Celebrating 39 Years of EO: Inc. 5000 Listers Share How EO Membership Facilitates Growth

September 14, 2026

Published in:

Networking & Community Building

Anne-Wallis Droter

EO Global Staff Writer

Photo by Entrepreneurs' Organization

Happy 39^th Anniversary, EO!

On 17 September 2026, EO marks 39 years of empowering entrepreneurs to unlock their potential, expand their impact, and thrive not just as leaders, but as whole people.

EO has grown from humble roots back in 1987, when a small group of young business owners aligned, determined to move the world forward and grow this community through its profound thirst for learning. In just under four decades, EO has evolved into a worldwide organization with 20,000 members representing 100+ countries in more than 225 chapters.

That high-growth mindset is reflected in the more than 170 EO members recently named to the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of North America’s fastest-growing privately owned companies

As EO turns 39, we asked these members, some of whose companies achieved triple-digit growth over the past three years, what role EO membership played in their notable success:

How Has EO Membership Contributed To Your Company’s Growth?

“Being in an EO Forum with six other business leaders who are in the same seat as I am, day after day, is such a revelation. I don’t have to explain myself or translate. Everyone in EO has a built-in decoder ring, no matter the topic: We already have the shared context to compare experiences. I love not having to explain my situation, instead, having a shorthand to say, ‘We’re in the same boat; here’s what I’ve learned — how can it help you?’ It’s absolutely wonderful.”

— Jen Swanson, EO Minnesota, CEO and Principal Advisor, Tuckpoint Advisory Group, No. 378 on the 2026 Inc. 5000

“EO has helped me get out of my own way, afforded me safe places and spaces to experience share with other like-minded creators of commerce, and reminded me that failures are opportunities in disguise.”

— Terry Lyons, EO New Jersey, Managing Partner, Lyons & Associates, P.C., No. 2234 on the 2026 Inc. 5000

“My EO Forum helps with the decisions that matter — they can see the blind spots I can't. That's everything!”

— Mark White, EO South Florida, Founder and CEO of Omniwave, No. 174 on the 2026 Inc. 5000

“EO accelerates your leadership growth by helping you grow into the person you can become. EO provides an environment for you to work on yourself through the help of others. Without EO, I would not be the leader I am today nor have the perspective I have today. ”

— Rob Grosskopf, EO Charlotte, Co-owner and Operator, Dive Bar NC, No. 870 on the 2026 Inc. 5000

“Being an EO member has made me feel less lonely. Being the owner and CEO of a growing business can be incredibly isolating, especially in healthcare, where most of the people around you are clinicians. EO gives me a room full of people who understand exactly what this seat feels like. The learning events and resources have given me a real leg up, but the biggest thing is my EO Forum. Having people who will tell me the truth and who have been through their own versions of this roller coaster has changed how I lead and how I carry the immense pressure.”

— Chantal Hayes, EO Raleigh Durham, Founder of Banyan Tree Counseling, No. 2185 on the 2026 Inc. 5000

“Being in a room of peers who have actually run a P&L is priceless. Friends and family love you, but they can’t always tell you your pricing is off or that you are avoiding a hard conversation with a partner. EO gives me access to people who have been in the trenches, ask the uncomfortable follow-up question, and won’t just tell me what I want to hear. Some of my best decisions got pressure-tested in EO Forum before I pulled the trigger.”

— Andréa Vieira, EO DC, Founder and CEO, nailsaloon, No. 2136 on the 2026 Inc. 5000

“EO has given me something that's surprisingly hard to find as a founder: a room where I don't have to be the expert. Being an entrepreneur can be really lonely. You're the person your team looks to for answers, and sometimes you don't have the answer. EO gives me a place where I can talk about the messy stuff with people who actually understand it.

“I am able to learn from entrepreneurs who have made bigger mistakes than I have, built much larger companies, and already navigated challenges I'm dealing with for the first time. They help me get out of the weeds, look at something differently, and hold me accountable when I'm avoiding a decision I probably already know I need to make.

“Without my EO community, I would have stayed stuck in some decisions much longer. EO hasn't made entrepreneurship less messy, but it has made it a lot less lonely, and it's helped me move through the messy parts faster.”

— Kristin Nordling, EO Minnesota, CEO and Founder of Lakeside HR Group, No. 617 on the 2026 Inc. 5000

“I run a business that tells other owners they are overpaying their suppliers. That work only functions on trust; EO Forum is where I learned what earned trust actually looks like — the discipline of experience sharing instead of advice, the willingness to put the 5% on the table, the habit of saying the uncomfortable thing to someone who can do something about it. That's an operating skill that shows up in every client conversation I have.

“The savings we find clients are real. But the reason we get the chance to find them starts here in EO.”

— Dan Buehrle, EO Wisconsin, Founder, The Phoenix Business Collective, No. 549 on the 2026 Inc. 5000

“I once had a coach who said the best coaches in the world aren't creative, they are thieves, taking the best systems and plays that work. Being a great entrepreneur is the same way; EO gives you lots of opportunity to share ideas.”

— Nick Schrock, EO Reno Tahoe, Founder and CEO of Valoroo, No. 692 on the 2026 Inc. 5000

“EO helps me focus on being the best version of myself as a founder. The company can be better, but so can I as a person. With a clear head, I can make correct decisions to support my business, and that allows me to care for all of the stakeholders and people I care about.”

— Kevin Wright, EO Seattle, Co-founder and CEO, Virtustant, No. 661 on the 2026 Inc. 5000

“EO membership gives me access to founders who have already worked through many of the questions that accompany rapid growth and are willing to share the experience behind their answers. Those conversations sharpen the questions I ask:

What do the numbers actually show?
Who is responsible for the result?
Is the problem being addressed at the appropriate level?
Is a difficult decision being delayed?

"EO provides a setting in which founders can speak candidly about people, money, growth, and difficult decisions.

“EO has also exposed me to founders who treat cash forecasting, leadership meetings, scorecards, succession, and accountability as ordinary parts of running a company. Those disciplines were not part of my legal training. Seeing other founders use them well has helped me think more deliberately about how they should operate inside our firm.”

— Alexandra Baron, EO Sacramento, Founder and CEO, Baron Family Law, No. 1239 on the 2026 Inc. 5000

Positioned dynamically at the intersection of experience and opportunity, EO will continue to foster growth for the next generation of leaders as we look ahead, always asking “What’s next?”