In entrepreneurship, success often comes with a hidden cost: isolation. Even as companies scale and founders hit milestone exits, the journey can feel solitary, with few trusted peers to share the highs and lows. That reality is what ultimately drove Aaron Spivak and Chris Meade—two entrepreneurs who had already built and exited multimillion-dollar businesses before the age of 30—to create the Founders Club, one of the fastest-growing entrepreneurial networks in North America.
What began as informal dinners with friends from the internet has since evolved into a global community of over 550 members across cities like Miami, New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, Austin, and Vancouver. At its heart, the Founders Club isn’t just about business—it’s about belonging. It is built on trust, loyalty, and a simple promise: founders should never feel like they’re building alone.
Chris recalls the spark clearly: “In essence, when it came to entrepreneurship, we struggled to find other entrepreneurs we truly resonated with. Whenever we needed help or a problem solved, we didn’t have those people in our system.”
Both men had experienced what most entrepreneurs eventually do: the paradox of building something massive while feeling disconnected. Chris co-founded Crossnet, a backyard volleyball game that exploded globally. Aaron co-founded Hush, a sleep company that scaled at record speed and sold in one of Canada’s fastest consumer brand exits. Yet, despite their wins, the journey often felt lonely.
The remedy was surprisingly simple: dinner.
“We began bringing together friends from the internet who had never met in real life,” Chris explains. “The connections were magical. People left with one or two new friends—or even a new business partner. Slowly but surely, Aaron and I had probably shared dinner with over 5,000 entrepreneurs across the country. We realized this was much bigger than just dinners. It was an actual community we could unlock.”
Two years later, what began around a dinner table became a structured network—the Founders Club—with members vetted not just for business success but for their willingness to contribute, to give before receiving.
Partnerships are notoriously fragile in entrepreneurship, but Aaron and Chris have found a rhythm rooted in communication and humility.
“This isn’t our first rodeo,” Aaron notes. “Chris has a strong background working with his brothers building Crossnet, and I had a previous co-founder at Hush. We know how to collaborate. The key is open communication. We can work through things quickly without bottlenecks.”
Ego, often the silent killer in co-founder relationships, has been checked at the door. Chris admits, “There used to be a time when, if Aaron was on the cover of something and I wasn’t, I’d think, ‘Why him and not me?’ Now, if Aaron is in the spotlight, that’s better for the business and better for the members. Our job is to push the business forward one percent every day, whatever that looks like.”
Their North Star is clear: bring as much value as possible to founders, so none of them ever feel alone again.
The Founders Club is not just about gathering successful entrepreneurs in a room—it’s about how they engage once they’re there.
Chris puts it plainly: “Trust is central. Our guiding North Stars are loyalty and being a giver, not a taker. We operate with a philosophy: give, give, give. Eventually, the community will give back.”
The rules are strict: members cannot join simply to sell services. Anyone caught trying to exploit others is removed, without refund. “The only way this becomes sustainable is by protecting the culture,” Aaron explains.
That protection begins with the application process. Prospective members must be generating at least $1 million in revenue, then pass a multi-step vetting sequence including interviews that dive deep into not only their business but also their mindset, habits, and values. Currently, only about 10 percent of applicants are accepted.
“It’s about mind, body, and business,” Aaron says. “We’re looking for well-rounded entrepreneurs who are at least trying to fill all their buckets—mentally, spiritually, physically, and professionally.”
The results speak for themselves. While many entrepreneurial communities skew heavily male, the Founders Club has made intentional efforts to diversify, with nearly 30 percent of its members female.
In the early days, Aaron and Chris shouldered everything themselves, flying across the country for event after event. “Last year, each of us flew close to 90 to 115 times,” Chris recalls. “It wasn’t sustainable.”
The answer was to build a team and empower members to lead. Now, chapter presidents and community leads drive local events, allowing the network to grow without draining the founders. “Just last week,” Aaron shares, “the Vancouver chapter was out on a boat, Los Angeles went hiking, New York hosted a rooftop dinner, and Miami had its usual events. That’s the power of building the right team.”
Today, the network hosts 25–30 events per quarter across North America, ranging from intimate dinners to multi-day retreats.
While the Founders Club is often described as a modern-day YPO for the next generation, Aaron and Chris insist it’s more than that.
“We like to think of it as a ‘you are not alone’ club,” Chris says. “Entrepreneurship is portrayed as this solitary, grind-it-out journey. We’re proving it doesn’t have to be.”
The impact has been profound. Members have merged companies, acquired each other’s businesses, and launched new ventures together. Others have leaned on the community through personal struggles like divorce or relocating to new cities.
Aaron compares it to breaking the four-minute mile: “Before it was done, people thought it was impossible. Once one person did it, everyone realized they could too. That’s what happens in this club—members see each other succeed and believe they can too.”
One standout story: a member in Miami, Brandon, was on the verge of leaving the city because he felt alone. After joining, he found his network and closest friends through the club. Today, he calls it the reason he stayed—and thrived.
Dinners may have sparked the Founders Club, but the overnight retreats cement its impact.
“When members spend three or four days together in places like Mexico, Costa Rica, or Muskoka, walls come down,” Chris explains. “People stop posturing. Vulnerability increases. Real friendships are built.”
The churn rate is around 2 percent—virtually unheard of in networking circles. Once members experience the depth of connection at these events, they rarely leave.
“These aren’t just networking trips,” Aaron adds. “They’re life-changing experiences where members walk away with clarity, accountability, and lifelong friendships.”
Despite their hectic schedules, both Aaron and Chris make wellbeing non-negotiable. For Chris, it’s the gym. “Without that hour every day, I’d be intolerable to work with. Boundaries matter—I log off around 6:30 to be with family. Non-negotiables are what keep me sane.”
For Aaron, it’s paddle. “I play five or six times a week. It recharges me. The beauty is, so much of what I enjoy personally overlaps with the club. Hosting workouts, cold plunges, or matcha runs with members—it’s fun for me and valuable for the community.”
Their secret? They don’t separate lifestyle and business—they merge them. “Because it all grew out of dinners with friends, it doesn’t always feel like work,” Aaron admits. “The overlap is what makes it rewarding.”
Asked what advice he would give to any entrepreneur, Chris doesn’t hesitate: “Just get started. It’s never going to be the perfect time. If you’re not embarrassed by your first product, you probably waited too long to ship it.”
For Aaron, legacy looms larger than milestones. “Over the past 11 or 12 years, I can name so many people who did things for me they didn’t have to—believing in me, funding me, guiding me. If through the Founders Club I can be that person for someone else, that’s the legacy I want to leave. To give as much as I can.”
Follow The Founder’s Club on Instagram @thefoundersclub
n/a