Comparison · 17 material differences
Hampton vs Tugboat Institute
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
Peer advisory
Verified September 2026 Hampton
Founders and CEOs of high-growth technology or tech-enabled companies who live in one of Hampton's chapter cities.
Peer advisory
Tugboat Institute
Chief executives, presidents and executive chairs with significant ownership of private companies that have deliberately rejected the venture-backed or IPO path, with at least…
What the records say
- Role or title: Hampton: No published role or title; Tugboat Institute: Must be the CEO, President or Executive Chairperson of the company.
- Minimum company revenue: Hampton: More than US$3,000,000 in revenue; Tugboat Institute: At least US$10M in annual revenue.
- Minimum capital raised: Hampton: More than US$3,000,000 raised in venture capital; Tugboat Institute: No published minimum capital raised.
- Minimum exit value: Hampton: A previous successful exit above US$10,000,000; Tugboat Institute: No published minimum exit value.
- Annual dues: Hampton: $15,000 a year; Tugboat Institute: Not publicly disclosed. No membership fee appears anywhere on the public site; prospective members are routed to a pre-application and a follow-up conversation..
Side by side
| Hampton | Tugboat Institute | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Peer advisory | Peer advisory |
| Founded | Not documented | 2013 (The About Us page dates the founding to 2013, when Dave Whorton - previously a founder of four Silicon Valley companies and an investor at two venture and private equity firms - coined the term "Evergreen" and, with the help of Chris Alden, created Tugboat Institute following a small gathering of leaders in Sun Valley, Idaho in October of that year.) |
| Headquarters | New York, United States | Sun Valley, United States |
| Geographic footprint | 18 cities across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom | United States focused, with local in-person forums grouped by member geography and virtual "elastic" forums; the pre-application form accepts company addresses in any country. |
| Members | 1,000as of September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed. The organization refers to drawing on "hundreds of Evergreen companies" for its content platform but publishes no membership total. |
| Chapters | 18 | The organization runs local in-person forums based on member geography plus virtual forums, but does not publish a count or a list of locations. |
| Primary audience | Founders and CEOs of high-growth technology or tech-enabled companies who live in one of Hampton's chapter cities. | Chief executives, presidents and executive chairs with significant ownership of private companies that have deliberately rejected the venture-backed or IPO path, with at least US$10 million in annual revenue. |
| Typical member | Members are founders and CEOs of internet, technology or tech-enabled businesses. Hampton states the average member company has about US$23 million in annual revenue on its FAQ and around US$20 million on its about page, well above the US$3 million entry threshold. | Members must lead a closely held private company whose owners have no legal right to compel a sale or flotation, must hold a significant ownership stake themselves, and must have five years as chief executive or president of the current company or prior experience in that role. The company must have at least US$10 million in annual revenue, be cash-flow positive for two years and show consistent growth. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | No published role or title | Must be the CEO, President or Executive Chairperson of the company"Prospective members must be the CEO, President, or Executive Chairperson of an Evergreen company with a significant ownership stake."verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum company revenue | More than US$3,000,000 in revenueOne of three alternative tests. Hampton raised the revenue minimum from US$1 million to US$3 million; the founder announced the change publicly in 2024.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | At least US$10M in annual revenueAccompanied by two further financial tests: cash-flow positive for two years, and consistent growth.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum capital raised | More than US$3,000,000 raised in venture capitalAlternative to the revenue test.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum capital raised |
| Minimum exit value | A previous successful exit above US$10,000,000Alternative to the revenue and funding tests.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum exit value |
| Minimum ownership stake | No published minimum ownership stake | Must hold a significant ownership stake; the business must be closely held with value-aligned owners who have no legal right to compel a sale or IPONo percentage is specified. The ownership test effectively excludes companies with investors who can force an exit.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | Must reside in one of Hampton's chapter citiesHampton places members only into in-person Core groups, so residence in a chapter city is a condition of membership.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| Industry restriction | Founder or CEO of a fast-growing digital, internet, technology or tech-enabled companyverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published industry restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | Sometimes |
| Application process | Candidates apply through Hampton's site and are vetted against the revenue, funding or exit tests, the industry test and residence in a chapter city. Accepted members hold a commitment call and are then placed into a Core group in their city. | Candidates who believe they meet the criteria complete a two-step pre-application covering personal details and company information: legal structure, year founded, annual revenue for the last fiscal year, employee count, number of years profitable, website and address. The organization says it reviews every pre-application in detail and that a member of the team then makes contact to discuss next steps. Staff biographies refer to a candidacy process and to working with member referrals. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed by Hampton. A secondary account reports an 8 per cent acceptance rate, which Hampton does not confirm. | Not publicly disclosed. The criteria are published in full but no acceptance rate, application volume or waitlist information is given. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | $15,000 a yearStated by Hampton (2026): Hampton membership (core group + community), all chapters. “Annual dues are $15,000/year, with a 45-day money-back guarantee.”verified October 2026 · source ↗ | Not publicly disclosed. No membership fee appears anywhere on the public site; prospective members are routed to a pre-application and a follow-up conversation.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosed. One secondary account states there is no separate initiation fee.verified September 2026 | Tugboat Institute publishes detailed eligibility criteria but no pricing of any kind. |
| Event costs | Hampton does not publish its price on its own site, and secondary reports disagree. | Not publicly disclosed. The Summit, Exemplar Visit and Gathering of Teams are described as member experiences without published pricing.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual, billed yearly, with a 45-day money-back guarantee for new members who attend their initial commitment call | Not publicly disclosed |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Core meets monthly in person, excluding August and December, for about three hours | Forum groups meet through the year, locally in person or virtually; three annual gatherings - the Summit each summer in Sun Valley, the Exemplar Visit at a member company each autumn, and the Gathering of Teams in February |
| Peer forums | Core groups of about eight founders plus a paid professional facilitator, composed on a mirror, mentor and mentee model; Core is never virtual. | Confidential forum groups described as a structured environment balancing personal growth and business insight; members join either a local in-person forum based on geography or an "elastic" forum that meets virtually through the year and in person at Tugboat events |
| Confidentiality | Core is described as a confidential peer group; Hampton does not publish the text of its confidentiality rules. | The organization describes its forums as "a safe space" and its community as defined by trust; it publishes no written confidentiality policy. |
| Time commitment | About three hours a month for Core, ten months a year, plus optional events | Not documented |
| Organized as | Chapter-based, Forum-based, Event-focused | Forum-based, Event-focused, Chapter-based, Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Yes |
| Local chapters | Yes | Yes |
| Virtual membership | No | Partial |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Partial | Yes |
| Leadership development | Partial | Yes |
| Retreats | Yes | Yes |
| Travel | Partial | Partial |
| Family programming | No | Partial |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | Not documented |
| Next-generation programming | No | Partial |
| Investment discussions | Partial | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| 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: Hampton · Tugboat Institute