CEO Next is a program sponsored by Hennepin County as part of our Elevate Hennepin portfolio of small business support resources, with additional support provided by Carver, Dakota, Ramsey, and Scott Counties. CEO Next provides practical tools and techniques for CEOs and is designed specifically for growing regional second stage businesses. The program offers three lines of service:

• System for Integrated Growth: 30 hours per participating CEO of intensive, advanced research
• CEO round table sessions: eight half-day sessions for the CEOs of selected core companies
• CEO forum events: eight sessions for participating CEOs and other second-stage companies

Roundtables and speaker forums are held on the third Thursday of the month, and typically start in October.

Who can participate

Participants can include private businesses in Hennepin, Carver, Dakota, Ramsey, and Scott counties, with:

• 10–99 employees
• Revenue between $1M and $50M
• Readiness to transition from small to large — past start-up stage but not yet mature
• Appetite and aptitude for growth

If your business doesn’t meet the above criteria, you may be qualified for CEO Now, a cohort and class-based companion program for emerging growth-oriented business founders and owners.

About the facilitation team

CEO Next is facilitated by Minneapolis Business Mentors, a business coaching non-profit and Elevate Hennepin advisor. CEO Next also represents a partnership with the Edward Lowe Foundation, a foundation that works to empower entrepreneurs with leadership education and strategic information to keep growing.

Apply

Applications for the next cohort are now closed. To join the waitlist for an upcoming opportunity, complete this short form. Program staff will follow up with next steps. 

To receive notifications of the next application period, subscribe to our newsletter via the form at the bottom of the page. 

No-cost participation

Scholarships from Hennepin County and other participating counties cover the full cost of your participation in the program, including research, events, and roundtables. There is no cost to CEOs to participate, other than your time.

Community impact

Since 2012, the program has worked with more than 290 businesses, and created or retained over 2,000 jobs in Hennepin County. 

Related links and materials

• CEO Next program brochure (PDF)
• CEO Next sample forum video (Vimeo)

Testimonials

“Being able to problem solve a lot of the different situations that you encounter as the CEO, I think that is probably the biggest piece that was helpful for me. The combined knowledge of everyone in CEO Next was so valuable. There were a lot of people that have been through different things and can give you some perspective on something that you might not have thought of.”
— Kristen Denzer, founder and CEO of Tierra Encantada

Read about Kristen's experience in CEO Next at ElevateHennepin.org.

“If you think you’re doing great, you can do better. You can always do better and CEO Next helped me do better. CEO Next is just a no brainer. You’re going to get a lot out of it.”
— Frank Brown, owner of Minuteman Press Uptown

Read about Frank's experience in CEO Next at ElevateHennepin.org.