Each year at this time, one of the most marvelous experiences for me as a sales leader of the Inc. brand is speaking with and listening to the Inc. 5000 honorees. All of you have such unique stories and journeys, and yet you have so much in common.
Your voices lift one another, your customers, your communities, and your colleagues. Your visions and voices collectively reflect grit, uncommon strength, unwavering determination, and ingenuity.
But as I listen deeply, what strikes me the most is this: When you’re congratulated on your achievements, so many of you direct that praise to your teams, your customers, your mentors, your families. To anyone but yourselves. Are you being humble?
Or does this illustrate a central truth about what it takes for a founder, a leader, a CEO to scale a company at such extra ordinary rates?
The truth, of course, is that epic growth—any growth trajectory, really—takes collaboration, partnership, an obsession with customer service, and a deep understanding of how all the pieces work together.
At Inc., we endeavor to build an Inc. 5000 media experience and thought- leadership event that rises to the level of what you do. Every department, every team member contributes meaningfully: capturing your voices, your stories, your climb, all as testament to the entrepreneurial success that is the Inc. 5000 list, and that we realize for you in celebration and inspiration at the Conference & Gala experience. Five thousand voices—together, the song you sing is extraordinary. And we can lift your voices higher and higher, thanks to the support of our partners and sponsors—which stand with Inc. in a commitment to your success, and stand ready to power your continued growth. Indeed, your 5,000 voices are also supported by partners including Capital One Business and Oracle NetSuite, whose commitment to business innovation mirrors yours.
In the magazine you hold, for example, you’ll find expanded insights from the Inc. 5000 CEO Survey—focused on sales, which was produced in collaboration with Salesforce, and spotlighting human capital, which was executed in collaboration with Insperity.
At last year’s Inc. 5000 Gala, the inaugural Inc. Legacy Award was introduced, in partnership with Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky. The first Legacy Award honoree was Stephen Marsh of Smarsh, then a 17-time Inc. 5000 winner (now 18!).
I look forward to hearing all of your voices again at the Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala in Phoenix, October 22–24. We will raise a glass in toast to the 2025 Legacy Award recipient—and to all the companies redefining success and scale. Together, your 5,000 voices will lift us all and carry us into a brighter future.
Jennifer Henkus
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