When you join a Forum Group, you are connected into an exclusive group of 12 to 15 Business Leaders from non-competing industries that meet one morning a month, skillfully guided by a Forum Leader that meticulously follows REF's exclusive methodology, each meeting is a journey from which you will emerge changed for the better.
Members have a clear objective: to unleash the group's Collective Intelligence to make better strategic decisions, to reach their next business, professional and personal goals, and receive the support of their peers in an environment of absolute confidentiality.
REF functions as a hub for Business Leaders. The Community extends beyond the Forum Group, as it connects you to over 2,500+ Entrepreneurs, Members, Forum Leaders, Partners, Ambassadors and Global Speakers with whom you can share best practices, connect and access opportunities in other markets.
Our Team in REF Northern Virginia
We believe evolved and connected leaders are a positive force in the world. Forum Leaders are like alchemists, because they combine different profiles and experiences, which in the right proportions, generate Collective Intelligence and extraordinary results. The Forum Leader is responsible for creating a culture of openness, commitment and confidentiality. They will catalyze the collective intelligence of the group, foster meaningful relationships among members, and establish an environment of trust and confidentiality.
Lee Self - Partner & Forum Leader
Leads Top Executives
I lead a community of Renaissance Executive Forums in Northern Virginia (NOVA). Our team of Forum Leaders help progressive executives learn together in confidential and trusted community. We provide Forum members continuous access to the collective intelligence of their peers, so they can make better decisions, scale their businesses and grow as leaders.
Donna Pearring - Forum Leader
Leads Key Executives
I’m an ICF (International Coach Federation) credentialed Leadership and Executive Coach (PCC level), Instructor and Facilitator, and Program Manager with over 25 years of practical business, managerial, and leadership experience in Fortune 500 companies, such as IBM and Siemens. As a Forum Leader, I support executives through providing an opportunity to share challenges and best practices while leveraging the collective experience and expertise of the group for the purpose of self-development, growing the business and getting results.
Josef Martens - Forum Leader
Leads Key Executives
I help executives in tech and STEM be great leaders. The outcome: increased bottom-line results, deeper customer relationships, stronger leadership bench-strength, and a culture of creativity and innovation. As a scientist in my 'previous life', with a PhD in physics, several patents in the field of OLEDs, and expertise in autonomous driving and speech recognition I can connect well with analytical leaders, especially scientists, engineers and technology professionals. I am able to help them and their teams change behavior and close performance gaps. When I'm not at work, you can find me section hiking the Appalachian Trail or sailing the Chesapeake Bay.
Our Memberships
We are aware that there is always a next level and we accompany leaders according to their professional path and life cycle, offering them a proven methodology to achieve their goals and design an extraordinary life.
ApplyTop Executives
Our Top Executive program is exclusively for CEOs, Presidents, Founders, Business Owners, and General Managers. A membership for those who champion their companies and change industries.
Requirements:
- CEO or senior executive experience.
- A benchmark track record of success, respect and influence among their leadership community, reputable, and trustworthy.
- A champion for their own success and that of their peers.
- Eager to face life’s challenges more empowered, supported, and open to fresh perspectives.
- Highly Diverse Industries
Qualifying Company Criteria:
- SMB: 5 - 30M US$ in revenue
- Corporate: 30 - 300M US$ in revenue
- Large Corporations: >300M US$ in revenue
Key Executives
Our program for Key Executives is for key executives in their companies that are strong leaders but want to become more empowered in their roles, challenge the boundaries of their industry and always seek to be someone that enriches the team to which they belong.
Requirements:
- Individuals that report directly to the CEO and play a key role in the executive team.
- 15 Years of business leadership experience that makes them a benchmark of business in their community.
- Eager to push the frontier of what’s possible in their industry and grow as a leader while helping others as well.
Qualifying Company Criteria:
- Corporate: 30 - 300M US$ in revenue
- Large Corporations: >300M US$ in revenue
Entrepreneurs
A membership for managing founders or owners of businesses that disrupt industries, set trends and have a sharp eye for recognizing and seizing opportunity. An optimist and an innovator with a double-digit growth vision, we believe you will continue to thrive at your place among other top-tier entrepreneurs.
Requirements:
- Someone who has built up at least one successful venture and whose life experiences have taken them on extraordinary projects.
- A visionary willing to recognize value in opportunities and seize them.
- One who sees the value in a support network of other innovators that push and encourage you.
Qualifying Company Criteria:
- Sales $1M+ or $1M+ in privately raised funds
- >5 employees
Member Testimonials
Lee Self (Forum Leader) is my primary mentor and joining her Executive Forum Group has led to exponential professional and personal growth.
I couldn’t believe how much better my life was after I made the changes that my peers in the Forum Group helped me realize I needed to make. They know me and can give me advice on how to approach whatever fix I need to make.
I’ve participated in Executive Forums for several years. There’s no question that we’re a more mature business. I just feel like a more seasoned executive because of Executive Forums and that impacts what I do every day.
Ready To reach the next level?
Let’s have a conversation at REF Northern Virginia
FAQ
What is REF?
Renaissance Executive Forums is a global organization, founded in the USA 30 years ago. Its members are company CEOs and Presidents, by invitation only, who are assigned to Groups of 12 from non-competing businesses.
The Organization is in the process of expansion and we are looking for Partners, Forum Leaders, Members, Ambassadors and Global Speakers. Each of these roles involves different profiles, time commitments, compensation packages and benefits.
What is a Forum Group?
An exclusive group of 12 to 15 Business Leaders from non-competing industries that meet one morning a month, skillfully guided by a Forum Leader. Members of a Group meet confidentially, once a month to help each other make better decisions to reach their business and personal goals.
Basically, Group members present their most pressing challenges in an environment of full transparency, and the others tell them what they would do if they were in their shoes. The Group not only becomes a high-caliber advisory board, but also a Circle of Trust, where you share your professional and personal best practices, forge deep relationships, and feel comfortable showing who you are.
What to expect from your Forum Group?
Meetings are tailored to each group’s composition and needs. The Forum’s structure is divided into 3 segments.
- In the first segment, called the Educational Component, a guest expert discusses a relevant topic of interest to the group.
- In the second segment called the Round Table, we open up a space for reflection and planning.
- Finally, in the third segment, called the Case, one or two members present their major challenges so the other group members can advise them on what they would do in their situation (shoes/place).
What is REF Value Proposition - KEY Differentiation
REF provides a unique space where members gain clarity to make their most important and challenging business, professional and personal decisions.
- Selective trust-based Forum Groups made up of top-tier business leaders (by invitation only)
- Forum Groups led by Forum leaders with business experience.
- Case method.
- Holistic approach: Personal, professional, and business growth.
- Continuous education through leading professionals.
- Introspection, reflection, and planning.
What does evolution mean?
At REF we define evolution as "awareness and alignment". Awareness of the knowledge and major trends that every Business Leader must be conscious of in order to align their vision, strategy, and execution.
Our purpose is to accelerate the personal, professional, and business evolution of Business Leaders to become a positive force in the world.
Is it a networking group?
REF is not just another networking event that barely scratches the surface. Our Value Proposition creates robust structures that dig deep and form trust-based meaningful relationships.
By being part of a Forum Group, members can bring their biggest challenges and dilemmas to address with their Group's Collective Intelligence. This Collective Intelligence is composed of diverse experiences and backgrounds of other proven Leaders, who will grant each other their undivided attention. They do not have any conflict of interest, and have only their peers' best interest in mind.