The “Forbes CMO Forum” and “Forbes Under 30 Lister Forum” for chief marketing officers and young entrepreneurs, respectively, are first to launch and are designed to help key members of each group come together in a closed environment, connect with one another confidentially and share insight, knowledge, best practices and more, says Forbes.
Later this week, Forbes will roll out additional dedicated groups for its ForbesWomen and Small Business communities, and, over time, introduce similar offerings for its CIO and CFO Networks as well as for the Forbes/Shook top financial advisor community and Forbes the Culture, which is the Under 30 community of inclusion.
“Our audiences turn to us for trusted reliable information to help guide them in uncertain times, and they also need direct access to each other in a safe space so they can share advice and tips on what’s working and what’s not, and come together to jointly find a way forward,” said Jenny Rooney, who was recently appointed Forbes’ Director of Communities. “As journalists, we are dedicated to presenting the information our audiences need, but we also recognize that we can play a role in cultivating community and facilitating the critical conversations that spark open, honest dialogue and information-sharing during this unprecedented time.”
According to Forbes, each forum will be designed to address the specific needs of its members. For instance, CMOs may want to discuss how purpose-driven brands can deliver solutions for the betterment of society or whether brands need to adjust their approaches to ensure they show up in contextually relevant ways. Members of the Under 30 community may want to share their insights into venture capital funding, supply-chain concerns, access to talent, or rapidly changing business models/opportunities.
Founding members of the Forbes CMO Forum include: Tony Ambroza, Chief Brand Officer of Carhartt; Maryam Banikarim, Head of Marketing of Nextdoor; Carla Hassan, Chief Brand Officer of Citi; Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Mastercard; Marisa Thalberg, Executive VP and Chief Brand and Marketing Officer of Lowe’s Companies; Dara Treseder, Chief Marketing Officer of Carbon; and Deborah Wahl, the Global Chief Marketing Officer of General Motors.
Founding members of the Under 30 community include Under 30 board members Clare Coder, Founder of Aunt Flow; Jim DeCicco, Co-Founder of Kitu Life; Noah Greenberg, Co-Founder of Stacker; Adele McClure, Policy Director of the Office of the Lt. Governor of Virginia, and Evin Robinson, Co-Founder of New York on Tech.
“We want each of our Forbes Forums to be a space where our audience can check in with their peers, understand the decisions they’re making and the challenges they’re facing, while also sharing their perspective,” Rooney said. “At Forbes, we play a unique role in bringing these communities together through our LIVE events platforms; this new communities approach gives us an opportunity to keep the rich conversations going virtually.”
The invitation-only forums for ForbesWomen and Small Business Communities will launch later this week.
