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As part of the NJBIZ Looking Ahead 2026 special feature, we asked industry leaders across New Jersey: Where do you see the greatest opportunities emerging in the next 12 months? Read the Letter from the Editor other Q-and-A’s here.

Cannabis

Sam Brill
CEO, Ascend Wellness Holdings

We see a strong opportunity in our diversified brand portfolio, with approximately 550 SKUs launched in 2025, because excelling at meeting customers where they are with the right product is what keeps them coming back.

Scott Prisco
CEO, Priscotty

I see the greatest opportunities through people, experience and perspective. Most opportunities start as ideas — they begin in the mind before they ever exist in the physical world. For me, it’s about recognizing patterns through lived experience, understanding people, and then turning those insights into something tangible through execution, consistency and momentum. Opportunity isn’t just about market conditions or timing; it’s about clarity of thought, openness to new ideas, and the willingness to act. By staying curious, thinking freely, and remaining grounded in real-world experience, I’m able to identify opportunities that others may overlook. Ultimately, the goal is to build things that have a positive impact – on people, on communities and on the broader ecosystem – and then bring those ideas to life by putting one foot in front of the other.

Food/hospitality

Amanda Stone
Vice president of public affairs, NJ Restaurant and Hospitality Association

New Jersey is uniquely positioned right now. Major global and national events like the World Cup and America’s 250th anniversary represent once-in-a-generation opportunities to showcase our state, drive tourism, and support local restaurants and hotels. We’ve been planning and coordinating early to ensure the hospitality industry is prepared to meet demand and that these events deliver lasting economic benefits for communities across New Jersey.

Health care

Debbie Hart
CEO, BioNJ

As a new governor takes office – bringing fresh perspective and new ideas – New Jersey stands at a pivotal moment, with its long-established strengths and emerging assets aligning to create exceptional opportunities in life sciences. With the support of Choose New Jersey and the NJEDA [New Jersey Economic Development Authority], New Jersey can attract new companies while ensuring that existing global leaders grow locally. As biopharma firms increase onshoring and international companies seek a U.S. presence, the state’s talent, infrastructure, market access and innovation ecosystem make it a premier destination. Concurrently, through a thoughtful and well-defined plan, New Jersey can accelerate entrepreneurship by expanding access to capital; continuing support for the New Jersey Commission on Science, Innovation and Technology; and leveraging its five life sciences Strategic Innovation Centers. At the same time, artificial intelligence presents a transformative opportunity across research, development, manufacturing and infrastructure. The AI hub at Princeton University underscores N.J.’s potential to lead in AI-driven life sciences. With sustained investment and collaboration, New Jersey is poised to define the future of global life sciences.

Mark Sparta
President, chief operating officer, Hackensack Meridian Health

Health care is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the emergence of new technology along with evolving patient needs and expectations. In 2026, Hackensack Meridian Health will continue to expand ambulatory care services to better meet patients where they are and deliver high-quality care beyond traditional hospital settings. We believe innovation should be a central priority for every network’s strategic plan. That means making bold changes to bring care closer to patients while we continue to invest in our hospital campuses to ensure we continue to deliver nationally recognized acute care. In 2026, we’re committed to leading the way in New Jersey to build healthier communities by improving access and reimagining how and where care is delivered. From virtual visits by phone or computer to stopping on the way home from work at our new Health and Wellness Center at Metropark opening this March, our patients will have the opportunity to receive care more quickly and with fewer obstacles.

Michael Maron
CEO, Holy Name

AI-enabled clinical and administrative automation — true margin recovery. Ambulatory expansion and decentralized care — care is leaving the hospital; embrace it. Academic partnerships and workforce pipelines — the only long-term answer to staffing. Becoming the regional leader in culturally competent care — in N.J., that’s not a differentiator, it’s a strategic moat.

Brian Lawrence
CEO, FellowshipLIFE

The clearest opportunity is the growing demand for senior housing, health care, and Home and Community Based services. The consumer is changing: people want wellness, hospitality, choice, convenience and connectedness. Organizations that diversify service lines, expand regionally and deliver personalized well-being experiences will see strong growth.

Labor

Greg Lalevee
Business manager, IUOE Local 825

A solid enough working relationship between Trenton and Washington propelling New Jersey forward.

Law

Casey Gocel
Partner, co-chair, Corporate Law, Mandelbaum Barrett

In 2026, the strongest opportunities will favor businesses that are realistic about valuation and prepared for more disciplined buyers. While transaction activity remains steady, acquirers are placing greater emphasis on compliance readiness, clean financials and workforce stability — particularly in highly regulated environments like New Jersey. Companies that invest early in operational discipline and regulatory compliance will be best positioned to capitalize on strategic transactions and growth opportunities.

Money

Edward Moran
Senior vice president, commercial banking market president, OceanFirst Bank

Generally, I would characterize my thoughts on economic growth in 2026 as neutral.  Primarily, a neutral outlook is driven by potentially lower interest rates that could help corporate borrowers’ bottom lines; however, there is the possibility that impacts from tariffs are yet to be felt and could surface in 2026.

George Destafney
Executive vice president and chief commercial real estate officer, OceanFirst Bank

There are great opportunities ahead with several significant events happening in New Jersey starting in 2026, including hosting activities related to the 250th anniversary of the United States and hosting FIFA events this summer. At the Jersey Shore we also see great potential related to the addition of Netflix.

