What do you hope the next chapter of Janesville's story will be?

It's a question with as many answers as there are people who call our community home.

More opportunities for young people. Continued economic growth and investment. More housing. Stronger neighborhoods. More cultural experiences. More connections between the people who live and work here.

And, according to at least one fecetious participant, perhaps another chicken restaurant.

Those were among the responses when we asked attendees at the 2026 Forward Janesville Annual Dinner to share their hopes for Janesville's future.

We brought their voices together in a video that closed the evening on Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Woodman's Sports & Convention Center.

And in many ways, those responses captured exactly what this year's Annual Dinner was designed to celebrate.

A Story Worth Telling. A Future Worth Building.

Hundreds of business professionals and community leaders gathered to reflect on the people, businesses and decisions that have shaped Janesville, recognize the momentum carrying our community forward, and consider the stories each of us has an opportunity to tell — and help write — in the years ahead.

Our Story: How We Play, Learn and Work

Forward Janesville Board Chair George Cullen, of JP Cullen, helped set the stage by looking back at the values and decisions that have shaped our community.

He suggested that much of Janesville's story can be understood through three simple ideas: how we play, how we learn and how we work.

Growing up in Janesville, Cullen remembered time spent at the ice arena, youth football fields and YMCA. Those experiences reflected something larger: a community with a long history of investing in places and opportunities for its young people.

That commitment continues today through projects such as the Woodman's Sports & Convention Center, the new Boys & Girls Club facility and the Children's Museum of Rock County's Bysted Family WonderVault.

It's also reflected in how Janesville approaches education.

Cullen discussed the longstanding relationship between our business community and local schools, including Forward Janesville's work to strengthen education and workforce partnerships. Whether through mentorship, youth apprenticeships, classroom experiences or businesses opening their doors to students, those connections help young people see the possibilities available to them right here in Janesville.

And when it comes to how we work, Cullen pointed to two characteristics that have helped define Janesville's economic history: being ready for opportunity and embracing innovation.

He recalled the decisions that helped bring Samson Tractor and General Motors to Janesville more than a century ago, creating opportunities that would shape generations of local families.

Cullen also highlighted the entrepreneurial spirit of George Parker, whose determination to improve the fountain pen helped build Parker Pen into an internationally recognized business.

Those stories are reminders that the decisions we make today can have an impact far beyond what we can immediately see.

The same opportunity exists for Janesville today — through longstanding employers, growing local businesses, new entrepreneurs and companies bringing fresh ideas and investment to our community.

Our challenge is to continue creating an environment in which opportunity and innovation can thrive.

The Next Chapter: Building on Janesville's Momentum

Forward Janesville President & CEO Shar Hermanson carried that conversation into the present and the future.

Janesville's story is not defined by any single industry, business, building or moment in its history.

It's a story that continues to evolve through the people and organizations choosing to invest here.

Across our community, there are visible examples of that evolution.

The former Sears location at Uptown Janesville has become the Woodman's Sports & Convention Center — the very place where we gathered for Annual Dinner.

A downtown building once known as First National Bank is preparing for its next chapter as the children's museum.

Local businesses continue expanding, innovating and creating opportunities. Entrepreneurs are launching new ventures. Community organizations are finding new ways to meet local needs.

At the same time, Janesville faces important questions about housing, workforce development, future investment and how to make the most of opportunities across the city.

Those conversations matter because a community's next chapter doesn't write itself.

And perhaps no part of that future matters more than the next generation.

Through workforce partnerships and initiatives such as Keep Kids Learning, Forward Janesville is working to help students understand the opportunities available in their hometown and connect with the businesses and people who can help them pursue their goals.

Our opportunity is not simply to prepare young people for the workforce Janesville has today, but to help them imagine — and eventually build — the community Janesville can become.

The future belongs to people willing to see possibilities, invest in them and work together to bring them to life.

[PHOTO: Shar Hermanson speaking]

Your Story: What Difference Do You Make?

If George's remarks explored where Janesville has been, and Shar's looked toward where we're going, featured speaker Zach Atherton turned the conversation toward everyone in the room.

His challenge was simple:

You're not telling your story enough.

