Golden LEAF Critical Conversations

Housing has become one of the most significant challenges facing communities across North Carolina. As employers expand their operations and the state's population continues to grow, many rural communities are struggling to provide housing for teachers, healthcare workers, first responders, manufacturing employees, and other essential workers. The latest episode of Golden LEAF Critical Conversatio...

The latest episode of Golden LEAF Critical Conversations with President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton explores one of the most significant challenges facing North Carolina agriculture: the loss of farmland and what it means for the state's economy, food systems, and future growth. The conversation highlights Ground Truth NC, a new farmland research initiative launched by Golden LEAF a...

The latest episode of Golden LEAF Critical Conversations with President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton explores how North Carolina rural middle schools participating in the Golden LEAF Schools Initiative are rethinking education to better prepare students for high school, careers, and the workforce of the future. In this episode: Rachel Wright-Junio, Director of the Golden LEAF Schools...

The latest episode of Golden LEAF Critical Conversations with Scott T. Hamilton, the Foundation's President and CEO, brings together three leaders driving economic development across North Carolina to answer a critical question: What does it really take to attract new industry to a community? Kenny Flowers, Chief Deputy Secretary with the N.C. Department of Commerce, shares how statewide coordinat...

The latest episode of Golden LEAF Critical Conversations with Scott Hamilton features three voices shaping the future of North Carolina agriculture. They answer the question: What happens when scientists, extension specialists, and farmers tackle agriculture's toughest challenges together? Adrian Percy, Director of the NC State Plant Sciences Initiative (PSI), shares the bold vision behind bringin...

What happens when opportunity meets rural community pride? In this episode of Golden LEAF Critical Conversations, host Scott T. Hamilton talks with a current Golden LEAF Scholar, a Scholar Alumna, and an internship site host to show exactly how the Golden LEAF Scholarship and Golden LEAF Rural Internship Initiative change lives and shapes communities across North Carolina. You will hear from three...

In this first podcast episode, Golden LEAF President, Chief Executive Officer Scott T. Hamilton is joined by two leading economic voices: Tom Barkin, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, and Dr. Mike Walden, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus at NC State University. Together, they unpack a year marked by uncertainty, described as "driving through fog," and...