After a heartwarming and community-building inaugural year of the Small Giants Hall of Fame, we’re now back for round two! 

The Hall of Fame is meant to celebrate leaders on an annual basis who represent, practice, and live out Small Giants values, philosophies, and what it means to be a purpose-driven leader. The Hall of Fame recognizes exemplary leaders in two categories: Founders/CEOs and Next Gen leaders. This is a peer-led award—anyone can nominate a colleague or business leader they see as a true Small Giant, and our panel of judges are all carefully selected Community members. 

Thank you to everyone who submitted heartfelt nominations, as well as our dedicated panel for helping us in the final selection of our Hall of Fame winners.

Meet the Finalists

Next Gen Leaders

A Next Gen leader is anyone who is a leader in their organization, other than the founder or CEO. Next Gen leaders don’t need the top title to create top-tier impact. These thoughtful, energized leaders are working in the business alongside their employees making meaningful change. They’re curious, empathetic, and are always looking to make growth opportunities for themselves and those around them.

Founder/CEO Leaders

This group of leaders needs no further explanation. Except to say that they are pillars of the Small Giants Community. They are innovative, generous, and lifelong learners. Without their support and their fountains of knowledge, our Community would not be where it is today. 

To hear all of the wonderful things their peers are saying about these finalists, click here. 

Meet the 2025 Hall of Fame Inductees 

We honored our 2025 Hall of Fame finalists and inductees during the 2025 Small Giants Summit. To feel the love and support for one another during our Hall of Fame ceremony was nothing short of inspiring. 

Without further ado, it’s time to congratulate our 2025 Next Gen Leader, Leslie DeMent, and our 2025 Founder/CEO, Rob Dube! 

Congratulations, Leslie!

As Executive Director of Media at McKinney, Leslie has grown into her role with the grace, curiosity, and compassion of a true Small Giants leader. From her beginnings in the Small Giants Community, as an inaugural participant of the Leadership Academy, to now, she has taken every opportunity to grow herself as a leader so she can be a better advocate for the people around her. 

One of Leslie’s standout attributes that was mentioned time and again in her nominations is her commitment to her values. She has challenged a boss to lead with a more people-centered approach (and succeeded!), and has had to navigate transitioning her team through an acquisition into an organization that is not itself a Small Giant. Despite the obstacles set before her, Leslie has remained true to her values, and has advocated for herself and her team to maintain the culture that helps them thrive. And she has done this to great success.

Leslie’s ability to listen to others, as well as lead with integrity and courage, are just a few reasons why we’re proud to have her as our 2025 Next Gen Hall of Fame Leader. 

Congratulations, Rob!

Rob is the Co-Founder of imageOne, the Founder of 10 Disciplines, an author, and a huge reason why mindfulness is such an integral part of the Small Giants Community. From Sounding Board mentor to Leadership Academy facilitator and everything in between, Rob has helped shape the Community for over a decade.  

Rob is recognized not only as an emblematic leader in the business world, but also as someone who has impacted swaths of people in their personal lives. Rob’s leadership style is curious, humble, and inviting - he’s always willing to acknowledge when someone has a strength greater than him, and approaches his employees with empathy. He is admired for how he has built his businesses, and also how he has transitioned out. But also, so many of Rob’s nominators mentioned how he has had an effect on them personally. He has helped make the meditation and mindfulness space more approachable to the wider Community, allowing us all to be more centered and present leaders. 

Reflecting alongside our winners 

It’s pretty indicative of the Community and the weight of the Hall of Fame honor that this year’s recipients had near identical reactions to winning the award.

Both felt humbled and overwhelmed when they heard their names called at the awards ceremony, and said they couldn’t believe they were the ones to win among their fellow finalists, who they hold in such high regard.

A common thread among Small Giants leaders is to lead with heart, and a lot of times that means caring so much about the people around them, that they don’t fully realize the impact they’re having in real time. It’s clear that Leslie and Rob have both earned the trust and respect of their teams, as well as the entirety of the Small Giants Community by being compassionate leaders who give of themselves and lift others up. 

Our Small Giants Hall of Fame now consists of Leslie DeMent and Rob Dube, as well as last year’s inaugural winners, Sabrina White, Tom Walter, and Bo Burlingham. We know each of these leaders will continue to inspire us, and we can’t wait to welcome more wonderful leaders into this group in the years to come. 

Keep an eye out for when nominations will open up for the next Hall of Fame awards. In the meantime, consider securing your spot at next year’s Small Giants Summit so that you can enjoy the Hall of Fame ceremony and everything else the Summit has to offer! 

The Small Giants Community blog and resource library are made possible by our Community members and the financial support of: