A Letter from Our CEO: Grounds for Optimism in 2026
Dear Friends,
As we closed 2025, Next Street celebrated twenty years of building systems that work for small businesses, the engines of the U.S. economy. That milestone offered a chance to reflect on the progress we’ve made alongside our clients and partners, and to recommit to the work ahead.
2025 was marked by uncertainty, shifting funding landscapes, and rapid technological change. Yet through it all, one truth remained constant: small businesses continue to power our communities, our supply chains, and our shared prosperity. As a firm that has grown from a small business into an early middle market business, we are also doing our part to contribute to America’s economic growth – rooted in our values and aligned as fellow owners committed to to a shared vision to be the number one small business solutions provider in the U.S.
As we wrap up the first quarter, 2026 has already seen its own share of global uncertainty. And as we look to the remainder of 2026 with that backdrop, we do so with a belief that small businesses need both stabilization and conditions that propel them forward amidst the change. We are optimistic about their future.
Four themes are shaping the rest of the year ahead.
1. Regional Economic Transformation Will Define the Next Decade – Proximity to Small Businesses Matters
In the wake of shifting philanthropic priorities and stalled federal funding cycles, states, counties, and regional coalitions are increasingly stepping into leadership roles. This devolution from federal to local leadership is occurring at a pivotal moment, as historic investments in infrastructure, energy, manufacturing, and data centers are creating a once-in-a-generation opportunity to restart local job growth and expand the ownership economy.
Economic transformation doesn’t happen in the abstract. It happens in regions with distinct assets, industries, and ambitions. In many parts of the country, counties are emerging as the “Goldilocks” layer of government—not too big to navigate and not too small to matter. Counties play a special role in convening economic development stakeholders and building coordinated, outcome-driven small business ecosystems that connect entrepreneurs to capital, customers, workforce, and support.
In 2026, Next Street will deepen our partnerships with counties, states, and regional alliances to design and implement ecosystems that leverage public and private investment to create lasting local wealth, stronger supply chains, and good jobs that stay rooted in the communities where they are created.
2. “Made in America” Is Expanding, with Small Businesses at the Center
Companies across industries are rethinking their supply chains in response to geopolitical shifts, technological advances, and the need for greater resilience. However, supply chains are only as strong as the businesses within them. Given the he future of “Made in America” depends on whether small and mid-sized manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers can access the contracts, capital, and capabilities required to compete.
Through our and related initiatives, we’ve seen firsthand the appetite among corporations, governments, and regions to build stronger, more inclusive supplier ecosystems. And as America enters conflicts and experiences other supply chain disruptions, localizing our own supply chains is more important than ever. In 2026, we will deepen this work with scalable tech-enabled solutions —helping buyers and regions identify, prepare, and invest in the local suppliers that will power the next generation of American industry.
3. AI Will Transform How Small Businesses Work, and How We Serve Them
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how businesses operate. For small businesses, AI presents both opportunity and urgency. New tools are increasing productivity and competitiveness, while demanding increasingly digital savvy entrepreneurs.
At Next Street, we are actively integrating AI across our own solutions and operations to better serve entrepreneurs and our clients. We’re speeding up development of our small business resource hubs by leveraging AI code assistants. We’re strengthening the quality of our platforms through AI-supported reviews and test generation. We’re creating rapid prototypes with AI to better illustrate functionality for our design and engineering teams, helping us fully visualize product requirements before full implementation.
Looking ahead, we see high-impact opportunities in enhanced matchmaking on our Hubs, AI-assisted customer support, automated documentation, and data-driven user experience insights. Our goal is to harness AI responsibly to expand access, improve outcomes, and ensure small businesses are positioned to thrive in a rapidly evolving economy.
4. Small Businesses Remain the Engine of the U.S. Economy
Through all the change, our belief that small businesses drive the American economy remains steady. Small businesses employ nearly half of the private workforce, anchor local communities, and keep local supply chains moving. Their impact goes beyond the numbers. Many small businesses are values-driven organizations that offer a relational, more humane approach to work that their larger corporate counterparts often cannot. They are places where owners know their employees by name, where decisions reflect community priorities, and where economic growth is tied to dignity and opportunity. They are deeply embedded in the communities they serve and we are deeply committed to serving them across the US.
Digging In for the Work Ahead
Funding landscapes will continue to shift, technology will continue to evolve, and markets will continue to change in 2026. Local leaders are stepping up, supply chains are being rebuilt, new tools are emerging, and small businesses continue to power it all.
For twenty years, Next Street has worked to ensure that small businesses are central to how economic growth happens. In 2026, we will continue that work with the same urgency, creativity, and commitment that have defined our first two decades.
We are grateful to the clients, partners, and entrepreneurs who make this work possible. Please let us know how we might continue to support you, and others in the industry, to keep small businesses, from main street to suppliers, at the forefront of our country’s growth. Specifically, if you’re looking for a scalable, outcomes-driven solution to help your community retain and grow jobs in this climate, or your company to prevent small businesses from falling out of supply chains, please reach out to us – we’re here to help.
Together, we can achieve systems-level change not only this year, but in the years to come.
Onward,
Charisse Conanan Johnson
Chief Executive Officer
Next Street