Atherton has built a career around the power of storytelling. His work has generated billions of views and helped sell more than $750 million worth of products, including through memorable advertising campaigns for nationally recognized brands.

But his message at Annual Dinner wasn't limited to marketing, advertising or large companies.

It was about understanding why stories matter — to businesses, organizations, communities and individuals.

Through examples ranging from Squatty Potty and Lumē to a barber whose videos have attracted customers from around the country, Atherton demonstrated how effective storytelling changes the way people understand a product, service or business.

The most compelling story isn't necessarily a list of everything a company offers.

It's often the difference that company makes in someone's life.

An HVAC company doesn't simply repair furnaces. It helps keep houses feeling like homes.

A barber doesn't simply cut hair. He can help someone feel confident.

And a business owner doesn't have to operate a billion-dollar company to have a story worth telling.

Atherton also brought the message close to home, highlighting Janesville-area businesses and organizations such as Woodman's Food Markets and Rotary Botanical Gardens to demonstrate the larger purpose behind familiar work.

He encouraged attendees to think beyond job titles and everyday tasks and consider a more meaningful question:

Who is better off because you showed up and did your work?

You Find Your Story by Telling It

Atherton's presentation went beyond examples.

He challenged attendees to practice telling their stories, including through interactive exercises that had people sharing what they do and then reconsidering how to explain the impact of that work.

He also encouraged attendees to invest time in developing their own stories and exploring new possibilities.

Start a newsletter. Make a video. Share an idea. Speak to an audience. Try something new.

Not every effort will immediately produce a customer, a sale or a new opportunity.

But the process of telling a story helps sharpen it. It helps us understand what matters, what connects with people and what we want to accomplish.

And the stories we tell ourselves can be just as powerful as the stories we tell others.

Our careers, businesses and communities are not finished products. They can grow, change and evolve as we discover new opportunities and decide what we want to become.

That makes storytelling much more than a marketing exercise.

It makes it part of how we create our future.

Janesville's Next Chapter, In Our Own Words

There was one final chapter to the evening.

As attendees arrived at Annual Dinner, we invited them to answer a question on camera:

What do you hope the next chapter of Janesville's story will be?

Their answers reflected the variety of hopes and priorities that exist across our community.

Shar envisioned a future where every student in Janesville's schools has the opportunity to chase their dreams.

Others imagined continued economic success, more affordable housing, new opportunities on the city's south side, stronger community connections and more cultural experiences.

Some hoped for a community where more young professionals choose to stay and build their careers.

Others envisioned more youth sports, restaurants, community activities and places that bring people together.

Some answers were serious. Some were funny. All reflected something that makes Janesville worth caring about.

We brought those voices together in the three-minute video that closed the evening.

The video was a fitting reminder that there is no single voice, business or organization that gets to decide what Janesville's future will be.

It's shaped by all of us — by the ideas we share, the decisions we make, the businesses we build, the opportunities we create and the ways we show up for one another.

And just as Zach Atherton encouraged attendees to tell their own stories more often, we hope our community will continue sharing its hopes, ambitions and ideas for what Janesville can become.

Thank You for Being Part of the Story

The 2026 Forward Janesville Annual Dinner would not have been possible without the remarkable support of our sponsors, the participation of our members and guests, and the work of the many people who helped bring the evening together.

We are especially grateful to our Presenting Sponsors:

ABC Supply Co. Inc. • Boomerang Home Rentals • JP Cullen • Massas Investments • Nowlan Law • Rock Road Companies • Zilber Property Group

We also extend our sincere appreciation to our Platinum, Gold and Bronze Sponsors, whose generosity helped make this year's event possible.

Thank you to George Cullen, Shar Hermanson and Zach Atherton for sharing their perspectives. Thank you to everyone who participated in the evening's conversations and activities. And thank you to the hundreds of business and community leaders who joined us to celebrate Janesville.

Our hope is that everyone who attended left with a greater appreciation for the community we're part of, optimism about the opportunities in front of us and renewed motivation to tell the stories that make our businesses, organizations and people worth knowing.

Because Janesville's story has never been written by any one person.

It's been shaped by generations of people willing to build, invest, innovate, connect and believe in what comes next.

And that work continues.

A Story Worth Telling. A Future Worth Building.

The next chapter is ours to write.