Todd Hall, President and CEO of Truliant Federal Credit Union, joins North Carolina Business Minds to discuss how the triad's largest locally headquartered financial institution has grown assets by 65% to over $5 billion and expanded membership to more than 337,000 since 2020.

In this episode, we explore Truliant's strategic expansion into Charlotte and upstate South Carolina, the credit union's six-figure naming rights deal for the Truliant Amphitheater (formerly PNC Music Pavilion), and the $90 million sell-leaseback of its headquarters and operations center. Hall also shares his perspective on fintech disruption, stablecoin legislation, rising inflation concerns, and what makes a credit union's value proposition stand out against big national banks.

Hall reflects on more than 35 years in financial services — including surviving four bank acquisitions — and offers candid advice to emerging leaders on the importance of community engagement. He was recently named a Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame Laureate.

North Carolina Business Minds is supported by Elon University.

Meet Cindy Eckert — serial entrepreneur, pharmaceutical innovator, and self-described "rebel with receipts." In this episode, Lauren Onus of the Triangle Business Journal sits down with the woman behind the Pink Pill to trace her remarkable journey from perpetual new kid (including a childhood stint in Fiji) to billion-dollar exit. Cindy shares how she left a dream job at Merck to chase innovation at smaller companies, ultimately founding Slate Pharmaceuticals in men's sexual health before pivoting to tackle a glaring gap: zero FDA-approved options for women's sexual health. She opens up about the cultural resistance she faced bringing the first-ever female sexual health drug to market, the billion-dollar sale to Valeant, the fight to get the product back when the buyer failed to launch it, and the grit it took to start over from scratch. Cindy also discusses her work with the Pink Ceiling to improve access to capital for women-led startups in STEM, the new documentary The Pink Pill: Sex, Drugs, and Who Has Control, and why she believes science cures bias.

Show Links:

https://www.thepinkpillfilm.com/

https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/shows/the-pink-pill-sex-drugs-who-has-control/releases/?view=112407-paramount-sets-march-6-north-american-premiere-for-award-winning-documentary-the-pink-pill-sex-drugs-who-has-control

https://www.instagram.com/thepinkpillfilm/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/cindypinkceo/?hl=en

https://addyi.com/

Addyi Disclaimer
ADDYI, flibanserin, is for women under 65 with low sexual desire disorder who have not had problems with low sexual desire in the past, and who have low sexual desire that is troubling to them no matter the type of sexual activity, situation, or sexual partner. The low sexual desire is not due to a medical or mental health problem, problems in the relationship or medicine or other drug use. ADDYI is not for men or to enhance sexual performance. Your risk of severe low blood pressure and fainting is increased if you drink 1-2 standard alcoholic drinks close in time to your ADDYI dose. Wait at least 2 hours after one to two drinks before taking ADDYI at bedtime and skip your dose if you drink three or more drinks that evening. If you take certain prescription, OTC or herbal medications, or have liver problems, the risk of low blood pressure and fainting increases and you should not take ADDYI. Do not take if you are allergic to any of ADDYI’s ingredients. Sometimes serious sleepiness can occur. Common side effects include dizziness, nausea, tiredness, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and dry mouth. See PI and Boxed Warning at addyi.com/pi

In this conversation, Adam Sperling, executive director of the Truist Championship, tells Erik Spanberg about the return of Charlotte’s annual PGA Tour event after stepping aside for the PGA Championship in 2025. Sperling came to Charlotte in 2018 to run the Presidents Cup, played here in 2022. That event broke sales and revenue records. Now, Sperling oversees the Tour’s annual event at Quail Hollow Club, with a new title sponsor and a new owner. 

Winston-Salem-based grocer returns to Charlotte with six stores, plans new Triangle locations. CEO reflects on Carolinas' snowmageddon, talks competition, mulls potential disruption from Buc-ee's.

Lauren Ohnesorge sits down with Jason Caplain, general partner and co-founder of Bull City Venture Partners, to trace his journey from 80th employee at Red Hat to one of the Triangle's most established venture capitalists. Jason shares how a $5 million first fund — raised during the dot-com crash — produced three IPOs, including two billion-dollar companies led by Goldman Sachs. They dig into what makes a great founder (hint: it's not the pitch deck), why the unicorn hype should concern you, how AI is reshaping both startups and VC, and what North Carolina can do to strengthen its entrepreneurial ecosystem. Jason also opens up about the current exit market challenges, the state of seed-stage investing in the Southeast, and why 80% of capital raised by NC startups comes from outside the state

In this conversation, former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot tells Erik Spanberg about his lifetime of leadership roles, from Eagle Scout to mayor, with an interval on Dean Smith’s UNC Chapel Hill basketball team. Vinroot, an attorney by trade, still goes to his office five days a week, lending counsel to younger peers and tackling nonfiction histories and biographies at the prodigious clip of one book per week. Vinroot, a moderate Republican who twice lost in bids to become governor, sees education as the most important issue for Charlotte — and the nation.

Chef Freddy Lee runs nine restaurants across two states. His newest will open this summer, not in a major metro, but in a small town made famous by Andy Griffith. He talks industry headwinds, and offers a stunning insight on chefs' own dining habits.

In this conversation, Jim Segrave, CEO and founder of flyExclusive, shares his journey from his early days in aviation to building a successful business in the private jet industry. After selling a previous company to Delta Air Lines, Segrave's flyExclusive has seen rapid growth as the business leaders turn to private aircraft in the wake of the pandemic. 

In this episode, Chris William reflects on the journey of creating and sustaining the Carolina Business Review over three decades. He discusses the challenges of gaining buy-in across two states, the importance of community engagement and the evolution of the show amidst economic changes. Chris shares insights on navigating the complexities of public broadcasting, maintaining a small business and the impact of significant economic events on the program. He concludes with thoughts on the future of media and the legacy of the show.

North Carolina is facing a critical housing shortage with an estimated 800,000 units needed statewide. As major employers like Toyota, Boom Supersonic and JetZero bring tens of thousands of jobs to the state, the question becomes urgent: Where will workers live? Jon Hardister, president of the Triad Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition and former six-term state legislator, joins host Lloyd Whittington to discuss the economic and social stakes of the housing shortage. They explore why the average first-time homebuyer is now 40 years old, up from 28 decades earlier, and whether efforts to address density and development challenges are likely to resurface in the General Assembly after stalling amid opposition last year. This conversation reveals how North Carolina's housing shortage could threaten economic development — and what stakeholders are doing now to solve it before it's too late.