The CEO Forum

What The CEO Forum does

The CEO Forum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization founded in 1995 and headquartered in Highland Village, Texas (Dallas/Fort Worth metro area). It operates an exclusive, application-gated membership community for Christ-following CEOs and senior executives with leadership responsibility for at least $100 million in annual revenue, with member counts described as "nearly 200." The organization was created by Mac McQuiston while at Focus on the Family, became an independent entity in 2005, and has been led since 2016 by Dr. Richard S. Lytle (President & CEO), a former dean of the Abilene Christian University College of Business Administration.

The product portfolio centers on spiritual leadership development and confidential peer community rather than technology. Core offerings include the CEO Forum Membership itself, the Spiritual Leadership Institute (a three-year cohort-based executive formation program with yearly themes of Called to God, Conformed to Christ, and Commissioned to Lead), the ENTRUST initiative for next-generation leaders aged 30–45 (510+ served since 2017), the Life 3.0 program for retired or transitioning leaders, an Annual Forum gathering, area events, 1-on-1 confidential pastoral conversations, a Women's Spouse Ministry, and a National Education Series of video content. Delivery relies on a website portal, video resources, and in-person/virtual events; no proprietary technology platform is sold or licensed.

The revenue model is philanthropic and membership-driven rather than commercial. Active members are expected to contribute a minimum of $18,000 annually (increasing from $17,000 effective January 12, 2026), covering all ministry programs, Annual Forum attendance, SLI access, area events, and member resources. The Transformation 2025 capital campaign funds strategic growth initiatives outside operational giving, and the Immeasurably More Fund captures planned/legacy gifts. Distribution is exclusively direct, community-led, and referral-based, with no traditional marketing or sales channel — prospective members complete an initial conversation, brief application, and review/approval before joining.

Name

The CEO Forum

Legal name

CEO Forum, Inc.

Website

https://theceoforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The CEO Forum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1995 that operates an exclusive membership community for Christ-following CEOs and senior executives of $100M+ revenue companies, providing confidential pastoral care, peer networking, and spiritual leadership development through cohort programs, annual forums, and next-generation leadership initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Leadership Development

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Executive Leadership Summits (C-Suite, Board, Strategy Offsites) (THAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Executive leadership development
• Faith-based mentoring programs
• Spiritual formation education
• Peer executive networking
• Christian business community

Headquarters

HQ city

Denton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Member Contributions: CEO Forum is a 501(c)(3) educational organization funded primarily through active members' annual contributions. The expected annual contribution is at least $18,000, made at the time of acceptance into CEO Forum and continuing annually for as long as the relationship exists. Many members contribute additional resources beyond the minimum to sustain the organization's mission.
2. Transformation 2025 Campaign: Separate from members' expected operational giving, the Transformation 2025 Campaign supports the strategic vision of expanding CEO Forum's reach and scope of influence in the marketplace. This is a capital campaign for growth initiatives.
3. Planned Giving / Legacy Gifts: Funding for the mission and ministry of CEO Forum also comes from legacy gifts which add financial stability and capacity so its work remains a trusted and viable Kingdom asset for generations to come.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The CEO Forum operates as an exclusive membership community that delivers spiritual leadership development, faith-based mentoring, pastoral care, and peer networking for Christ-following CEOs and senior executives. It sells access to its member community (annual contributions of at least $18,000) along with bundled programs including the three-year Spiritual Leadership Institute cohort, the Annual Forum gathering, the ENTRUST next-generation initiative, and Life 3.0 transition support.

Product overview

The CEO Forum is a premier spiritual leadership development organization offering a membership community for Christ-following CEOs and Senior Executives. The portfolio consists of: CEO Forum Membership (core offering with safe/confidential gatherings and pastoral care); Spiritual Leadership Institute (SLI), a three-year executive education program with yearly themes of Called to God, Conformed to Christ, and Commissioned to Lead; ENTRUST, a next-generation leadership initiative for emerging leaders aged 30-45; Annual Forum (biennial national gathering); Life 3.0 (retirement/transition support); Women's Spouse Ministry; National Education Series (video content); Area Events (local gatherings); and 1-on-1 Conversations (pastoral coaching). These offerings work together to provide faith-based leadership development, peer networking, and spiritual formation for executives and their families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spiritual Leadership Institute (SLI): A three-year spiritual leadership development program built on executive education and Christian discipleship practices for senior executives.
• ENTRUST
• Life 3.0
• Immeasurably More Fund

