Special Guest

Darren Spicer, Co-Founder, CEO, Clutch Coffee

Panelists

Jason Thomas, Executive Editor, SC Biz News

Tony Mecia, Editor, Charlotte Ledger

Panelists

Sarah House

Managing Director, Senior Economist, Wells Fargo

Mark Vitner

Founder, Chief Economist, Piedmont Crescent Capital

John Connaughton, Ph.D

Professor of Financial Economics, UNC Charlotte

Anders Persson, CFA,

Chief Investment Officer, Head of Global Fixed Income, Nuveen

It does seem ironic even that an act of God or natural disaster can eviscerate a region so completely but eventually bring a community together. We have seen that over and over again since the devastation of the hurricanes in September. Such times also build leaders. We hear about the rebuilding effort from Duke Energy's newly named President, Harry Sedaris.

Panelists

Georgia Mjartan, President and CEO, Central Carolina Community Foundation

John Hood, President, John William Pope Foundation

An update on the progress to rebuild Western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene, plus funding needs, future storm planning and managing the mental toll.

Panelists

Patrick Woodie, President & CEO, NC Rural Center

Antjuan Seawright, Founder and CEO, Blueprint Strategy

As non-profits struggle to redefine community what are the challenges for the organizations that serve those in need in the region, from relief funding to polarization, and affordable housing.

Panelists:

Cathy Bessant, CEO, Foundation for the Carolinas

Rhett Mabry, President, The Duke Endowment

Dr. Tonya Matthews, President and CEO, International African American Museum

Sara Fawcett, President and CEO, United Way of the Midlands

From hurricane rebuilding, to rural priorities, collaboration with North Carolina and creative funding, we talk with the first new SC DOT leader in nearly a decade.

Panelists

Patrick Woodie, President & CEO, NC Rural Center

Christopher Finn, Interim President and CEO, South Carolina I-77 Alliance

In this Executive Profile, President Hans talks about leading in polarizing times, the role AI should play in higher education, affordability and enrollment, Hurricane Helene's impact to the UNC System, and more.

Former NC Secretary of Public Safety and the State’s Homeland Security Advisor, Hooks updates on the progress and challenges of the relief effort in North and South Carolina following Hurricane Helene.

Panelists: Tony Mecia, Editor, The Charlotte Ledger

Joseph C. Von Nessen, Ph.D., Research Economist, Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina

AI and Fintech, Wilmington's business advantage, Managing growth.

Plus Panelists on Hurricane Helene, commercial real estate and the upcoming election.

J. Brannen Edge III

Managing Partner, President & Chief Executive Officer, Flagship Healthcare Properties, LLC

Carl Blackstone

President and CEO, Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce

An Executive Profile with South Carolina's Superintendent of Education in her first term. We talk about priorities, teacher pay and retention, the importance of early literacy, a new controversial cell phone policy, book bans, building on the school-business pipeline, learning loss, and hurricane relief efforts.