Bank of America Presents the 2027 GrowFL CEO Summit

From Our Title Sponsor

GrowFL is proud to announce Bank of America as Title Sponsor of the 2027 GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch CEO Summit, taking place February 24-26, 2027, at the Universal Orlando Royal Pacific Resort.

For past honorees and second-stage leaders who have already broken through initial milestones, the true test is no longer just surviving; it is building an enterprise that outlasts its early phase. The 2027 Summit maps a complete growth-company journey mirroring the true evolution of a scaling CEO: Infrastructure, Scale, Founder Evolution, Execution, Visibility, Resilience and Reinvention, and Legacy.

The CEO Summit follows the journey of leading a company beyond its early stages of success, when growth becomes less about simply doing more and more about making the right decisions for what comes next. The experience explores what must be built to support greater scale, how the CEO's role must evolve as the organization matures, and how to create a leadership team and operating structure that can perform without everything flowing through the founder.

It also looks at the discipline required to execute consistently, how the market perceives the company you have built, and how strong organizations continue to adapt through changing markets, opportunities and stages of growth.

Ultimately, the Summit creates space for experienced entrepreneurs to step away from the day-to-day, challenge their thinking, learn from peers who have navigated similar inflection points, and focus on building a company that is stronger, more valuable and positioned to endure.

Is Your Financial Strategy Ready for Your Next Stage of Growth?

Growth creates opportunity, but it also puts new demands on a company's finances. Adding employees, investing in equipment or technology, entering new markets, and pursuing new opportunities can require capital well before those investments begin generating a return.

As a company grows, financial decisions become increasingly connected to the larger growth strategy. Leaders must balance today's needs with the resources required to pursue what comes next.

Planning ahead can give CEOs more flexibility to evaluate opportunities, understand potential cash-flow needs, and consider financing options before capital becomes an urgent need. That idea is central to Coley Jones's perspective in the article.

Questions growing CEOs should be asking:

Do we have the cash flow to support our next stage of growth?
What investments will our growth strategy require over the next six to twelve months?
Should we fund those investments through existing cash flow, financing, or a combination of both?
How would faster or slower growth affect our cash position?
Are we having conversations about capital early enough to give ourselves options?
Do our financial partners understand where the business is headed, not just where it is today?

These questions are increasingly important as a company grows. In the full article, Coley Jones shares his perspective on anticipating capital needs, evaluating financing before it becomes urgent, and working with a banking partner that understands both the business today and where it is headed.

Preparing for What's Next: Financial Strategies for Growing Companies

For second-stage CEOs, growth decisions are also cash-flow decisions. Hiring, expansion, technology and equipment compete for capital, even as new opportunities emerge. Planning ahead helps leaders weigh those investments against the company's immediate needs and long-term goals.

Ahead of the 2027 GrowFL CEO Summit, presented by Bank of America, we asked Coley Jones to share his perspective on some of the financial questions facing leaders as their companies grow.

What financial challenges do you see most often among second-stage companies as they scale?

“Revenue growth can create cash-flow pressure before it delivers a return. Hiring employees, purchasing equipment, building inventory and pursuing new opportunities all require working capital. CEOs need to understand not just how much the business is growing, but what that growth will cost.

As a company scales, financial planning needs to look beyond today's results. What will the business need over the next six months, year and beyond? Anticipating those demands helps leaders assess whether cash flow and access to capital can support their plans.

The goal is to fund growth while preserving the flexibility to pursue future opportunities.”

How can business owners determine the right time to seek financing for growth initiatives?

“The best time to think about financing is often before you urgently need it.

Start with the growth strategy. Identify the resources needed to execute it, then consider whether to fund the investment through existing cash flow, financing or a combination of both.

Ask four questions: What opportunity are we pursuing? What investment will it require? When do we expect a return? And how will our cash position change if growth is faster or slower than expected?

Early conversations give CEOs more time to evaluate their options and make financing part of the strategy, rather than a response to a cash shortfall.”

How can a banking partner help company leaders navigate economic uncertainty while continuing to pursue growth?

“Uncertainty does not necessarily mean putting growth on hold. It means testing investment decisions against different scenarios and understanding the potential impact on cash flow and risk.

A strong banking relationship goes beyond a single transaction. A banker who understands your business, industry and goals can help you evaluate capital needs, cash flow and risk before you commit to a major investment.

As the business becomes more complex, trusted advisors can bring outside perspectives to decisions that are difficult to assess alone.”

What separates growth-stage companies that continue to scale from those that plateau?

“Continued growth requires leaders to reassess what the business needs at each stage.

The systems and strategies that got a company here may not support its next stage. CEOs need to evaluate their financial structure, leadership capacity, operations and access to capital, then focus investment on the opportunities that create the most value.

Companies that continue to scale prepare for what comes next. Their leaders ask questions early, seek relevant expertise and build relationships that challenge their assumptions.

The GrowFL CEO Summit offers time away from daily operations to learn from peers and consider those decisions with other leaders who understand the challenges of growth.”

Why does Bank of America support GrowFL?

“We partner with GrowFL because growing companies need more than capital. They need connections, fresh perspectives and opportunities to strengthen their leadership. Supporting GrowFL allows us to build meaningful relationships with Florida's business leaders and help them prepare for their next stage of growth.”

Coley Jones
Bank of America