Comparison · 13 material differences
Level 20 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 Level 20
People working in European private equity and venture capital, with the mission focused on women in investment roles
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 — Level 20: 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.
- Geographic restriction — Level 20: In-person programming is concentrated in Europe; Small Giants Community: No published geographic restriction.
- Industry restriction — Level 20: Must work in private equity or venture capital, or at a firm that supports the industry; Small Giants Community: No published industry restriction.
- Annual dues — Level 20: £0 a year; Small Giants Community: $0 a year.
Side by side
| Level 20 | Small Giants Community | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Networking organization |
| Founded | 2015 (Launched in the UK in 2015 by twelve co-founders, all senior women in European private equity and private markets) | 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 | London, United Kingdom | United States |
| Geographic footprint | Thirteen chapters covering 20 European countries; the team is based in London | 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 | 7,250as of September 2025 | 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 | 13 | No chapters. The community operates online with a single annual summit and cohort programmes. |
| Primary audience | People working in European private equity and venture capital, with the mission focused on women in investment roles | 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 | Members work in private equity and venture capital or in firms that support the industry, at all seniority levels. Membership is open to both women and men, who participate as members, speakers, mentors and research contributors. The organisation's stated goal is increasing the representation of senior women, particularly in investment roles. | 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 ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | In-person programming is concentrated in EuropeLevel 20 operates 13 chapters across 20 European countriesverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| Industry restriction | Must work in private equity or venture capital, or at a firm that supports the industryMembership is open to both women and men at any seniority levelverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published industry restriction |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | Individuals complete a membership application form in the member portal; there is no fee, sponsorship or interview. Firms wishing to sponsor contact Level 20 through its Get in Touch page. Members are then matched to relevant programming by role, seniority, sector, strategy and firm type; mentoring places are allocated by cohort through the chapter committees. | 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 for general membership, which appears to be open. The mentoring programme is described as highly sought after but no acceptance figures are published. | 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 | £0 a yearIndividual membership is free. "Level 20 membership is free for all those working in private equity and venture capital, or in firms that support the industry" — Annual Review 2025verified 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 | Level 20 is funded by sponsor firms rather than member dues. | $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 | Level 20 is funded by sponsor firms rather than member dues. | $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 | Not documented | Annual, billed annually, cancellable at any time; the free tier has no term |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Local professional development and networking events run by each chapter, plus international conferences and online sessions | 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 | Volunteer-run chapter committees organise local activity; mentoring runs as one-to-one pairings and group cohorts | 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 | Could not be independently verified — no published confidentiality policy was found | 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 | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Cohort-based | Virtual, Event-focused, Cohort-based |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Partial |
| Local chapters | Yes | No |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Yes |
| Online community | Yes | 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 | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | Partial | Yes |
| Investment discussions | Partial | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | Partial |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Medium |
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Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Level 20 · Small Giants Community