Questions about LAB, answered plainly.
What LAB is, who it's for, what it costs, how to join, and how it compares with other executive peer groups.
About LAB
What is LAB?
LAB (Leaders Advancing Business) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit peer community for entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs of established Southern California companies — roughly $2 million to $100 million+ in annual revenue. Founded in 2024, it has grown to more than 90 members.
LAB runs a regular cadence of curated lunches, member-company visits, and special experiences — not one-off networking mixers — built around peer learning, candid problem-solving, and lasting professional relationships.
Read our story →What is an executive peer group?
An executive peer group is a standing group of business owners and senior leaders who meet regularly to learn from one another, trading candid, operator-to-operator perspective on the challenges every leader faces: managing teams, hiring, scaling operations, and navigating growth.
LAB is a nonprofit executive peer group for Los Angeles–area founders and CEOs, organized around recurring lunches and member-company visits rather than one-off events.
Is LAB a legitimate nonprofit?
Yes. Leaders Advancing Business is a California nonprofit public benefit corporation with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status under the Internal Revenue Code. Its EIN is 42-3348445 and its California corporate entity number is B20260290613.
LAB began in 2024 as recurring peer lunches and formalized as a nonprofit in mid-2026. It is governed by a Board of Directors, a majority of whom must be independent, under a conflict-of-interest policy. We are glad to help with any request to verify our status.
See our nonprofit details →Who runs LAB?
LAB was founded by Aaron Labowitz, who co-founded Entertainment Earth and led it for nearly three decades. He serves as LAB's President and Chief Executive Officer. All corporate authority rests with LAB's Board of Directors.
Meet the board and officers →Membership
Who qualifies for LAB?
LAB is primarily for entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs leading established companies — roughly $2 million to $100 million+ in annual revenue — who want to learn from peers and build lasting professional relationships.
Membership is concentrated in the Los Angeles area: the San Fernando Valley first, then East Ventura County (Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Simi Valley, Westlake Village, Moorpark), the Westside, and Santa Clarita and areas north.
How much does it cost to join LAB?
LAB charges no required membership dues, and members pay nothing to attend the lunches and events they're invited to today. Programs are funded by corporate and community sponsorships rather than fees.
LAB's Board retains the right to set nominal program fees or seat-holder deposits in the future where needed to manage event capacity.
How do I join LAB?
LAB is not open enrollment: its peer cohorts are curated by personal introduction. To be considered as a prospective member, use the contact form, choose "Membership," and share a little about your business and what you're looking for. We'll follow up personally.
Get in touch →What to expect
How often does LAB meet, and what happens at a gathering?
LAB holds roughly ten to twelve curated lunches and three to four special experiences a year, each with fifteen to twenty decision-makers in the room.
Lunches are roundtable discussions on topics like leadership, hiring, growth, and strategy. Member company visits give an inside look at how a fellow member actually runs their business — a factory floor, a studio, a headquarters tour — followed by candid Q&A. Special experiences are a handful of memorable outings each year, such as a ballpark suite or a private museum tour.
See our programs and past events →Where does LAB meet?
Around the Los Angeles area, where members are. Lunches are hosted at member businesses, local restaurants, or private clubs, and member company visits take place at a fellow member's own business.
Will sponsors pitch me at LAB events?
No sales presentations. A small number of corporate sponsors — in fields such as banking, wealth management, insurance, law, HR/PEO, consulting, and M&A advisory — fund LAB's educational programming. In return, a sponsor may offer a short, substantive perspective during roundtable discussions and receives a brief introduction at the events it sponsors: professional insight in service of the group, not advertising.
How sponsorship works →How LAB compares
How is LAB different from Vistage, YPO, or EO?
LAB is in the same broad category — a peer group for business owners and executives — but it is built differently. Vistage, YPO, and EO are established organizations with national or global reach. LAB is deliberately smaller, more intimate, and regionally focused on the Los Angeles area.
It is local, so the people at the table run businesses in your own region. It is curated by personal introduction rather than open enrollment. It carries no heavy membership dues, because sponsors fund the programming. And it puts substance over sales: actionable insight, site tours, and meaningful peer introductions, deliberately free from commercial sales pitches.
If a large national or international network is what you want, one of those organizations may suit you better. If you want a close-knit room of regional peers, that is what LAB is built for.
I run a $5 million company in Los Angeles. Is LAB a good peer group for me?
It may well be. LAB's members lead established companies from roughly $2 million to $100 million+ in annual revenue, so a $5 million business sits squarely in range, and membership is concentrated in the San Fernando Valley, East Ventura County, the Westside, and Santa Clarita.
If you are looking for a peer group that is local, carries no heavy membership dues, and is built around peers rather than sales pitches, tell us about your business through the contact form and choose "Membership."
Get in touch →Have a question that isn't answered here? We'll follow up personally.
Contact LAB →