The Connector

In episode this of The Connector, guest host and IEI Digital Inclusion Initiative Leader Samantha Graham is joined by National Digital Inclusion Alliance Policy Director Amy Huffman for the first installment in our newest series exploring the challenges and opportunities of bridging North Carolina’s digital divide.

Graham talks with Huffman about what the NDIA is doing nationally to help states in their digital equity and inclusion efforts, as well as how North Carolina’s efforts measure up when compared to the rest of the country. 

IEI’s The Connector Podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina.

Find The Connector on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

In episode this The Connector, host James Herrick and Institute for Emerging Issues Assistant Director Pat Cronin are joined by Wilson Education Partnership Executive Director Robin Williams for the third installment of our “Checking In” series with members of IEI’s Educational Attainment Community Cohort. 

Williams talks with Herrick and Cronin about the work Wilson Education Partnership is doing to build relationships between business leaders and public high schools in Wilson County to prepare students to enter the workforce. As a one person shop, Williams also discusses why she decided to join IEI’s community cohort and how peer learning helped her to improve WEP’s programming in Wilson County.

IEI’s The Connector Podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina.

Find The Connector on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

In episode this of The Connector, host James Herrick is joined by Institute for Emerging Issues Assistant Director Pat Cronin and Isothermal Community College Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs Greg Thomas for the second installment of our “Checking In” series with members of IEI’s Educational Attainment Community Cohort.

Thomas talks with Herrick and Cronin about ICC’s approach to community engagement and how the college is making education, and good paying jobs, accessible and attainable for traditional and nontraditional students in Rutherford and Polk counties. 

IEI’s The Connector Podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina.

Find The Connector on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

In episode this of The Connector, host James Herrick is joined by Institute for Emerging Issues Assistant Director Pat Cronin and Communities Supporting Schools (CSS) of Wayne County Executive Director Selena Bennett. 

Bennett talks with Herrick and Cronin about the work CSS of Wayne County is doing to close the educational attainment gap and help kids stay in school, the many ways the local Wayne County community is supporting the mission of CSS, and what she has learned from her experience on IEI’s Educational Attainment Community Cohort. 

IEI’s The Connector Podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina.

Find The Connector on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

In episode this of The Connector, host James Herrick is joined by Institute for Emerging Issues Director Sarah Hall and NC Tech Paths Director of Strategic Partnerships Ariana Williamson.

Williamson talks with Herrick and Hall about her time on the Talent First Economics Task Force, the common barrier she has seen faced by groups of underrepresented workers, and the impact learning pathways are making in preparing workers for jobs. 

IEI’s The Connector Podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina.

Find The Connector on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

In the final installment of Talent First Tuesdays, Institute for Emerging Issues Director Sarah Hall and ncIMPACT Initiative Research Director Jess Dorrance are joined by NC Department of Commerce Economist Jonathan Guarine, Men and Women United for Youth and Families Executive Director Randolph Keaton, and NENC Career Pathways Workforce Connector Brandi Bragg to discuss barriers faced when connecting opportunity youth - those who are between the ages of 16 and 24, and not employed or in school - to the workforce. 

Talent First Tuesdays is a special five-part series of The Connector Podcast highlighting breakout sessions from the 2023 Emerging Issues Forum, Talent First Economics. The goal of Talent First Tuesdays is to continue important conversations around putting the needs of talent first, and helping underrepresented workers find employment and stay engaged in the workplace. 

Previous Talent First Tuesdays can be accessed below.

Justice-Involved Persons

Transitioning Military and their Families

Families and Caregivers of Young Children 

Individuals with Disabilities and/or Neurodiversity

About The Connector

IEI’s The Connector Podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina.