Products and services

• CEO Forum Membership An exclusive annual membership community for Christ-following CEOs and Senior Executives of companies with $100M+ in annual revenue, providing confidential spiritual companionship, peer networking, mentoring, pastoral care, and faith-based formation.
• Spiritual Leadership Institute (SLI)

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 200 CEOs served through ongoing mentoring and discipleship
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Abilene Christian UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Richard S. Lytle, President & CEO of CEO Forum, serves on the business faculty at Abilene Christian University as Director of the Lytle Center for Leadership and Faith Development in the College of Business Administration, after having served as dean from 1999-2016. He is one of only 8 deans in the school's 75-year history.
• Denison MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Jim Denison serves as a Senior Fellow with CEO Forum. He is the founder and CEO of Denison Ministries, which transforms 6.8 million lives through digital content across DenisonForum.org, First15.org, ChristianParenting.org, and FoundationsWithJanet.org.
• Colson Center for Christian WorldviewminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn Stonestreet serves as SLI Teaching Faculty at CEO Forum while also serving as president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview and the daily voice of BreakPoint. He is a sought-after author and speaker on areas of faith and culture.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): YPO is a global peer community for chief executives under 50 running companies above a significant revenue threshold. While secular, it is a clear alternative for senior executives weighing membership in CEO Forum, with comparable networking, retreats, and educational programming.
• Vistage: Vistage is the largest peer advisory organization for CEOs and business leaders, offering monthly group meetings, one-on-one coaching, and speaker events. It is a broader incumbent serving all CEOs regardless of faith, but competes directly for the time, attention, and dues of senior executives that CEO Forum also targets.
• EO (Entrepreneurs' Organization): EO is a global peer network for entrepreneurs who have founded and run companies above a significant revenue threshold. It is comparable in scale and peer-group structure to CEO Forum, though secular and serving founders rather than exclusively CEOs.
• The Alternative Board (TAB): TAB provides peer advisory boards for business owners and CEOs, with structured monthly meetings and coaching. It overlaps with CEO Forum in offering facilitated peer groups for senior leaders but does not center on faith integration.

Emerging players

• Christian Leadership Alliance: Christian Leadership Alliance is a membership community for Christian nonprofit and ministry leaders focused on leadership development and stewardship. It overlaps with CEO Forum's faith-based executive development orientation but targets ministry leaders rather than corporate CEOs.
• Faith Driven Entrepreneur: Faith Driven Entrepreneur is a community and content platform for Christian entrepreneurs and founders, with a focus on marketplace ministry. It overlaps with CEO Forum's audience but serves a broader founder demographic (smaller companies) and emphasizes content and podcasts over in-person peer cohorts.
• Marketplace Chaplains USA: Marketplace Chaplains provides chaplaincy and faith-based support to employees in workplaces, including at executive levels. Its former CEO Doug Fagerstrom is affiliated with CEO Forum, and the two organizations share an audience of marketplace-faith leaders.

Regional players

• Conveners.org (Christ@Work / convening ministries): Christ@Work is a faith-based executive ministry offering peer groups and leadership development for Christian business leaders. It is smaller and more regional than CEO Forum but addresses a similar audience and value proposition of integrating faith and executive leadership.

Others

• Bridges International: Bridges International is a marketplace ministry serving professionals and executives in faith and work integration, often partnering with churches and businesses. It is thematically adjacent to CEO Forum's mission of supporting Christian business leaders, though it focuses on cross-cultural and local-church connections rather than CEO peer groups.

Direct peers

• C12 Group: C12 Group runs peer advisory boards and forums for Christian CEOs and business owners, making it the closest direct comparable in faith-based executive peer communities. It targets a slightly lower revenue threshold than CEO Forum but shares the faith integration, peer accountability, and member-funded business model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-ceo-forum-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 The CEO Forum