Compear Global Education Network

What Compear Global Education Network does

Compear Global Education Network (CGEN) is a privately held LLC founded in 2020 by Dr. Christina "Chris" Thompson and headquartered in Oxford, North Carolina. The organization operates as a global education and leadership development platform organized around a proprietary framework called Respectful Disruption Leadership (RDL), developed by the founder through doctoral research. Compear partners with universities, study abroad organizations, and DEI practitioners to design intercultural strategy, deliver leadership programming, and convene a community of educators through virtual events, fellowships, and a consulting collective. The customer base is concentrated in higher education and global education practitioners, with named touchpoints across Georgetown University, Illinois State University, Centre College, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, AIFS Abroad, Barcelona SAE, and The GREEN Program, among others.

The company's core offerings include the annual Global Respectful Disruption Summit and related Speaker Series, the Global Respectful Disruption Initiative (GRDI) scholarship program, the GRDL Innovation Fellowship, the Global Equity Empowerment Educator (GEEE) Certification, the Folding Chair Webinar Series, and the Foundations of Climate Justice Global Education Grant delivered in partnership with Alethea Global Cooperative. The Compear Consulting Collective is a membership-based network of independent practitioners with two tiers: Root (free) and Canopy ($199/year). The compear.org website, integrated with Eventbrite for ticketing, Shopify for merchandise, Zoom for delivery, and Squarespace for content, functions as the primary operating surface. An RDL Store on Shopify sells apparel and accessories with proceeds partially routed to the GRDI Scholarship Fund.

Compear's revenue model is a hybrid combining event registration fees ($55–$75 for Mini Summits, $25 student), low-priced annual memberships ($199/year Canopy), grant-funded programming (administered in partnership with Alethea Global Cooperative and Fund for Education Abroad), merchandise sales, and fee-generating consulting engagements sourced through the Consulting Collective. The operating team is small (founder plus four named functional roles: Program Advisor, Graphic/Instructional Designer Lead, Technology Advisor, and Accounting Lead), with consulting delivery largely outsourced to independent Collective members. The organization is bootstrapped — no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no public listing — and its growth has been driven by founder-led partnerships, notably the flagship GoAbroad.com relationship since 2021, and industry recognition including the 2024 NAFSA Award for Impact in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in International Education.

Name

Compear Global Education Network

Legal name

Compear Global Education Network LLC

Website

https://compear.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Compear Global Education Network is a privately held, founder-led organization that delivers intercultural strategy, events, and leadership development programming to universities, study abroad providers, and DEI practitioners through its proprietary Respectful Disruption Leadership framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Global Education Consulting

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Business Associations (813910)

akta.pro primary industry

Study Abroad Provider Networks, Consortia & Membership Organizations (EDAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

International & Comparative Education Policy Organizations (EDADADAL)

Keywords

• Intercultural consulting services
• Global education strategy
• Equity-centered leadership training
• Professional development certification
• Fellowship and scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Compear provides consulting and strategy services to institutions, educators, and organizations for designing global learning and leadership systems. The consulting is delivered through the Compear Consulting Collective network of independent practitioners.
2. Consulting Collective Memberships: Canopy Membership at $199/year provides premium access to workshops, mentorship, event access, and consulting project consideration. Root Membership is free with basic access.
3. Event Registration: Revenue from Global Respectful Disruption Summits and Speaker Series. Early bird, general, and student registration tiers available. Mini Summits priced at $55-$75.
4. RDL Store Merchandise: Apparel, pins, and accessories celebrating Respectful Disruption Leadership sold through Shopify storefront. A portion of profits supports GRDI Scholarship Fund.
5. Climate Justice Grant Administration: Compear administers the Foundations of Climate Justice Global Education Grant in partnership with Alethea Global Cooperative, providing complimentary course access to selected educators.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Compear Global Education Network partners with institutions, educators, and organizations to design global learning and leadership systems through intercultural strategy, facilitated dialogue, and its proprietary Respectful Disruption Leadership framework. The organization convenes global change through the annual Global Respectful Disruption Summit (GRDS), the Global Respectful Disruption Initiative (GRDI), and operates a Consulting Collective of independent practitioners who deliver equity-centered engagements.

