Comparison · 14 material differences
Entrepreneur Leadership Network vs Small Giants Community
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
Networking organization
Verified September 2026 Entrepreneur Leadership Network
Founders, executives and subject-matter experts who want a recurring bylined column on Entrepreneur.com
Networking organization
Small Giants Community
Founders, chief executives and next-generation leaders of small and mid-sized privately held companies that deliberately prioritise culture, purpose and quality over growth - the…
What the records say
- Role or title: Entrepreneur Leadership Network: No published role or title; Small Giants Community: The community is designed for founders, chief executives and next-generation leaders of small and mid-sized businesses.
- Annual dues: Entrepreneur Leadership Network: $3,000 a year; Small Giants Community: $0 a year.
Side by side
| Entrepreneur Leadership Network | Small Giants Community | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Networking organization |
| Founded | Not documented | 2009 (The About page states that "The Small Giants Community is officially formed and founded by Bo Burlingham and Paul Spiegelman" in 2009, four years after Burlingham's 2005 book Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big.) |
| Headquarters | United States | United States |
| Geographic footprint | Online programme run by Entrepreneur Media Inc.; no chapters. Member articles appear on the US edition of Entrepreneur.com and are viewable worldwide. | Primarily United States. The member directory offers filters for more than 30 countries including Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, Japan, Brazil and South Africa; the organization publishes no country breakdown. |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed. The organization publishes a searchable member directory but no total membership figure. The only published capacity number is the annual Summit, which is capped at 250 attendees. |
| Chapters | No chapters | No chapters. The community operates online with a single annual summit and cohort programmes. |
| Primary audience | Founders, executives and subject-matter experts who want a recurring bylined column on Entrepreneur.com | Founders, chief executives and next-generation leaders of small and mid-sized privately held companies that deliberately prioritise culture, purpose and quality over growth - the model described in Bo Burlingham's book. |
| Typical member | Entrepreneur Media describes members as "selected industry experts" and "entrepreneurs and executives". No revenue, funding, title or seniority threshold is published, so the member profile is defined by the selection committee rather than by a stated test. | The organization describes members as ranging "from solo founders to growing companies to established purpose-driven organizations", covering founders, C-suite executives and rising leaders. Company memberships bring whole leadership teams into the community. Published member quotes come from operating executives at privately held United States firms. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | No published role or title | The community is designed for founders, chief executives and next-generation leaders of small and mid-sized businessesStated as the intended audience rather than an enforced test.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Applicants complete an online application form. A member of the selection committee evaluates the submission, typically within three to five business days, and may schedule a short one-to-one interview about the applicant's background and goals. Approved applicants then finalise annual payment before access begins. | Community membership requires no application: prospective members join the free tier online and upgrade to Individual or Company membership when they choose. The cohort programmes are screened. The Leadership Academy runs an application, a Zoom conversation covering cost and curriculum, a fit review and then acceptance and payment, with onboarding ahead of a January launch. Sounding Board uses an in-depth application and assessment followed by an interview. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. Entrepreneur states applications are evaluated by a selection committee but publishes no acceptance rate. | Not applicable to general membership, which is open. For the Leadership Academy the organization says it will "review your application and ensure a good fit before accepting payment", but publishes no acceptance rate. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $3,000 a year"As of November 1, 2022, the cost of a membership to the Entrepreneur Leadership Network is $3,000 per year. There are no monthly options currently available." Billed annually on the purchase date and renewing automatically unless cancelled; members who joined before 1 November 2022 may pay a different amount.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $0 a yearFree tier: US$0. Includes the Small Giants Scorecard and report, a free book chapter, free virtual events and workshops, the resource library and the newsletter.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Programme fee | Payment is taken only after acceptance. Group subscriptions are available on enquiry. | $12,500 one-timeSmall Giants Leadership Academy: "an investment of $12,500 per participant", all inclusive of programme access, community access, lifetime resource access, a Summit ticket and meals, transport and activities for two in-person experiences; travel and accommodation are excluded. A 10 percent deposit is due on acceptance, with the balance paid up front or monthly.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Event costs | Payment is taken only after acceptance. Group subscriptions are available on enquiry. | $1,650–2,265 one-timeAnnual Summit tickets in three releases: US$1,650 for the first 40 registrants, US$1,960 for the next 60, and US$2,265 thereafter. Includes all sessions, a visit to a Small Giant company, meals and receptions and transport between events. Discounts are offered for groups of three or more and for Leadership Academy alumni.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual, billed on the purchase date and renewing automatically unless cancelled | Annual, billed annually, cancellable at any time; the free tier has no term |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | ELN Insider workshops, talks and networking sessions; article submission capped at one per month | Ongoing online forums and virtual events and workshops; one annual Summit; Journey runs six two-day excursions a year; Sounding Board meets monthly for twelve months |
| Peer forums | No peer forums | Online forums and chat open to paid members rather than assigned confidential groups; one-to-one mentorship pairs in Sounding Board; cohort groups in the Leadership Academy and Journey |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not published for membership. Sounding Board is a twelve-month commitment with monthly one-to-one meetings; Journey involves six two-day excursions over a year. |
| Organized as | Virtual, Event-focused | Virtual, Event-focused, Cohort-based |
| Confidential peer forums | No | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Yes |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | No | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Partial | Yes |
| Leadership development | No | Yes |
| Retreats | No | Partial |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | No | Yes |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | Partial |
| Networking emphasis | Low | High |
| Social emphasis | Low | Medium |
Next
Last verified: not yet reviewed
Report an error on this page
Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Entrepreneur Leadership Network · Small Giants Community