Chatter with BNC

Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people.

On today's episode, Colin Campbell speaks with Jim Zimmer, owner and winemaker at Midnight Magdalena Vineyards in Yadkin County near Jonesville. Zimmer tells us how he and his wife Tauny got interested in wine and moved to North Carolina's Yadkin Valley wine region. He also discusses the winemaking process and the role that tourism plays in the increasing number of wineries in the area.

Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people.

In today's episode, Ben Kinney speaks with Brittany Brady, the President & CEO of Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development. Brady talks to us about her career journey, economic development news in Henderson County, the organization's current priorities, their work with community college students, and more.

Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people.

In today's episode, David Mildenberg speaks with Pasha Maher, the founding partner of Stiegler EdTech, a Charlotte company that provides technology education programs that have enabled more than 150 students to gain jobs with annual entry-level salaries averaging $55,000 a year. It has partnerships with Ally Financial, US Bank, LendingTree and others seeking to attract a more diverse tech workforce. Maher describes the role of unconventional education programs and his work in promoting Charlotte's fintech industry.

Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people.   On today's episode, Colin Campbell speaks with Sarah Langer Hall, director of the Institute for Emerging Issues at N.C. State University, and Philip Cooper, practitioner-in-residence at the institute and an expert on workforce development. Hall and Cooper preview the upcoming Emerging Issues Forum on Feb. 13, which this year is focused on Talent First Economics. They tell us about how to address workforce development challenges by focusing on the needs of underrepresented workers who have historically faced barriers to employment and staying engaged in the workplace.

Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people.

In today's episode, David Mildenberg speaks with veteran commercial real estate executive Kim Kendall, the new president of the Charlotte Region Commercial Board of Realtors. Kendall discusses current market conditions and her career that includes stints working for Charlotte developer Smoky Bissell and her current role as a senior director at the Colliers real estate firm. She's negotiated more than $1.5 billion of leases in her career.

Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people.

On today's episode, Ben Kinney speaks with Brooks Raiford, the President & CEO of NC Tech. Raiford talks to us about his journey from a career in government to finding his way to NC Tech, the growth they've seen at the association, what's new in the tech industry, and more. 

Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people.

On today's episode, Colin Campbell speaks with Congressman-elect Don Davis, a longtime state senator from Greene County who will be replacing retiring 1st District U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield. Davis talks about the economic needs of Eastern North Carolina, his priorities for his first term in Congress and highlights of his work in the state legislature.

Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people.

Today's episode features Curt Ladig, the President and CEO of Delta Dental of North Carolina, the leading dental insurer in North Carolina. Ladig talks to us about the non-profit dental insurer's history, the factors that led to their tremendous growth since he came on board as the CEO, and more. 

Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people.

Today's episode features Tim Beck, the Managing Director & Market Lead, Oakworth Capital Bank. Beck talks to us about Oakworth Captial Bank and their history, their entry into the Charlotte market, his rich career journey in banking and more. 

Welcome to Chatter with BNC, Business North Carolina's weekly podcast, serving up interviews with some of the Tar Heel State's most interesting people.

Today's episode features Scott Hamilton, the CEO of the Golden Leaf Foundation, which helps fund economic development projects across North Carolina. The UNC Greensboro graduate describes the public foundation's role in spurring megasites that have attracted billions of dollars of planned investment in recent years, along with other strategic initiatives. Hamilton has led the Rocky Mount-based organization since 2019.