Product overview

Compear Global Education Network is a global education and leadership development organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on Respectful Disruption Leadership (RDL), a framework developed by founder Dr. Christina Thompson. The core offerings include the annual Global Respectful Disruption Summit (GRDS) and the Global Respectful Disruption Initiative (GRDI) providing scholarships and mentorship. The organization operates the GRDL Innovation Fellowship for scholar-practitioners, the Climate Justice Global Education Grant for professional development, and the Global Equity Empowerment (GEEE) Learning Series for certification. The Compear Consulting Collective provides a membership-based network of independent consultants with Root (free) and Canopy ($199/year) tiers. Supporting offerings include the RDL Store for merchandise, the Folding Chair Webinar Series, the RDL Speaker Series, and the Compear Digital Library of resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Global Respectful Disruption Summit (GRDS) Annual virtual summit bringing together global educators, practitioners, advocates, scholars, and changemakers to explore issues shaping global education and leadership through the lens of Respectful Disruption Leadership.
• Global Respectful Disruption Initiative (GRDI) International cross-sector platform for intercultural education expansion through leadership development, scholarships ($1,500-$3,000), and collaborative change initiatives in partnership with GoAbroad, Kultural Kurators, and the Fund for Education Abroad.
• GRDL Innovation Fellowship Highly selective six-month fellowship (June-December) for 5 scholar-practitioners to develop original scholarship, creative work, or applied leadership practice through the Respectful Disruption Leadership framework.
• Foundations of Climate Justice Global Education Grant Grant providing complimentary access to an asynchronous climate justice course in partnership with Alethea Global Cooperative, with cohort-style learning meetings and professional development opportunities.
• Global Equity Empowerment (GEEE) Learning Series Five-part professional development series leading to certification as a Global Equity Empowerment Educator, including workshops such as the H.E.A.R.T. Communication Model for Building Bridges.
• Compear Consulting Collective Collaborative network of independent consultants offering global equity-minded professional services in interculturality, opportunity, and leadership through Root (free) and Canopy ($199/year) membership tiers.
• RDL Store E-commerce store featuring apparel, pins, and accessories celebrating Respectful Disruption Leadership; a portion of profits supports the GRDI Scholarship Fund.
• Global Respectful Disruption Leadership (RDL) Speaker Series Virtual conversation series bringing together educators, practitioners, advocates, scholars, and changemakers to explore timely issues in global education and leadership.
• Folding Chair Webinar Series Webinar series exploring self-inclusion and creative advocacy for social justice, promoting diverse community engagement and authentic participation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% increase in attendance year-over-year for 2023 Global Respectful Disruption Summit
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Global Center for Respectful Disruption LeadershipflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026The Global Center for Respectful Disruption Leadership is an institutional home for the GRDL Innovation Fellowship and the broader Respectful Disruption ecosystem, including summits, GRDI initiatives, and intellectual framework development.
• Alethea Global CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Alethea Global Cooperative sponsors the Foundations of Climate Justice Global Education Grant through their Catalyst Partnership, providing funding for course seats that advance equity-centered global learning on climate justice.
• Be EquitableminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Dr. Chris Thompson serves as an Inclusion and Innovation Consultant with Be Equitable, a national health equity platform, providing her expertise in intercultural content development.
• CultureVisionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Dr. Chris Thompson serves as Lead Intercultural Content Contributor at CultureVision, a national health equity platform, contributing expertise in intercultural learning and equity-centered practice.
• Institute of International EducationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Dr. Chris Thompson contributed and peer-reviewed 'A Family Guide to Study Abroad / Guía para familias sobre estudios en el extranjero' published by IIE and AIFS Foundation.
• Kultural KuratorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Kultural Kurators co-powers the Global Respectful Disruption Initiative (GRDI), contributing to scholarship programs and collaborative change initiatives in global education. The partnership supports GRDI's mission to elevate overlooked voices.
• Fund for Education AbroadcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) partners with GRDI to support scholarships for students pursuing intercultural learning experiences. FEA provides financial support and expertise in scholarship administration.
• NAFSAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Dr. Chris Thompson serves on working groups for NAFSA: Association of International Educators, contributing to industry standards and professional development in international education DEI.
• The Forum on Education AbroadcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Dr. Thompson serves on working groups for The Forum on Education Abroad, contributing to standards and best practices in education abroad.
• CANIEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Dr. Thompson is an ongoing contributor to CANIE (Campaign for Actionable Inclusion in Education Abroad), working on actionable inclusion initiatives.
• GoAbroad.comflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021GoAbroad.com is a key strategic partner for the Global Respectful Disruption Summit series. The partnership collaboratively amplifies experiences of underrepresented and underserved communities globally, challenges inequitable practices in international education, and includes joint programming, writing series, and co-marketing of inclusive initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Be Equitable: Be Equitable is a national health-equity platform where Dr. Thompson serves as Inclusion and Innovation Consultant; it is a direct peer in equity-centered training and consulting, addressing a different vertical (healthcare) but with overlapping DEI methodology and client base.
• GoAbroad.com: GoAbroad.com is a flagship Compear partner that co-hosts the Global Respectful Disruption Summit and amplifies underrepresented voices; it competes for the same educator and program-provider audience with its own directories, awards (GoAbroad Innovation Award), and content.
• Diversity Abroad: Diversity Abroad is a direct peer operating in the same DEI-in-international-education niche, connecting underrepresented students with global opportunities and offering institutional programming, events, and consulting that compete head-to-head with Compear's GRDI and RDL offerings.
• Barcelona SAE: Barcelona SAE is a Barcelona-based study abroad provider where Compear's founder previously led partnership development and inclusive programming; it is a direct peer in faculty-led and inclusive global education programming with a comparable practitioner audience.
• AIFS Abroad: AIFS Abroad is a study abroad provider whose Director of Study Abroad and Internship Operations (Dr. Neal McKinney) is now a GRDL Fellowship Co-Director, making it both a customer-adjacent partner and a comparable provider of intercultural programming for institutions.
• CultureVision: CultureVision is a national health-equity content platform where Dr. Thompson serves as Lead Intercultural Content Contributor; it competes for the same intercultural-content-development budget that Compear's consulting arm targets, making it a comparable equity-content business.

Broad incumbents

• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is a long-established study abroad and intercultural exchange organization running programs, faculty-led experiences, and DEI initiatives that overlap with Compear's institutional clients and RDL Fellowship adjacent programming.
• Institute of International Education (IIE): IIE is a global incumbent in international education, administering scholarships (Fulbright, etc.) and publishing thought leadership. Its Empower Award and study-abroad resources place it adjacent to Compear's GRDI scholarship and RDL framework work.
• NAFSA: Association of International Educators: NAFSA is the largest professional association for international educators and a Compear working-group partner; it offers DEI programming, awards, and conferences that overlap with Compear's summit, fellowship, and certification products, but as part of a much broader institutional portfolio.
• The Forum on Education Abroad: The Forum sets standards and runs events for education-abroad professionals, overlapping with Compear's practitioner and institutional audiences. Compear's founder sits on Forum working groups, signaling close comparability in scope despite The Forum's larger institutional footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/compear-global-education-network
• Xx.com/compearn
• Facebookfacebook.com/CompearGlobalEducationNetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Compear Global Education Network