Comparison · 11 material differences
Kauffman Fellows vs Forum of Young Global Leaders
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.
What the records say
- Maximum age at joining: Kauffman Fellows: No published maximum age at joining; Forum of Young Global Leaders: Under 40 at the time of nomination.
- Role or title: Kauffman Fellows: Working venture investor: direct VC investor, emerging or established GP, LP, corporate VC or ecosystem contributor; Forum of Young Global Leaders: Business-sector candidates must run a qualifying company or division as President, Chairman, CEO, Managing Director, Managing Partner, Publisher or equivalent.
- Annual dues: Kauffman Fellows: Not publicly disclosed: the organization does not publish alumni society dues, if any; Forum of Young Global Leaders: Not publicly disclosed.
Side by side
| Kauffman Fellows | Forum of Young Global Leaders | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Leadership network | Leadership network |
| Founded | 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) | 2004 (Created by World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab in 2004; the community marked its 20th anniversary in 2024. The YGL Foundation describes itself as a private foundation based in Switzerland but does not publish a city on its public pages.) |
| Headquarters | Palo Alto, United States | Switzerland |
| Geographic footprint | Fellows in 62 countries across six continents; in-person modules and treks rotate between global locations | Members and alumni from over 120 countries; convenings held worldwide |
| Members | 1,060as of September 2026 | 1,400as of September 2026 |
| Chapters | 11 | No chapters; the community is organised in annual classes rather than local chapters |
| Primary audience | Working venture capital investors (typically partner-level GPs, emerging fund founders, LPs and corporate venture investors) who already deploy capital | Leaders under 40 drawn from business, government, civil society, academia, media, the arts and social enterprise |
| Typical member | 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. | Members are selected in annual classes of roughly 100-120 people under the age of 40 and include ministers, heads of state, chief executives, founders, scientists, journalists and artists. The Class of 2026 comprised 118 leaders from 55 countries. |
| Qualification | ||
| Maximum age at joining | No published maximum age at joining | Under 40 at the time of nominationThe Forum's published nomination criteria state the candidate must be "40 years of age or younger at the time of nomination"; the Class of 2026 was described by the Forum as 118 leaders under the age of 40.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Role or title | 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 ↗ | Business-sector candidates must run a qualifying company or division as President, Chairman, CEO, Managing Director, Managing Partner, Publisher or equivalentFrom the Forum's YGL nomination criteria document. Where the company is a Forum member or partner, the candidate needs the approval of that company's CEO or Chairman. This document is undated on its face and references the Class of 2015, so the current wording may differ.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | Yes |
| Sponsor required | Not documented | Yes |
| Application process | 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. | There is no application. Candidates are nominated by World Economic Forum members and partners; the site states plainly that nomination is not open to the general public and that unsolicited applications are not accepted. Nominees are then assessed against the Forum's criteria. The Forum's published criteria document describes shortlisted candidates being evaluated by the executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles and finally screened by a selection committee. Nominations for a given class close in the spring of the preceding year. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed: Kauffman Fellows publishes detailed class composition data but no acceptance rate or applicant volume | The Forum states that roughly 100 people are selected each year "from thousands of candidates worldwide"; no acceptance rate is published. The Class of 2026 numbered 118 from 55 countries. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosed: the organization does not publish alumni society dues, if anyverified September 2026 | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 |
| Programme fee | $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 ↗ | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 |
| Membership term | Two-year programme followed by lifelong membership of the Kauffman Fellows society | Three-year development programme, followed by lifetime access to the alumni community |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | 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 | Annual class intake; academic modules, thematic gatherings and Forum convenings through the year |
| Peer forums | Class members meet in virtual Forum groups roughly twice a month during the programme; alumni join topic-based Special Interest Groups and regional chapters | Annual classes and cohort programming rather than standing small-group forums |
| Confidentiality | Could not be independently verified: no published confidentiality policy was found | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Approximately 20–25 days over the two-year programme, per the application details page | Not documented |
| Organized as | Cohort-based, Event-focused, Virtual | Cohort-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Partial |
| Local chapters | Yes | No |
| Virtual membership | No | No |
| Online community | Yes | Not documented |
| 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 | Yes | Not documented |
| Investment opportunities | Partial | No |
| Philanthropic component | Not documented | Partial |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Kauffman Fellows · Forum of Young Global Leaders