Our agenda features expert-led sessions and plenty of opportunities to connect with fellow attendees. Note: Times and speakers are subject to change, so check back often for the latest updates
The core promise of the American Dream—upward mobility through hard work—is not equally accessible across the U.S. Drawing on new Opportunity Insights research, Harvard Economist Gregory Bruich will discuss how rigorous, data-driven research can help identify the factors that matter most, highlighting which communities drive mobility, what sets them apart, and how data-driven partnerships with the private sector can expand opportunity.
Research Principal, Opportunity Insights and Lecturer/Adviser in Economics
This session highlights how banks can address wealth inequality by strategically investing in affordable housing, revitalizing commercial corridors, and expanding access to capital and opportunity for small businesses and workers. Drawing on realworld, placebased examples, participants will explore how marketdriven community development investments—paired with strong local partnerships—can stabilize neighborhoods, support economic mobility, and deliver measurable impact that strengthens both communities and the bank’s longterm performance.
Executive Vice President, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer
Small businesses are the backbone of rural communities, driving growth and anchoring local life. This panel will explore how public-private partnerships and local ecosystems can provide entrepreneurs with the capital, mentorship and the market access they need to not only thrive, but to strengthen the communities they serve.
Speaker, Author, Revenue & Program Strategist
President and Founder
In this joint session, Neil Harrington and Sam Cole examine North Carolina’s childcare landscape, highlighting the widening gap between available care and the needs of today’s workforce. Framing childcare as both a workforce and economic development priority, Cole will explain why the issue is housed within the Department of Commerce and how it directly impacts business performance and labor force participation. The session will also explore how her work partners with employers across the state to identify and advance practical, scalable solutions that expand access to childcare for working families.
Head to an interactive exhibitor forum for an opportunity to connect hands-on with organizations and businesses actively putting solutions into practice. Explore innovative approaches to childcare, livable wages, and flexible scheduling, and hear firsthand from those who are turning ideas into real-world action across the Carolinas.
Explore how businesses are addressing childcare challenges. Danelle McCusker Rees, SVP and Global Head of Talent, Culture, & Learning at UPS, will share how the Emergency Childcare Initiative scaled from one site to 11 states, while Patch Caregiving’s will discuss their flexible backup childcare model designed to support unexpected caregiving needs.
Senior Vice President, Global Head of Talent, Culture, and Learning and HR Business Partner to the Chief Digital & Technology Officer & Chief Human Resources Officer, UPS
Co-Founder & Co-CEO
Co-Founder & Co-CEO
Housing cost pressures are rising in North Carolina, with several counties experiencing severe affordability challenges. This session highlights why these growing burdens matter and introduces the NC Housing Affordability Index as a tool for understanding local market dynamics. It also showcases the North Carolina Economic Forecasting Initiative, which brings together Kenan Institute experts in economic forecasting and community development to produce accessible, county‑level forecasts that help communities plan for sustainable, broad‑based growth.
Research Economist, Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise; Assistant Research Professor
