- The Five Club
- Cities
- New York
A founders club in New York, around one table.
In New York, a private club is usually an address. The Five Club is a table: five or six founders, and a conversation that isn’t a pitch.
Updated on November 9, 2026
Apply in five minutes. An answer within five days.
- 5 to 6
- founders at every table
- 8 cities
- where the club is open
- 1,500+
- founders accepted into the club
- 1 in 4
- applications accepted, roughly
In short
Looking for a founders club in New York? Founders Club runs facilitated peer groups, CORE is a private club in Manhattan, South Park Commons is for people working out their next idea. The Five Club is an entrepreneur dinner club: five or six founders at a table.
What happens in New York.
New York is one of 8 cities where the club is open. Useful for European founders moving there: you arrive with a circle.
A Founders Dinner is an entrepreneur dinner of five or six, at a different restaurant each time. You pick your date in the app, we build the table, and you see the profiles and the address shortly before. No pitches, no forced icebreakers, nobody to work the room.
Depending on the city, the club also hosts Banquets, private cocktails and brunches. After each one, you add the founders you want to see again to your circle. That’s how a real founders network gets built.
What members say about it.
“When you talk to them, it’s: I did this and that’s how it worked; that didn’t work because I did this.”
“It’s good to open up to other circles and meet entrepreneurs from different sectors.”
“I didn’t know what to expect, and when I got there I said: wow, this is really, really cool. It’s completely relaxed.”
Excerpts from interviews with club members, recorded in French and translated here.
How to join the club in New York.
You apply
Tell us about your company, your numbers and what you’re really looking for. Five minutes, and an answer within five days.
You pick your date
Once you’re a member, you join a table in New York from the app.
We build the table
We look at where you are and what you’re building. After the dinner, you stay in touch with the people you want to see again.
Entrepreneurs clubs in New York, compared.
This page is written by The Five Club, which is one of the clubs compared. Details come from each club’s website or the press, with sources at the bottom of the page. Checked on November 9, 2026: they can change, so confirm them with each club.
| Club | In New York | Who it’s for | How to get in |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Five Club | Founders Dinner of 5 or 6, at a different restaurant each time | Founders of a launched company with revenue | Application, roughly 1 in 4 accepted |
| Founders Club | Monthly facilitated groups of 8 to 12 founders, local dinners; 12 North American cities | Founders of established companies, with a revenue threshold | Application and review |
| CORE | Manhattan club founded in 2005 by Jennie Enterprise | People it calls “exceptional innovators” | Nomination by a member |
| South Park Commons | Community and six-month residency | Technical builders, from pre-idea to pre-launch | Application |
| Soho House | 48 Houses in 19 countries, 2,400+ events a month | Creative entrepreneurs and small businesses | Application |
Want a facilitated peer group every month? Founders Club. Looking for your next project? South Park Commons. Want an address in Manhattan? CORE or Soho House. Want a circle of founders? That’s what we do.
Building a company in New York.
New York ranks second in the world in Startup Genome’s 2026 ranking, just behind Silicon Valley. Founders are everywhere, in every sector, and so are business clubs.
What changes everything is the size of the table. In a city where everyone is running, an entrepreneur dinner of five or six sets a different pace: nobody is looking over your shoulder for someone more useful.
The questions we get asked.
Is there a founders club in New York?
Yes, several. The Five Club hosts dinners for founders in New York, by application. The city also has Founders Club, CORE and South Park Commons.
Which private club should a founder join in New York?
A facilitated peer group: Founders Club. A place in Manhattan: CORE or Soho House. A founders’ table built for you: The Five Club.
How do I meet entrepreneurs in New York?
If you’re new to the city, start with a circle where people introduce you: five or six around a table are easier to see again than a crowd at a big party.
How do I join The Five Club in New York?
You apply online: your company, your numbers and what you’re looking for. We read every application ourselves and answer within five days. We accept roughly one in four.
Where do the dinners take place in New York?
Always at venues we choose ourselves, in easy-to-reach neighborhoods. You get the exact address shortly before.
Can I come alone?
Please do. Most people come alone. The whole experience is designed to make that feel natural.
How is this different from a business club?
A business club exists to generate contacts and referrals. The Five exists so you meet founders you’ll want to see again. Business is part of the conversation, but it isn’t the whole conversation.
Sources, checked on November 9, 2026
Your next table is in New York.
Tell us what you’re building. We’ll take care of the rest.