governance, crisis management, and legal considerations for CESSE members.
- Sidecar (Blue Cypress)core partnerSidecar AI Learning Hub partnership provides CESSE members with discounted access to AI education courses including Foundation, Professional, and Executive Plans, plus Association AI Professional (AAiP) certification. The partnership brings continuous AI learning with regularly updated content.
- Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)content partnerAMPP generously provides content for CESSE's Association Basics course, contributing training materials for professionals entering the scientific and engineering association field.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives social profiles
Digital presenceCouncil of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives 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 Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives
What does Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives do?
CESSE is a private nonprofit professional membership association that provides networking, education, and best-practice exchange services exclusively for CEOs and staff of scientific and engineering societies. Its core deliverables include the ACCESSE annual conference, the Association Basics virtual training course, the CEO Meeting, the Finance & HR Pre-Conference Meeting, the Project & Volunteer Management course, monthly webinars, and function-based Shared Interest Groups. Membership in CESSE provides access to these programs, CAE/CMP continuing education credits, and a Higher Logic-powered online community platform.
Is Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives a public or private company?
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives founded?
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives was founded in 1977. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives based?
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are conference Registration, training Courses and conference Partnerships.
Does Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives have an API?
No public API is recorded for Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives.
What industry is Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives in?
Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives's product category is Professional Association Services for STEM Societies. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAALAF, Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD). Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.