Based in Charlotte, Charisse is CEO and a Board Member of Next Street. In her role, Charisse is responsible for stewarding the firm to deliver on its mission to help small businesses reach their potential. She works on a daily basis to ensure that Next Street hits its financial and impact metrics, attracts and retains the best talent, lives into its values, and represents the firm externally. Charisse became CEO in March of 2025 after serving as Co-CEO from 2020 through 2025, wherein she had executive oversight of all Revenue-related and Corporate activities at the firm.
On working at Next Street
I am passionate about redistributing wealth and systems change for New Majority persons, through small business and entrepreneurship. I came to Next Street to feed that passion and change the status quo. I haven’t looked back since.
Prior to serving as Co-CEO, Charisse was Head of the Advisory Practice, where she led the unit to provide consulting solutions for institutional clients nationwide. Charisse started at the firm in December of 2015, assuming a mandate to start and grow the firm’s Chicago office. Charisse leads by example and loves to bring authentic joy and a small business first mindset into everything she does at Next Street. Charisse is the author of A Wealthy Girl: 7 Steps to Prosperity, Peace, and Personal Power, and is a Brookings Institute Senior Nonresident Fellow.
The Atlantic Festival: Equity In Personal Finance
Outside of Next Street
When she’s not at work, Charisse loves traveling, spending quality time with family and friends. She also loves to write, which she does for her blog, Charisse Says, and speak about her book.
Get to know Charisse
- General Partner at the Bulldog Innovation Group, a group of Yale University alums investing in companies founded by other Yale alums
- Twitter: @CharisseSays
Publications
- Is Your CEO an Anti-Racist
- Chicago Crain’s Executive Profile: She’s Written a ‘Lean In’ For Our Times
- This Is Lurie Daniel Favors : Charisse Conanan Johnson: BIPOC in the Entrepreneur Space
- Intergenerational wealth goes beyond money—and everyone deserves to pursue it
- To jump-start America’s economy, invest in women entrepreneurs of color