Community typeBest fitFormatTypical value
Peer advisoryCEOs wanting structureRecurring facilitated groupsAccountability
Global networkLeaders wanting scaleChapters and eventsBreadth and reach
Founder communityEarly and growth foundersEvents and introsStage-relevant peers
Function networkCFOs, revenue leadersRole-specific groupsFunctional depth
Curated AI-era communityCross-role senior leadersPrivate dinners and forumsTrust and current insight

Executives increasingly need communities that cut across role, capital, AI, finance, and governance - not just a single-role peer group. The most useful communities bring CEOs, CFOs, founders, investors, and other senior leaders into the same orbit, because AI decisions touch every seat at once.

How the Types Compare

The table above maps the main community types by fit, format, and value. Each serves a different goal. The right choice depends on whether a leader needs accountability, scale, stage-relevance, functional depth, or curated cross-role trust.

"A strong community curates different rooms for different needs and connects them through repeated trust."

Who Is This For

Cross-role communities can help leaders whose AI decisions require alignment across CEO, CFO, CISO, CTO, CMO, and board seats. When those seats pull in different directions, AI lands as scattered pilots. When they align, it becomes an advantage.

How It Works

A strong community curates different rooms for different needs and connects them through repeated trust. A leader might meet a peer at a CEO dinner and see them again at a CFO Executive Forum event or an AI and board governance conversation.

Where Open Future Forum Fits

Open Future Forum is a private executive community that runs small, off-the-record dinners for C-suite executives across role-specific forums. It can suit CEOs, CFOs, founders, investors, and senior operators who want curated private rooms and high-quality events rather than a large membership association.

Last updated: June 17, 2026

Murray Newlands
Murray Newlands
Founder, Open Future Forum

Murray Newlands has been building executive communities in Silicon Valley since 2019. Open Future Forum hosts private dinners for C-suite leaders navigating the AI era, grounded in a give-first philosophy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an executive community?
A curated set of rooms, events, and relationships for senior leaders, broader than a single peer group.
Why do executives need cross-role communities now?
Because AI decisions span finance, security, marketing, and governance - not just technology.
What roles does Open Future Forum serve?
CEOs, CFOs, CMOs, CISOs, CTOs, founders, investors, and board members.
Are these communities national?
Many, including Open Future Forum, operate nationally while keeping each room small.
How is value created over time?
Through repeated rooms and compounding trust, not one-off events.
CFO Executive Forum

Find Your Peer Room at Open Future Forum

Open Future Forum runs role-specific forums and private dinners for CEOs, CFOs, founders, and investors. Small rooms, curated, give-first.