Comparison · 11 material differences
Aspen Global Leadership Network vs Kauffman Fellows
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact — it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Leadership network
Verified September 2026 Aspen Global Leadership Network
Mid-career leaders who have already achieved substantial success in business, government or the non-profit sector and are looking to convert it into public impact
Leadership network
Kauffman Fellows
Working venture capital investors — typically partner-level GPs, emerging fund founders, LPs and corporate venture investors — who already deploy capital
What the records say
- Maximum age at joining — Aspen Global Leadership Network: Henry Crown Fellowship: aged 30 to 46; Kauffman Fellows: No published maximum age at joining.
- Minimum age — Aspen Global Leadership Network: Henry Crown Fellowship: aged 30 to 46; Kauffman Fellows: No published minimum age.
- Role or title — Aspen Global Leadership Network: Henry Crown Fellowship: accomplished entrepreneurial leaders who have already achieved considerable success in the private sector; Kauffman Fellows: Working venture investor — direct VC investor, emerging or established GP, LP, corporate VC or ecosystem contributor.
- Annual dues — Aspen Global Leadership Network: Not publicly disclosed; Kauffman Fellows: Not publicly disclosed — the organization does not publish alumni society dues, if any.
Side by side
| Aspen Global Leadership Network | Kauffman Fellows | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Leadership network | Leadership network |
| Founded | 2009 (The network itself launched in 2009. Its founding fellowship, the Henry Crown Fellowship, was established in 1997 and the Africa Leadership Initiative that seeded the wider network began in 2002-2003.) | 1995 (Started inside the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in 1995; spun out as an independent organization in 2000 and run by the Center for Venture Education) |
| Headquarters | Washington, United States | Palo Alto, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Fellows in 62 countries; fellowships based in the United States, Africa, Central America, South America, India, the Middle East and China | Fellows in 62 countries across six continents; in-person modules and treks rotate between global locations |
| Members | 4,000as of September 2026 | 1,060as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | 16 | 11 |
| Primary audience | Mid-career leaders who have already achieved substantial success in business, government or the non-profit sector and are looking to convert it into public impact | Working venture capital investors — typically partner-level GPs, emerging fund founders, LPs and corporate venture investors — who already deploy capital |
| Typical member | Fellows are established leaders, typically at an inflection point in their careers. The flagship Henry Crown Fellowship draws entrepreneurial private-sector leaders aged between 30 and 46; other fellowships in the network are organised by sector (finance, health, technology, arts and culture, civil society) or by region. | Recent classes are roughly 86% direct VC investors, 72% partner-level or above and 43% founders. Across the whole society, about 55–60% of Fellows are firm founders, roughly 80% are partner-level or above, and about one in three is female. |
| Qualification | ||
| Maximum age at joining | Henry Crown Fellowship: aged 30 to 46Applies to the Henry Crown Fellowship only.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published maximum age at joining |
| Minimum age | Henry Crown Fellowship: aged 30 to 46"Each class of Fellows is chosen from a wide pool of accomplished entrepreneurial leaders between the ages of 30 and 46." Age bands differ across the other AGLN fellowships.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum age |
| Role or title | Henry Crown Fellowship: accomplished entrepreneurial leaders who have already achieved considerable success in the private sectorAspen describes candidates as being "at an inflection point in their lives or careers". No revenue or company-size test is published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Working venture investor — direct VC investor, emerging or established GP, LP, corporate VC or ecosystem contributorPartner-level or above is preferred but not stated as mandatory; 72% of a recent class were partner-level or higherverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | Yes | No |
| Sponsor required | Yes | Not documented |
| Application process | Entry is by nomination. Recognised leaders put candidates forward to the relevant fellowship, which runs its own screening, and the Henry Crown Fellowship publishes candidate resources and a pre-interview stage for nominees who advance. Nominees must commit in advance to attend all four seminars on the published dates. Each constituent fellowship in the network runs its own nomination cycle and criteria. | Applications run on an annual class cycle. Step one is an online form that the organization estimates takes about an hour, submitted with an application fee. Step two is a set of video interviews with current Fellows. Step three is selection by an admissions committee. For the Class 31 cycle, interviews began in mid-February 2026 and acceptances went out in early April 2026. |
| Selectivity | The Henry Crown Fellowship states that a class of 20 to 22 leaders is chosen each year from a wide pool; no acceptance rate or nomination volume is published. | Not publicly disclosed — Kauffman Fellows publishes detailed class composition data but no acceptance rate or applicant volume |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed — the organization does not publish alumni society dues, if anyverified September 2026 |
| Programme fee | Not publicly disclosed. Neither the AGLN pages nor the Henry Crown Fellowship pages publish a fellowship fee or say who pays seminar and travel costs.verified September 2026 | $80,000 one-timeTuition for the full two-year programme, due before Module 1. Covers venues, meals, materials and mentoring; excludes transportation and lodging. Non-refundable and non-transferable. Limited needs-based scholarships are available.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Two-year fellowship followed by lifetime membership of the network | Two-year programme followed by lifelong membership of the Kauffman Fellows society |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Four seminars (about 24-25 days) over the two-year fellowship; network-wide gatherings including the annual Resnick Aspen Action Forum thereafter | Five four-day in-person modules, one Global Summit and two Global Treks over two years, plus roughly 24 virtual forum meetings; Special Interest Groups meet monthly for alumni |
| Peer forums | Cohorts of roughly 20-22 Fellows working through moderated, text-based seminar dialogue | Class members meet in virtual Forum groups roughly twice a month during the programme; alumni join topic-based Special Interest Groups and regional chapters |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed | Could not be independently verified — no published confidentiality policy was found |
| Time commitment | Approximately 24-25 seminar days across the two-year Henry Crown Fellowship, plus the Fellow's own leadership venture | Approximately 20–25 days over the two-year programme, per the application details page |
| Organized as | Cohort-based, Event-focused | Cohort-based, Event-focused, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | No | Yes |
| Virtual membership | No | No |
| Online community | Not documented | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | Yes | Yes |
| Travel | Yes | Yes |
| Family programming | Not documented | Not documented |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | Not documented |
| Next-generation programming | No | No |
| Investment discussions | No | Yes |
| Investment opportunities | No | Partial |
| Philanthropic component | Yes | Not documented |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Aspen Global Leadership Network · Kauffman Fellows