Find The Connector on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

In our Individuals with Disabilities and/or Neurodiversity conversation, IEI Director Sarah Hall was joined by NC Department of Commerce Data Analytics and Research Team Director Oleksandr Movchan, NC Department of Commerce Executive Assistant to the Secretary Toya Crichlow, NC Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Employment and Inclusion Chris Egan, Disability:IN North Carolina Executive Director Beth Butler Fadel and NC Business Committee for Education Deputy Director Morgan Crawford to discuss the barriers faced by individuals with disabilities and/or neurodiversity when entering the workforce.
Registration for Talent First Tuesdays is free and required. Click on each session below to learn more and register.

Tuesday, May 23, at 9 a.m.: Opportunity Youth

About The Connector

IEI’s The Connector Podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina.

Find The Connector on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

In our Families and Caregivers of Young Children conversation, IEI Director Sarah Hall and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC Foundation Early Childhood Director Rob Thompson were joined by NC Department of Commerce Strategic Data Analyst Neil Harrington, NC Early Childhood Foundation Executive Director Muffy Grant and Community Action Opportunities Life Works Coach Ashanti Ternoir to discuss the barriers faced by parents of children under the age of five, such as lack of available child care.

Registration for Talent First Tuesdays is free and required. Click on each session below to learn more and register.

Tuesday, May 23, at 9 a.m.: Opportunity Youth

About The Connector

IEI’s The Connector Podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina.

Find The Connector on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

In the second installment of Talent First Tuesdays, Institute for Emerging Issues Director Sarah Hall and Industry Expansion Solutions Director of Defense Industry Initiatives Michael Mullins are joined by Josh Levy with the NC Department of Commerce, Erin Ananian-Gentile with the NC Military Business Center and Tyler Klemas with Duke Energy Corporation to discuss barriers faced by military veterans and their families when entering the workforce. 

Talent First Tuesdays is a special five part series of The Connector Podcast featuring each breakout session panel from the 2023 Emerging Issues Forum, Talent First Economics. The goal of Talent First Tuesdays is to continue important conversations around putting the needs of talent first, and helping underrepresented workers find employment and stay engaged in the workplace. 

Registration for Talent First Tuesdays is free and required. Click on each session below to learn more and register.

Tuesday, May 16, at 9 a.m.: Families with Young Children

Tuesday, May 16, at 10 a.m.: Disability/Neurodiversity

Tuesday, May 23, at 9 a.m.: Opportunity Youth

Missed the first Talent First Tuesdays featuring the justice-involved panel from the Emerging Issues Forum?

Watch the recording

Listen to the discussion on The Connector

About The Connector

IEI’s The Connector Podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina.

Find The Connector on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.

The Institute for Emerging Issues is hosting a special five episode series of The Connector Podcast called Talent First Tuesdays. In this series, IEI is welcoming back each breakout session panel from the 2023 Emerging Issues Forum, Talent First Economics to continue the important conversations that took place earlier this year. 

In this episode, IEI Director Sarah Hall and NC State University Director of Economic Partnership Tom White are joined by NC Department of Commerce Senior Economist Andrew Berger-Gross, Arise Collective Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Jackson, Meridian Behavioral Health Services Certified Peer Support Specialist Nathan Cartwright and IEI Practitioner in Residence Philip Cooper to discuss barriers faced by justice-involved workers, as well as programs that are helping them successfully enter or reenter the workforce.

The 2023 forum brought together people from different perspectives and backgrounds to discuss putting the needs of talent first, and helping underrepresented workers find employment and stay engaged in the workplace. 

Registration for Talent First Tuesdays is free and required to attend. Click on each session below to learn more and register.

Tuesday, May 9, at 10 a.m.: Transitioning Military and their Families

Tuesday, May 16, at 9 a.m.: Families with Young Children

Tuesday, May 16, at 10 a.m.: Disability/Neurodiversity

Tuesday, May 23, at 9 a.m.: Opportunity Youth

If you’d like to ask a question of the panel but can’t make a session, email your question to [email protected]. 

The Connector podcast explores connections being made across sectors, regions and perspectives, resulting in a more vibrant and prosperous North Carolina. To learn more about the Institute for Emerging Issues, visit emergingissues.org.