EO Turns 38: Celebrating Legacy, Community, and Camaraderie in EO’s First Chapters

Another milestone! On 17 September 2025, Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) is celebrating 38 years of empowering entrepreneurs around the world to connect, learn, and grow together.

From a bold idea shared by a handful of young entrepreneurs in the late 1980s, EO has grown to nearly 20,000 members in 220 chapters across nearly 100 countries. Among them, 34 chapters have thrived for more than 30 years, building lasting legacies and unique cultures along the way. Those chapters represent six EO regions: Canada, Japan, Latin America and the Caribbean, and U.S. East, Central, and West.

As EO marks this milestone, members of some of these longstanding chapters shared their reflections on how history builds pride in their chapters and how intergenerational connections help entrepreneurs thrive.

Putting Down Roots in the Great White North

 

EO’s 30+ Year Chapters

EO Calgary – 35 years
EO DC – 34 years
EO Edmonton – 34 years
EO Los Angeles – 34 years
EO Montreal – 34 years
EO San Francisco – 34 years
EO Toronto – 34 years
EO Vancouver – 34 years
EO Vancouver Island – 34 years
EO Winnipeg – 34 years
EO Minnesota – 33 years
EO Philadelphia – 33 years
EO San Diego – 33 years
EO Arizona – 32 years
EO Dallas – 32 years
EO Houston – 32 years
EO Idaho – 32 years
EO Mexico City – 32 years
EO Pittsburgh – 32 years
EO Portland – 32 years
EO San Antoino – 32 years
EO Seattle – 32 years
EO St. Louis – 32 years
EO Atlanta – 31 years
EO Boston – 31 years
EO Chicago – 31 years
EO Detroit – 31 years
EO Nashville – 31 years
EO Saskatoon – 31 years
EO Utah – 31 years
EO Austin – 30 years
EO Cincinnati – 30 years
EO Orange County – 30 years
EO Tokyo Central – 30 years

 

Though the organization traces its roots to Washington, D.C., the first chapters sprung up in Canada in the early 1990s. For David Steele, in his 36^th year as a member of EO Vancouver and former international chair of EO, those decades have afforded ample time for the chapter to build a meaningful culture and history. “The history of EO is very important to the Vancouver chapter and it is constantly promoted and talked about,” he says. “I believe it gives our members a real sense of pride.”

That pride is reinforced through annual traditions, from events that celebrate member anniversaries to multi-day retreats where veteran members and newer members learn from one another and form lasting bonds. “It is an exceptional opportunity to make new connections,” he adds. “I try to spread the gospel as much as I am called upon.”

Bill Trimble, another EO Vancouver member since the early 1990s and a former international chair, agrees. With more than three decades in EO, he sees great value in bridging generations. “The fact that we have so many members of 20-plus years and a few of 30-plus years gives so much depth for newer members — both regarding our history and personal experiences in life,” he says. That exchange, though, goes both ways. “New members, fresh with great ideas, businesses, and views of the world, are highly educational for us older members.”

For Shawn Freeman, current EO Calgary President, the chapter’s longevity has cultivated engagement and a collective desire for members to build on the past. “Being one of the longstanding chapters has definitely fostered a strong sense of camaraderie,” Shawn explains. “Members take pride in the legacy of the chapter and that history creates a culture of accountability — people want to contribute and leave it stronger than they found it.”

Like EO Vancouver, EO Calgary actively fosters interaction across generations. “Through structured programs like Forum, mentorship pairings, and events where members share experience across industries and stages, new members often learn directly from those who have been part of EO for many years,” Shawn says. “At the same time, newer members bring fresh energy and perspectives that keep the chapter evolving.”

EO Vancouver hosted a cruise earlier this year for tenured members
to thank them for their dedication to the chapter and EO.

Building Life-Changing Connections

For S. Dee Davis, an EO Atlanta member for more than two decades, the chapter’s culture reflects the ethos of his home. “We are a friendly chapter and very welcoming,” he says. “It is one of the reasons I have stayed in EO — to meet and befriend younger members.”

From holiday parties and major annual events to consistent reinvention under new chapter presidents and boards, EO Atlanta is fueled by the entrepreneurial spirit. “Sometimes new approaches work and sometimes not so much,” he says, “but we definitely go boldly with entrepreneurial drive.” Over the decades, that push to innovate has helped the chapter grow from 16 members when Davis joined to nearly 150 today.

Jennifer Case, a 13-year-member of EO San Diego, says her chapter’s strong foundation and sprawling membership of more than 200 has enabled smaller, impactful groups to form within it. She notes that women within EO San Diego have created a powerful subcommunity, hosting quarterly events to support and inspire one another. “EO and Forum are where I found my soulmates,” she says. “There is truly nothing else like it. I think we have all bonded together, and we have always created meaningful events at our chapter.”

Photo courtesy of EO Atlanta

38 Years … and Counting

From EO Vancouver and EO Calgary’s pioneering legacy to EO San Diego and EO Atlanta’s spirit of inclusion and innovation, some of EO’s earliest chapters demonstrate how the past helps shape the present. Longstanding traditions build pride and connections across generations fuel growth. Above all, as EO’s fourth decade nears its end, the organization’s enduring strength comes from its members — their stories, their experiences, and their commitment to one another.

Interested in becoming an EO member? Learn more here.