2026 Cohort: CEO in Residence
Summary
This role is a hands-on CEO-in-training program where you search for, acquire, and lead a small business with $1–7M EBITDA, supported by mentorship and capital from NextGen Growth Partners.
Welcome to NextGen Growth Partners’ 2026 CIR Application. At NGP, we believe in empowering the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders to achieve remarkable success via Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA). Our firm partners with aspiring CEOs to search for, acquire, operate, and grow thriving businesses across a diverse range of industries. In turn, we provide support every step of the way, with mentorship, access to our advisory board and operating partners, a proven playbook, and the capital needed to fund acquisitions, including opportunities for outside co-investment.
Our Ideal Candidate
We are looking for passionate and driven individuals — whether top-tier MBA graduates or seasoned business leaders — who are eager to take the helm of a lower middle market business with EBITDA in the $1 to $7 million range.
As a CEO in Residence (CIR) at NGP, you’ll be a natural leader, committed to providing a legacy preservation plan for a pre-existing small business, driving growth, and overseeing the entire operation of a company.You’ll work hand-in-hand with our investment team, Advisory Board, and interns to craft investment theses, build a pipeline of opportunities, forge relationships with prospective sellers and industry leaders, and ultimately acquire and lead a company as its CEO. Once you partner with a business, you’ll relocate and step into the role you’ve been preparing for—leading the company with vision and purpose.
Post-Acquisition, you'll transition into overseeing the day-to-day operations of the business as its new CEO, developing the long-term mission and strategic vision of the company alongside the Board of Directors. With the support of NGP, you will spearhead the development and implementation of effective value creation strategies; build company culture and lead teams; and shepherd the business into its next phase of growth.
Candidate Characteristics:
- Demonstrates NGP’s three core values:
- Relationships: Care and communication over egos and siloes.
- Rigor: Experimentation and feedback over hesitation and defensiveness.
- Results: Value creation and winning outcomes over status quo and stagnation.
- Deep sense of integrity and strong personal ethics
- Passion for learning through self-directed efforts, peer-to-peer feedback, and coaching
- Strong ability to design and manage a creative, relationship-based sales approach
- History of measurable career promotions and successes
- Thesis alignment with NGP: Outsourced B2B Services providing a mission critical service