Jila Bahri-Esfahani

Chief was founded in 2019 by Carolyn Childers and Lindsay Kaplan as a women's networking organization. Today, Chief is the largest community of senior women executives in the U.S. Chief members represent over 10,000 organizations including 77% of Fortune 100 companies and more than 40% of Chief members are in the C-Suite. Chief membership includes services that help its senior women executive members raise their leadership game. These services range from one-on-one or peer group executive coaching, programming centered on the most pressing and timely issues in business, and access to a vast, powerful community where members can build powerful connections. Chief Membership: Executive Coaching: Chief offers coaching in small groups or one to one settings, depending on member preferences and needs. Small group coaching, or Core, is for members looking for peer advice on a variety of topics. Through Core, members meet regularly with 8-10 professional peers and an executive coach for candid conversations based on topics raised by each member of the group. The groups are carefully curated so that each member finds value in the professional peers they’re paired with. Executive Coaching is for members looking for goal-based, one-on-one guidance at their pace and on their schedule. This membership tier provides a more individualized approach to leadership advisory through one-to-one sessions with a vetted executive coach, all tailored to a member’s specific leadership needs. Programming: Chief offers a wide range of in-person and virtual year-round programming all centered on the most timely and pressing issues facing business leaders. This includes roundtable discussions led by industry experts, inspiring speakers, local one-day conferences, and thought-provoking editorial content. Community: In business, it’s widely known that who you know matters just as much as what you know. Through Chief, members have access to a vast community of business leaders through the digital platform or the many opportunities offered to connect in-person. Chief has five elegant clubhouse locations in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, DC where members can meet new connections or book space for any of their professional needs. For members who are not located in a clubhouse city, Chief has partnerships with organizations like Industrious and Soho House so that members can convene in-person. Chief’s digital platform allows members to seamlessly search for and connect with members relevant to them. Chief has a grant program to reduce the financial barrier for executives who have historically faced identity-based inequity and those employed in the non-profit sector. Since launch, Chief has provided nearly $10 million in grants. Chief has been recognized as one of TIME's Most Influential Companies and Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies.