Comparison · 13 material differences
The Executives' Club of Chicago 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 The Executives' Club of Chicago
Senior business, civic and academic leaders in the Chicago area, with company-paid Enterprise memberships covering teams of executives
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: The Executives' Club of Chicago: Membership covers "qualified leaders"; the club is aimed at senior business, civic and academic leaders in the Chicago area; Small Giants Community: The community is designed for founders, chief executives and next-generation leaders of small and mid-sized businesses.
- Geographic restriction: The Executives' Club of Chicago: Chicago metropolitan area; Small Giants Community: No published geographic restriction.
- Annual dues: The Executives' Club of Chicago: $1,000 a year; Small Giants Community: $0 a year.
Side by side
| The Executives' Club of Chicago | 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 | Chicago, United States | United States |
| Geographic footprint | Chicago metropolitan area | 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. The club publishes neither an individual member count nor a member company count. | 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 | A single-city club with no chapters. | No chapters. The community operates online with a single annual summit and cohort programmes. |
| Primary audience | Senior business, civic and academic leaders in the Chicago area, with company-paid Enterprise memberships covering teams of executives | 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 | The club describes its members as current and emerging leaders of Chicago-area businesses, and says its board of directors is composed of chief executives and senior executives of companies headquartered in the Chicagoland area. Membership is priced for both individual executives and corporate groups of two, five or ten. | 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 | Membership covers "qualified leaders"; the club is aimed at senior business, civic and academic leaders in the Chicago areaThe club does not publish a specific title, revenue or seniority test.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | 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 ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | Chicago metropolitan areaverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | Sometimes | No |
| Application process | Individuals apply through the club's membership application, and may be sponsored by an existing member; applications not carrying a sponsor go through the club's own review. Companies buying an Enterprise membership nominate their qualified leaders directly, without individual applications. | 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. The club publishes no acceptance rate, and Enterprise members bypass individual review entirely. | 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 | $1,000 a yearExecutive membership: one qualified leaderverified 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 ↗ |
| Initiation fee | $100–500 one-timeOne-time initiation fee by tier: $100 Executive, $200 Enterprise 2, $350 Enterprise 5, $500 Enterprise 10. Waived if the member enrols in auto-renewal.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Paid memberships are billed annually and can be cancelled at any time. The cohort programmes and the Summit are priced separately from membership. |
| Programme fee | Not publicly disclosed | $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 | Not publicly disclosed | $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, with an auto-renewal option that waives the initiation fee | Annual, billed annually, cancellable at any time; the free tier has no term |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | A year-round programme of speaker events, exchanges, summits and workshops | 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 | Leadership Circle and structured leadership programmes (LEAD, Leadership Accelerator) rather than confidential 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 | Event-focused | Virtual, Event-focused, Cohort-based |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | Not documented | Yes |
| Online community | Partial | Yes |
| Member directory | Partial | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Yes |
| Leadership development | Yes | Yes |
| Retreats | No | Partial |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | No |
| Next-generation programming | Partial | Yes |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | Partial |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
Next
Last verified: not yet reviewed
Report an error on this page
Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: The Executives' Club of Chicago · Small Giants Community