Comparison · 11 material differences
Luminary 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 Luminary
Women and allies at every career stage, from entrepreneurs and mid-career professionals to the C-suite, plus corporate members buying access for employees
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 — Luminary: 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.
- Gender — Luminary: Gender-inclusive: Luminary is for "women and allies" and describes itself as "Inclusive for all"; men may join as allies; Small Giants Community: No published gender.
- Annual dues — Luminary: Prices are published openly for all six individual options. Corporate membership pricing is arranged separately and is not published.; Small Giants Community: $0 a year.
Side by side
| Luminary | Small Giants Community | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Networking organization |
| Founded | 2018 ("founded and self-funded by former finance executive Cate Luzio, in late 2018". The same page states Luzio left her banking career and self-funded the launch in March 2018.) | 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 | New York, United States | United States |
| Geographic footprint | A 15,000 square foot flagship space at 1204 Broadway in the NoMad district of New York, plus access to more than 40 partner spaces globally and a virtual membership serving members in over 30 countries | 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 | 15,000as of September 2026 | 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. Luminary operates one flagship location in New York plus access to partner workspaces. | No chapters. The community operates online with a single annual summit and cohort programmes. |
| Primary audience | Women and allies at every career stage, from entrepreneurs and mid-career professionals to the C-suite, plus corporate members buying access for employees | 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 | Luminary sets no seniority, revenue or title bar. The founder's description spans "entrepreneurs to those navigating their career path, the Power Middle to the C-suite, those in transition, and everyone in between". Corporate partners represent more than 500,000 employees worldwide. | 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 ↗ |
| Gender | Gender-inclusive: Luminary is for "women and allies" and describes itself as "Inclusive for all"; men may join as alliesLuminary's mission is to "uplift, up-skill, and propel women and their allies forward"verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published gender |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | There is no application or vetting. Prospective members choose a tier and sign up; Luminary states explicitly that there is no application process and no gatekeeping. Day passes are sold separately for people who want to try the New York space before joining. Corporate membership is arranged through Luminary's enterprise team. | 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 applicable: Luminary states there is no application process and no gatekeeping. | 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 | Prices are published openly for all six individual options. Corporate membership pricing is arranged separately and is not published. | $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 ↗ |
| Monthly dues | $49 a monthDigital tier: US$49 a month, or US$540 annually. Virtual access to the global community and member portal.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 | $399 one-timeCru Only: US$399 for six months. Standalone peer accountability groups meeting for 90 minutes monthly over six months.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $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 | Prices are published openly for all six individual options. Corporate membership pricing is arranged separately and is not published. | $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 | Monthly or annual subscription depending on tier; Cru groups run for six months | Annual, billed annually, cancellable at any time; the free tier has no term |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | More than 250 programmes, events and activations a year, over 70 per cent of them member-led; Cru peer groups meet monthly for 90 minutes | 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 | Cru: small facilitated peer accountability groups meeting monthly for 90 minutes over six months, acquired with The Cru in late 2023 | 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 | Clubhouse premises, Virtual, Event-focused, Cohort-based | Virtual, Event-focused, Cohort-based |
| Confidential peer forums | Yes | Partial |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | Yes | Yes |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | 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 | No | Yes |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Partial | Partial |
| Networking emphasis | High | High |
| Social emphasis | High | Medium |
Next
Last verified: not yet reviewed
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Luminary · Small Giants Community