Skip to content

Apply for CEO Next

The next class of CEO Next begins soon!

CEO Next is a group-learning opportunity that provides practical tools and techniques for CEOs and business leaders and is designed specifically for growing regional businesses looking to work with peers and take a fresh look at their growing businesses.

Business owners with 10 or more employees, and revenue of $1 million or more that are looking to transition from a small to large business are encouraged to apply. It's a space where these successful leaders can discuss the shared challenges of scale and dig into their business with deep research.

CEO Next alum Anissa Keys, founder and CEO of Aruba Emotional Health, said it was a valuable way to connect with equal peers.

“The cohorts are really the only spaces where I can be around other business owners who really have been able to bring their businesses to that second level,” said Keyes.

Alum Kristen Denzer, founder and CEO of Spanish-emersion daycare Tierra Encantada, said the lessons and conversations she had five years ago in CEO Next were invaluable.

“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,” said Denzer.

If you are a CEO of a second-stage business looking to grow into regional and national markets, learn more about this opportunity.

Applications for CEO Next are accepted on a rolling basis. To express interest in this opportunity, complete this short form. Program staff will follow up with next steps. 

Learn more →

Show all resources

Get connected to professional resources, tools, and guidance from business experts.

Schedule a consultation

Meet one-on-one with a Business Navigator to assess your best next step.

Real businesses, real stories.

Rajesh Selvaraj cofounder of Pizza Karma

Arranging the ABCs of business in CEO Now

When Pizza Karma founder and "chief pizza officer" Rajesh Selvaraj joined CEO Now, things were going well for the company. But Rajesh knew he and the leadership team had to work on consistency to meet their big goals.

Advisors and business owners who make Elevate Hennepin work.

Hennepin County: A long-term partner to the business community

For more than a decade, Hennepin County has supported the business community with economic development programming to build a stronger, more equitable, and resilient local economy.