By Regina Jankowski

October 30, 2026

Read on Long Island Business News

Every year, this section reminds us how much talent, drive and heart it takes to move a region forward. This year is no exception.

The 2026 Top 100 Long Islanders are the executives, advocates and builders whose decisions shape how we live, work and do business across Nassau and Suffolk. They lead the Northeast’s largest nonprofit health system, our hospitals, universities and community colleges, and the banks, law firms and accounting practices that keep commerce moving. They run the food banks, human service agencies and veterans organizations that make sure no neighbor is left behind. And they are building the housing, downtowns and infrastructure that will define Long Island for the next generation.

What is most interesting and impressive is how many of them started small. One began working in a family restaurant at 12. Another was the region’s top-ranked newspaper carrier as a teenager. One joined his firm as an intern and now runs it. Another started as a clubhouse steward and today leads a sixth-generation hospitality company. A Vietnam veteran who first walked in the door as a volunteer grew a three-home operation into a network of 58 housing locations that has served more than 31,500 veterans and their families.

Their reach is enormous, and so is their generosity. Nearly every Top 100 Long Islander on these pages gives back through board service, mentorship and philanthropy, championing causes from hunger relief and disability services to the arts and education. Several have shared ownership of their companies with the employees who built them, and many are guiding family businesses into their second and third generations.

They are refreshingly human, too. Among them you will find a concert pianist who also plays country fiddle, a classical guitarist who fronts a rock band, a lifelong violinist and an Ironman triathlete.

Long Island faces real challenges, from housing affordability to workforce needs to the cost of doing business. This list is proof the region has the leadership to meet them.

Congratulations to all of this year’s Top 100 Long Islanders! We are proud to celebrate you, and we can’t wait to see what you accomplish next.

Read the highlight of Vanessa Baird-Streeter on Long Island Business News.

Vanessa Baird-Streeter

President and Chief Executive Officer

Health and Welfare Council of Long Island

Vanessa Baird-Streeter is president and chief executive officer of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, bringing decades of leadership experience in government, business and community service. Under her guidance, HWCLI has strengthened its role as a convener of nonprofit agencies, corporations and community stakeholders, working collectively to respond to the challenges faced by at-risk populations. Her leadership emphasizes policy development, direct service coordination and strategic partnerships aimed at fostering equity and access throughout the region.

A graduate of Dartmouth College with a double major in economics and education, Baird-Streeter began her career on Wall Street as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs. She later served as director of the ministry for Catholics of African Ancestry and director of communications for the Town of Babylon.

In 2012, she began her tenure at the Office of the Suffolk County Executive, and in 2020 made history as the first woman of color to serve as Suffolk County deputy county executive. In that role, she oversaw major agencies and initiatives, including the Department of Human Services. In 2020, she chaired the Suffolk County Police Reform and Reinvention Task Force, which produced New York State’s most comprehensive police reform plan, and led efforts during the pandemic to expand testing in underserved communities, launch food distribution programs and ensure equitable vaccine access.

Baird-Streeter is a member of the Long Island Power Authority board of trustees, associate member of Jack & Jill of America-Suffolk County Chapter and founding member of 100 Black Women-Suffolk County Chapter, among other affiliations.