Exploring practical models to implement shared ownership programs, including their impact and their ROI.

 

MODERATOR

LaChaun Banks

Professor of the Practice, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and Research Fellow, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise

 

SPEAKERS

Ed Felenbok

Senior Director, Client Advisory Services, Ownership Works

Mathieu Despard

Senior Researcher, Center for Social Development, Washington University in St. Louis

CivicReach AI has created local-government-specific, on-demand and employee-first voice AI agents that assist staff in answering the phone more often, more times of the day and in more languages in an effort to get resources to the households that need it most. This session will focus on relaxing constraints on households and small businesses through providing innovative solutions to maximize resources and as well as a discussion with a policymaker on what assistance small businesses that hire locally are in need of.

 

SPEAKERS

Lindsay Freeman Avagliano

Chief Operating Officer, CivicReach.AI

Jessica Day

Mayor, Town of Knightdale

Kristin Economo

Chief of Staff, Skills and Development, Red Hat

A subset of the population that has been traditionally left out of development models are individuals who have been justice involved.  This session focuses on proven business models for Fair Chance Hiring, sharing both the economic necessity and best practices of hiring from this untapped talent pool. 

 

SPEAKER

Jeff Korzenik

Chief Economist, Fifth Third Commercial Bank

Luther Hodges Scholars present their research on the impact of investment education in addressing the racial wealth gap. This represents the culmination of their work during a cross-sector internship with CLIMB (Communities Learning to Invest and Mobilize for Business), an organization dedicated to providing programs and services for historically underserved youth, families, and communities. Available nationwide, these programs empower teens and young adults by enhancing their financial literacy and fostering engagement with capital markets.

 

AUTHORS

Yashu Singhai

Luther Hodges Scholar, Class of 2026

Chi Vu

Luther Hodges Scholar, Class of 2026

Presentation of a white paper that examines the opioid crisis as it relates to the job market for justice-involved individuals. Many times opioid addiction has a high probability of the individual being justice involved. This paper looks at solutions after the intervention, including a potential solution of entrepreneurship.

 

SPEAKER

Darlene DeBerry

Senior Economic Development Manager, NCGrowth

Examining cross-sector partnerships between the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, Made in Durham, and Novo Nordisk, this session will focus on workforce development strategies, pathways for opportunities, and community investment to support North Carolina’s growing life sciences industry.

 

SPEAKERS

Laura Rowley

Vice President, Life Sciences Economic Development, North Carolina Biotechnology Center

Nicole Niwa

Alliance Development & Social Responsibility, Public Affairs & Communications, NovoNordisk Pharmaceutical Industries LP

Casey Steinbacher

Executive Director, Made in Durham

This session will dive into the skills and pathways that multinational corporations can provide to a local region. We will discuss pathways within the firm as well as feature a local entrepreneur that used her experience working for a large multinational corporation for upward mobility for herself and community.

 

MODERATOR

Keith Martin

Assistant Director of Student Engagement, Luther Hodges Scholars

 

SPEAKERS

Tara Durnbaugh

CEO & Lead Esthetician, Poppin' Skin Spa

Christina Piard

Upskilling Talent Manager, Wolfspeed

Economic strategy, public spending and creative initiatives must respond to varying local issues if high quality of life and economic mobility are to continue. Many economic realities have deep roots in geographic circumstance, and at a time when states are diverging from the national economy, local and regional economies across the country have also diverged. This session focuses on enabling local economic resilience to improve outcomes in housing, workforce access, local spending and growth opportunities.

 

SPEAKERS

Tim O’Brien

Senior Manager of Applied Research, Growth Lab at Harvard University

Tim Freeman

Senior Researcher, Growth Lab at Harvard University