In a nation full of enterprising minds, it's not hard to find burgeoning businesses in every state. The 2023 edition of Inc. Regionals recognizes the resourceful business owners in each region of the U.S. who have smashed their own records again and again as they chart turbo-powered growth. It's a local take on the Inc. 5000, honoring outperforming entrepreneurs from the Pacific Northwest to the booming Southeast, and everywhere in between. To make the cut, these companies had to show a minimum of 60 percent revenue growth over two years. Many skyrocketed over that bar-like Dallas's Blue Hammer Roofing, a contracting business that nailed a 13,946 percent revenue increase. Now that's raising the roof.
While the Inc. 5000 looks at the growth of private U.S. businesses over three years, Regionals tracks the past two years and allows lower revenue to qualify: $100,000 in 2019 and $1 million in 2021, years that weren't easy for companies of any size. Inflation reached 11 percent, pandemic policies, and supply chain struggles persisted, and ever-shifting consumer demand was the rule. Still, the 1,125 companies honored this year went beyond coping with these challenges; by generating $64.1 billion in revenue and adding more than 100,000 new employees, these businesses exemplify innovation and resilience, while playing outsize roles in bolstering the U.S. economy. Keep your eye on them, and draw your own lessons from their remarkable stories.
How I Built an IT Business That Proves I Belong
LaunchTech, No. 3
Huntsville, Alabama
Venus Quates, founder and CEO
Two-year revenue growth: 5,121%
This story is from the March 2023 edition of Inc..
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2023 edition of Inc..
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Screen Play
Joe Thomas and his co-founders were two weeks away from running out of money for their software startup when, in 2016, they launched a new product and went all in on prerecorded videos as a workplace communication tool.
THE GUY WHO PUTS COPS IN THE SKY
BLAKE RESNICK, A 24-YEAR-OLD WITH FUNDING FROM SAM ALTMAN AND SAM BANKMAN-FRIED, IS ON A WILD RIDE TO REINVENT THE FUTURE OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
AI Gets to Work
It's leading-edge, it's downright scary and it's here. Following AI's breakout year, we take a look under the hood at how entrepreneurs are applying the tech and what you need to know to stay competitive.
THE CRUSADING KOMBUCHA CEO AND 200 YEARS OF STARTUP-DESTROYING LEGAL DOCTRINE
Michael Peter wants to dismantle a longstanding legal precedent that can prevent entrepreneurs from getting their day in court. His not-so-secret weapon: A small-business superhero named Reverend Justice.
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE FEMALE FOUNERS 250
SUCCESS often breeds success-but triumphs also arise out of necessity. Consider that Airbnb, Uber, and Rent the Runway started during the Great Recession. In many ways, the past year was defined by similar tumult. While the U.S. never technically entered a recession, the retrenchment in investment and ad spending paired with the psychological-if not direct-toll of tech layoffs yielded tough times indeed. But female founders are nothing if not resilient, and their achievements defied the conditions they faced, giving us cause to expand our list to 250 of them. They're not ranked, but they are organized around themes. In the pages that follow, you'll find snapshots of courage from women who've overcome trials-such as keeping the internet running in war zones, coping with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, or facing personal crises. You'll also learn how this year's top female founders grew their collective 2023 revenue to more than $8.86 billion, raised $6.2 billion in funding to date, and kept it together not just to survive, but to thrive.
Shelley Zalis
On that elusive work-life balance, her own version of perfection, and pivoting with positivity.
Steve Young Shares Lessons From the Private Equity Playbook With a First-Time Founder
The athlete-turned-investor helps Tessa Barton prepare to scale her bootstrapped photo-editing startup, Tezza.
AI in HR Tech: A New Era in Human Resources Technology
The next generation of HR software is here, powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Now, your business can harness the transformative power of AI in HR tech.
Think Liberally and Deliberately
Why do I devote four weeks a year to reading and thinking? So I can supercharge all the other days.
At Board Meetings, the CEO Should Get Lost
Directors need to candidly discuss company leadership. They can't do that if the top manager is also the board chair.