There’s NOTHING easy about losing a family member. That heartbreak must be magnified exponentially when it comes to losing a child. In Charlotte, families who do suffer this life-altering event don’t have to go it alone.

Since 1978, KinderMourn has helped bereaved parents, grieving children and teens by offering support and counseling programs, creating awareness of bereavement issues and empowering the community to assist those who have suffered though this loss.

One of the many ways they bring their message and mission to the greater community is through the annual “Hope Floats” duck race. To tell us all about it, we have Katy Ryan, KinderMourn’s Executive Director, and KinderMourn parent, Kelly Burton.

So… how do you write an introduction for someone who’s in the business of making other people look and sound good? That’s easy! You “borrow” a couple of lines from their website! Here goes:

“Beth Booker is a creative entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in PR and Marketing with the education to match. As the CEO of two PR companies, her diverse background spans multiple industries, from fashion to music, beauty to lifestyle, and healthcare to food and beverage.”

Beth is Founder and CEO of Gracie PR, and she’s our guest today on the BrandBuilders podcast!

In 1977, Blake Annable began designing and manufacturing sports equipment and apparel in Western Canada for specialty retailers and corporate clients. What began as a small business venture eventually grew to become one of the largest privately-owned and operated international apparel companies.

That company is now called Stormtech. They got their first big break when a popular gym bag they made got picked up by local department stores. The rest, as they say, is history. Stormtech continues to write the book in our industry with designs and an eye on sustainability.

Kyle Annable from Stormtech is our guest on this week’s episode of the Brandbuilders Podcast.

Here’s a fun fact for you: Did you know George Washington is said to have created the FIRST promotional product? The story goes, Washington is credited with creating an election button for his 1789 campaign. How about that for some history they don’t teach in school?

LOTS has changed since then, and so has the promotional products industry. As we like to say around here at The Dunstan Group, we can put your name on almost anything!

We are excited to welcome one of the giants in our industry, Mr. Mark Chipcase, from MAC Marketing. Mark, it’s a treat to have you on this week’s episode of the BrandBuilders Podcast.

From the big “pink house” on East Morehead Street, they work to provide a “holistic approach to meeting the needs of the breast cancer community through mentorship, programming and outreach.”

Our good friend Lisa Dale is Executive Director at Carolina Breast Friends. She’s our guest today on this episode of the BrandBuilders podcast.

Youth Advocate Programs – or YAP —  is in 32 states and the District of Columbia and in its 47th year of partnering with systems to provide community-based alternatives to youth incarceration, congregate placements and neighborhood violence.

Last year, they launched the “But I’m Not” public service ad campaign highlighting how the nonprofit works to transform youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, intellectual disabilities and other systems.

That’s a tall order, and Fred Fogg and Kelly Williams are up to the task, They’re with Youth Advocate Programs and today they’re our guests on the BrandBuilders Podcast.

Charlotte is incredibly lucky to have some amazing talent not only IN the arts scene, but also helping guide some of our creative institutions. Tom Gabbard is one of those people. He’s been President and CEO of Blumenthal Performing Arts for nearly 20 years! Today, he’s our guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast.

No matter what your station in life, there’s a style or genre of music you that speaks to you. Music is a HUGE part of the soundtrack of our lives. I mean, who doesn’t recall the songs that remind them of first boyfriends or girlfriends, breakups, spring breaks, weddings… you get the picture.

David Fisk has been around music for at least as long as his professional and formative years – and we’re guessing longer than that. He’s now the President and CEO of the Charlotte Symphony. Today he’s first chair with us on the BrandBuilders Podcast.

CBRE Group is a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Dallas, and is the largest commercial real estate services and investment firm IN THE WORLD. Maybe you’ve heard of them? They have over 100,000 employees serving clients in more than 100 countries.

John Christenbury and Piers Wates work in CBRE’s Tenant Representation Group, serving as their strategic advisor, lowering real estate costs and occupancy risks, while maximizing workplace flexibility and productivity. Today, he’s our guest on the BrandBuilders Podcast.

As the world becomes more and more interconnected and tech-driven one thing is clear, data is king. Beyond what your favorite food is or how you like to dress, data in the 21st century can be an almost complete picture of who you are. With enough data on someone, you can begin to influence them and with our reliance on technology it is more important than it has ever been to have ethical tech companies and that wouldn’t be possible without all the people that work in them.

Today we are joined by Jack Hall from HuntSource. HuntSource is a partner for tech companies that helps them identify and hire the best talent in Cyber Security, Data Intelligence, and Analytics. Jack is here to tell us about the company and how things got started!