Adam Kleinman
New Jersey commercial market executive, Wells Fargo

Businesses that focus on consumer products remain attractive because of their emotional connection with customers and dynamic distribution channels. Brands with clear missions and strong marketing strategies are positioned for fast growth. Real estate also presents significant opportunities, particularly refinancing deals from 2020–2021 that will come due soon. From a banking perspective, business owners should focus on transforming their businesses and understanding alternative capital options. Private credit is becoming a critical tool — it’s “hot” right now and should be considered alongside traditional financing. Owners need to evaluate how private credit fits into their capital strategy, especially for upper-end middle-market companies.

Real estate

Bill Hassan
Executive vice president, CBRE

As AI learning begins to be implemented and taking advantage of the findings and potential improvements.

Benjamin Downing
Managing principal, DeSimone Consulting Engineering

We see continued growth in housing, and with the growing use and demand for AI, expanded opportunities in the development of data centers. As we provide engineering services to multiple data centers nationally, we see continued opportunity in the sector — and expect to see clients looking for such development opportunities in New Jersey over the next 12 months. As health care systems continue to experience space constraints, we also foresee ongoing opportunity across the health care facilities market. Housing continues to take all forms, from low-rise multifamily in suburban areas outside of major city centers to high-rises in urban neighborhoods.

David Greek
Managing partner, Greek Real Estate Partners

The greatest opportunities over the next 12 months are likely to emerge from market stabilization amid limited new supply, particularly for well-located industrial assets. With new development at its lowest level in years, demand from large-credit tenants is beginning to strengthen, which should support leasing and pricing as absorption continues. I also see opportunity in reinvesting in existing facilities, as improving financing conditions allow owners to pursue expansions, upgrades and redevelopment, as well as in product types tied to last-mile logistics, small-bay industrial and cold storage near major population centers, where long-term demand fundamentals remain strong.

Tim Greiner
Executive managing director, Leasing Advisory, JLL New Jersey

Powered land opportunities for data center and future logistics development stand out as a major potential growth area. New Jersey’s infrastructure, proximity to major population centers and strong fiber networks are already driving significant interest and activity among investors, developers and end users. However, power constraints may inhibit new development. The State of New Jersey, PSE&G, JCP&L and PJM are actively evaluating a range of energy solutions to address the cost and availability of power. Successful solutions are critical for the state’s long-term economic competitiveness. But even with a friendly regulatory landscape, there is a growing shortage of land that can deliver both the scale of power required by the next generation of digital innovators that will accommodate cloud computing, AI and the other data-intensive enterprise operations that underpin the economy.

Charles Burton
Head of government and community relations, Lefrak

New Jersey continues to serve as a prime location between two major cities, benefits from an excellent public education system, and nurtures strong anchor industries including life sciences, pharmaceuticals, real estate and technology. We believe that the state will be rewarded for its embrace of AI within the technology sector and the emergence of film productions. If the state boosts new housing construction, stabilizes taxes, and has competitive business incentives it will retain and attract many residents.

Matthew Harding
CEO, Levin Management Corp.

The greatest opportunities are in moving from “filling space” to fine-tuning and reimagining space. As more of our centers reach full occupancy, we can take a more strategic look at the existing tenant lineup — identifying where the mix can be right-fit even further to strengthen traffic drivers, complementarity and long-term performance. At the same time, we see meaningful upside in proactive reinvestment and redevelopment, including creating new value through outparcel opportunities and smarter site utilization — similar to what we’re doing at West Orange Plaza, where adding an outparcel creates room to introduce additional retailers to an already prime, high-performing center.

Blake Chroman
Principal, Sitex Group

One of the biggest areas of opportunity is the continued growth of industrial outdoor storage (IOS) and other functional industrial uses that require outdoor space and flexible site layouts. There’s also a compelling opportunity in repurposing excess corporate real estate, specifically properties that may no longer be mission-critical for large companies, but can be repositioned into high-demand industrial uses with the right vision. Also, we see meaningful upside in small bay industrial, which is now viewed as a distinct and scalable segment. As ownership becomes more institutional, the sector should benefit from more active management and more standardized, tenant-friendly leasing structures, creating a better experience for tenants and a more efficient investment model.

Retail

Michael Stigers
Wakefern

Our cooperative members give us our greatest opportunities. Each member brings unique recipes, specialties and local community connections that create meaningful differentiation. Recent store openings by Wakefern Members Sunrise ShopRite (ShopRite of West Caldwell) and Zallie Family Markets (ShopRite of Cherrywood Plaza in Clementon) highlight that strength. The stores feature fresh foods, chef-prepared meals, and beloved family recipes, all launched with strong community engagement. We’re also excited about our 2025 acquisition of Morton Williams, a neighborhood grocer with 17 locations in Manhattan, Jersey City and the Bronx. This move preserves their legacy while giving them access to Wakefern’s scale and capabilities. Wakefern continues to grow its wholesale business. We believe we have a lot to offer wholesale clients. We are also excited about artificial intelligence, which is really changing the landscape across all sectors and facets of life. We are looking at the best ways to use AI to help our teams, stores and customers.