Next Street launches research institute focused on small business economy

Next Street on August 18, 2026 launched the Next Street Institute, a research arm aimed at helping leaders understand how AI, reindustrialization, demographic shifts and capital flows are reshaping America’s small business economy. The institute will publish research, convene stakeholders and expand the firm’s work on supplier ecosystems, financing and economic opportunity.

Why it matters: - Small businesses drive jobs, innovation, supply chains and local wealth creation. - Next Street is building a research platform aimed at helping public- and private-sector leaders make better decisions for small businesses. - The launch comes as AI, demographic change, reindustrialization and shifting investment patterns reshape the business environment.

What happened: - Next Street announced the launch of the Next Street Institute on August 18, 2026. - The institute is the company’s new economics and business research arm. - The institute is designed to advance understanding of the forces shaping America’s small business economy. - Next Street said the institute will provide applied research, data and insights, plus convenings, for business leaders, policymakers, investors and practitioners.

The details: - The institute will focus on five research areas: Pathways to Entrepreneurship, Small Business & Society, Small Business & Supply Chains, Small Business Finance, and the Future of Small Business. - Pathways to Entrepreneurship will study how more entrepreneurs can start, own and grow businesses. - Small Business & Society will examine how small businesses create jobs, build wealth and strengthen local economies. - Small Business & Supply Chains will look at the role of suppliers in America’s critical industries. - Small Business Finance will focus on access to capital for starting, growing and scaling businesses. - The Future of Small Business will examine how technology, demographic shifts and changing markets will shape the next generation of entrepreneurship. - Charisse Conanan Johnson, CEO of Next Street, said the institute marks an important next chapter for the firm and will deepen its national impact. - Johnson said the institute will help shape policy, inform investment and inspire action that creates wealth and opportunity. - Spencer Lau will lead the Next Street Institute as head of the institute. - Lau said small businesses offer a unique lens into the forces reshaping the U.S. economy. - The institute will sit within Next Street’s newly formed Strategy & Transformation group, led by Katie Robins, chief strategy and transformation officer.

Between the lines: - Next Street is turning research into a more formal business line and a central hub for data and insights. - The move also expands the firm’s role beyond client work into thought leadership and ecosystem-building. - The institute is adding structure around themes Next Street has already been working on, especially industrial competitiveness and supplier ecosystems. - The company is positioning small business research as a way to understand broader shifts in the U.S. economy, not just small business trends.

What's next: - The institute will become the new home of the Industrial Supply Chain Forum. - The forum, established in 2024, brings together public, private and civic leaders around America’s industrial base. - The institute will continue publishing the Building America’s Industrial Base research series. - Recent installments include Investing in America’s Supplier Base and How Michigan Manufacturing is Evolving Through Industrial Transition. - Over the coming year, the institute plans additional essays, case studies and industry insights. - Future coverage will focus on AI and frontier technologies, aerospace and defense, energy and utilities, semiconductors and microelectronics, and pharmaceuticals and health technology.

The bottom line: - Next Street is formalizing its research work into a dedicated institute to influence policy, investment and strategy around America’s small business economy.