Minnesota Hennepin County CEO Next Program
About the Program
Deep research and CEO resources for established businesses
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 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:
- Custom research to help companies make great decisions
- 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 second Thursday of the month, and typically start in January.
Hennepin County and other participating counties cover the full cost of participation for businesses, including custom research, events, and roundtables, a $10,000 value. There is no cost to CEOs to participate, other than your time.
Who is eligible?
Participants can include private businesses in Hennepin, 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.
Apply
Applications for CEO Next are accepted on a rolling basis, the next session begins in early 2027. To express interest in this opportunity, complete this short form. Program staff will follow up with next steps.
To receive notifications of the next CEO Next opportunity, subscribe to the Elevate Hennepin newsletter via the form at the bottom of the page.
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
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